The expression Go for Broke is quite interesting, and comes from Hawaiian Pidgin slang, used in craps, when you stake all your money on one roll of the dice. It first appeared in the 1951 film of the same name and was adopted as a motto by the US 442nd Infantry Regiment.
If you lead from a broken sequence against 3NT, you are gambling on partner having an honour or two in the suit. Particularly dangerous is QTxx as that can cost the entire suit on a bad day. It proved disastrous at our table when my partner went for broke on a couple of hands:
Here my partner led the ten of diamonds, disastrously giving declarer his eleventh trick as he went up with dummy's jack. The auction had been, with NS silent, P-1C-1H-2NT-3C*-3NT-P. 3C was asking, and West would have normally shown three hearts or four spades over this. I would lead a heart on the North hand, as partner is quite likely to have four, while the second choice a spade. But hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Undeterred by the failure of that lead, my partner tried the same gambit on a later hand:
This time the auction was a bit less informative but the clues were all there. After three passes, South opened 2NT, 20-21 and North bid 3C, 5-card Stayman. South's response of 3NT, denying a four-card major, ended the auction. I think I would lead a heart on the West hand, and that is not hindsight, and declarer can be held to six tricks as South is squeezed on the fourth heart. The selected club lead, from an even more broken holding, allowed declarer to get out for one off, and was not a good score for East-West.
Bd 18. The bidding went 2D (Multi) 2H, 2NT 3C (Puppet), 3NT (20-22).
ReplyDeleteMost people led the DT. Paul is right, a Major looks a much better lead.
Some did not cover the DT with the DJ, which is much worse than starting with the DT, which I would have done.....
Ken
After a long think I also led a diamond on hand one also after 2NT-3NT giving up a trick. Luckily declarer went wrong later when my partner smoothly ducked the queen of hearts so we held it to ten tricks anyway. The diamond lead would be much more attractive at IMP's of course.
ReplyDeleteSecond hand I agree a heart is the stand out choice.
On a similar theme from board 7 after a 2NT -5 card puppet stayman - no major sequence you are on lead with 52 Q109 852 K8743. Roly Harris found the ten of hearts lead which held me to 9 tricks
ReplyDeleteYes board 7 was interesting. I had a club lead into the AQ and won and played two rounds of spades, West ducking. Now I went for broke by crossing to the queen of diamonds and played a heart to the ace for 11 tricks. I was not sure that was the right line, but sometimes they don't play a heart back when the king loses to the ace. I think you can make 10 on Roly's lead by winning the second heart and knocking out the ace of spades while the hearts are blocked.
ReplyDeleteI think to make 10 I have to cover the ten of hearts with the jack (otherwise West just ducks), and win the king on the second round.
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