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The following table is a “standard” recommendation for leading. The red highlight indicates the card that should be led, and the yellow fill indicates that leading the suit is not recommended, and likely to cost a trick, or tricks.
X= Card below a ten Red = Suggested Lead Yellow=Not a suit recommended to lead It
is fairly standard to lead top-of-nothing (grunts, or rags, no pictures) with
two or three small cards. This usually is done
to indicate a short suit lead, or to just make a passive lead. Passive leads are made to protect ones
holdings in other suits. Attacking
leads are cards such as Aces, Kings, Queens, and Jacks. It also serves another purpose. It tells your partner that you have led a
suit without a top honor! Partner is
now better equipped to protect his hand and continue defensively. Generally
partner will continue with your opening lead when he gains the lead unless his
hand dictates otherwise. With
four or more spots (rags, grunts, fillers, ruffage) it is recommended to lead
the second card from the top with four, and also the same with five. This is done to help partner realize that
your suit is very weak, and you will be in a position to show count on your next play. Caution must be considered when going “Nil;”
the second highest spot may be still bigger than partner can cover. Which card to lead when holding the Ace and the King is an age-old battle! Some say it is right to lead the Ace but some say it is right to lead the King. Good arguments exist from both camps. (See That Ole Ace-King Thing.) I prefer leading the Ace and the King. “Say what?” I like to
lead the Ace with an even number of cards in the suit, and the King when I am
holding an odd number of cards in the suit.
This is an especially helpful signal in the spades suit. Assuming that you follow the table, you will
lead the King from Ace-King, unless you are holding two cards in the suit. A doubleton holding is shown when you make
the abnormal play of the Ace followed by the King. “Doubleton”, meaning two cards.
This play will tell your partner how many cards you have in the suit and
ask for a ruff at his first opportunity to lead. Leading
from sequential honors is self-explanatory.
Lead the top card! If you win this trick, and decide to continue the
suit, continue with the next lower honor. Sequential honors are KQJ, QJx, J109,
etc. Leading
from an interior sequence is usually not recommended because of the higher
probability of losing a trick.
Unfortunately we all must lead a suit sometimes because we have no other
choice; spades not being broken is a good example of this. When you are faced with leading from an
internal sequence normally you lead the second highest honor card. Examples would be Jack from a KJ109 holding, or 10
from a K1098 holding. The beginning of
the sequence is the card to lead.
Partner will now know that it is either the highest card you have in the
suit, or you are leading from a holding like this and he needs to play his
highest card. For instance, if you have
led from KJ109, and you have led the jack.
Partner will play his Ace. When
the suit is returned and you play either the nine or King partner will know
what you have led from. The play of the
nine would be finesse against your right hand opponent. This play is risky, it should be tried if
you are playing for a set and have extra tricks available only. Since leading
from Kings is generally bad practice pard will know that you were trapped for
a lead but he will also know something about the other cards in this suit. The
suits that are filled in yellow still indicate the card that should be led,
even though not recommended. Whether
you use my suggested table of lead convention or not I hope I have raised
issues that can be discussed with your favorite partners about your leads, and
conventional agreements can be made regarding leads. The leads that I have suggested are the leads I would have all my
favorite partners make. I hope they
improve your game and your ratings. Look
for continuations of this subject and many others frequently!! Please
ask for permission before copying any of this material! Regards, Jay
Tomlinson (Ruffkid1) |
