[myprac]

Your RHO's opening bid of 1NT was passed around and you must make an opening lead from this collection:

♠73 ♥J9642 ♦JT85 ♣85

Based on the bidding we can make some limited inferences about distribution and infer that partner has some strength. What's the smart way to think about leading from this hand? The default choice of ♥4 seems unlikely to succeed because your hand has no plausible entries to use this suit if it sets up. If partner has a good suit, it's most likely to be one of the black ones -- but leading from one of these doubletons could be just the help declarer needs to establish that suit. Does anyone like ♦J, top of a broken sequence? Or do you stick with ♥4 with the thought that this is the lead least likely to help declarer?

[flametree]

I'd lead the 4H. Every once in a while the suit sets up without need for an entry (eg, partner has KQx, declarer Ax). If you don't lead the suit now, you probably won't get to win those tricks.

I think the heart is the "normal" lead here, and I can't see any reason to go against the field. If I was aware I was having a very bad session and wanted to try a swinging action, then I might try something else. Maybe a club? After all, partner in fourth seat has a decent hand, and couldn't bid anything, so there's a fair chance he doesn't have five spades.

[ggwhiz]

The more I think, the more often I get this one wrong.

Is it MP's? When I had my first game with a really strong player as we discussed our card her parting shot was "By the way, we ALWAYS lead 4th from longest and strongest." Perhaps the idea was to be with the field, accept an average(ish) score and try to steal a trick mid or late hand.

Against 2nt - float, I led a ♠ from Jxxxxx and out, caught her with AKx and ran the suit. The ♦J lead on a hand like this has blown up in my face more often than not but I still do it.