I have a red face!

I suppose we all need refresher courses on the basics of this game, yes...       hmmmmm

Dlr: North Vul: Both J9 98754 A82 1082

K53 KQ6 9753 J53   AQ108762 J2 J10 A9

4 A103 KQ64 KQ764

This was the bidding: West elsid Dbl 3 Pass North Foxxie Pass 2 Pass Pass East abby 1 Dble Pass Pass South KCR 1 Pass 3

I led the 9. I liked my sequence. KCR accepted the lead with glee, and promptly discarded her club loser on the established heart, claiming 4.

"Sorry, pard," I said, "should lead a club."

"No problem, pd. 'tis IMP's" abby replied.

Yes, this was not serious. We were -3.80 instead of -3.10.

Dlr: West Vul: E-W 6 10982 K98763 KJ

AK104 764 AQJ 1042   Q532 5 2 AQ98653

J987 AKQJ3 1054 7

This was the bidding: West elsid Pass 3 Pass North Foxxie 1 3 Pass East abby 1 Pass Pass South KCR 1 4

Totally disregarding partner's overcall, I led the 7. I didn't think we had many heart tricks coming, and I thought an aggressive lead was warranted. Wrong!!

Declarer wins the ace, and runs the diamond knave at trick 2, discarding her stiff heart. I win. What now??

I am desperate.

So... I switch to..... the K!!

Declarer wins, draws 3 trumps, and to her astonishment, the club knave drops. 5-up.

450 gives them 8.80 IMPs!!!

If I had led a heart, and abby forces with a second heart, the hand becomes totally unmanagable. A difference of at least 2 tricks!!   Yuk.

Yep, it takes a costly board like that to instil first principles -
LEAD PARTNER's SUIT.