Opening Leads

        This section assumes that you have already decided which suit to lead, and explains which card to lead from the suit.

        Leads From Average Suits.    You should normally lead the lowest from a three card suit:

With four or more cards in the suit, you should lead the fourth-highest:

Both of these rules have a variety of exceptions (outlined below).

        With a doubleton, you should always lead the high card:

saving the low card for the second trick. This special high-low signal alerts your partner that you are out of the suit, in case he wants to give you a ruff.

        Three-Card Sequences.    Always lead the top of a three-card sequence headed by the K, Q, J, or T:

You should also lead high if you are missing the third card of a sequence, but you have the fourth:

        The remaining possibilities depend on whether you are defending against a trump contract or a notrump contract.

Trump Contracts

        Suits Headed by Aces.    The most important rule for opening leads is:

Hence, you should lead the ace from all of the following holdings:

        EXCEPTION:    In a suited headed by the ace-king, lead the king instead:

However, you should lead the ace from an ace-king doubleton:

        Inside Sequences.    You should ususally lead the top card from an inside sequence:

Of course, you should only apply this rule to an inside sequence headed by an honor:

Also, remember to not to underlead aces:

        Two-Card Sequences.    With a 3-card suit, you should lead the top of a two-card sequence headed by the K, Q, J, or T:

With four or more cards, you should lead high from KQxx, and low from JTxx or T9xx:

With QJxx, you have a choice between leading the queen and leading low.

        EXCEPTION:    Always lead the top of a two-card sequence in a suit which your partner has bid.

Notrump Contracts

        Inside Sequences.    Lead the top of any inside sequence headed by the Q, J, or T:

        Two-Card Sequences.    With a three-card suit, you should lead the top of a two-card sequence headed by the K, Q, J, or T:

With four or more cards, you should lead a spot:

EXCEPTION:    Alway lead the top of a two-card sequence in a suit which your partner has bid.

        Ace-King Combinations.    Lead the king whenever you have a third honor in the suit:

Without a third honor, you should lead the king from AKx and AKxx, and fourth-best from AKxxx or longer (so that you can run the suit when you regain the lead):

        Leading the Ace.    In a notrump contract, an opening lead of the ace shows a very good suit, and asks your partner to unblock by playing any honor he might have. Lacking an honor, your partner should give you a count signal (instead of an attitude signal), since his attitude is irrelevant.
        Normally, you should have four of the top five honors to lead an ace (or three of the top four and a six-card suit):

        Top of Nothing.    You can lead the top card from a worthless suit (headed by the 9 or lower) to discourage your partner from returning the suit:

NOTES:

        •    You should usually only lead top of nothing from a three-card or four-card suit. Five-card suits are seldom worthless.

        •    When leading your partner's suit, only lead the top card from a doubleton. Three or more cards is a good holding. (If you have already shown three cards in the suit, however, lead top of nothing.)

        •    It is sometimes right to lead the second-highest card in a worthless suit, if the highest card might be useful. (This is especially true if the highest card is a 9.)

        •    You may sometimes want to lead a high spot card in a suit, even though you have an honor, to discourage partner from returning the suit. (For example, you might hold AJTxx in a side suit, and want partner to help you finesse declarer.)

        •    Finally, you may sometimes lead top of nothing in a trump contract if you have already promised three cards in the suit.

        Unblocking.    You should usually lead an honor from any three-card suit headed by two honors (to prevent he suit from becoming blocked):

However, it is usually a poor choice to lead such a suit in the first place.

        Leading from KQT9.    With KQT9 or KQTxxx, you want your partner to unblock if he holds the jack (so that you know it's safe to continue the suit). The standard solution is to lead the queen (instead of the king) from these holdings:

If your partner holds the jack, he will be able to deduce your holding (since a lead of the queen normally promises the jack) and play the jack on the first trick.