K J 7 5 2 } K 8 6 2 } Q 9 7 5 } lead the 4th best card.

J 6 5 2 } 10 8 6 3 }

Don't lead low from suits headed by an Ace.

The lead of an _Ace_ followed by the _King_ shows no more of that suit.

The lead of a _King_ indicates the _Ace_, the _Queen_, or both.

With any three honours in a suit, your lead is always one of the honours.

Holding but 3 or 4 cards in any of the following suits avoid leading if possible. Wait until they are led to you.

A Q x x A J x x K J x x K x x x

If in any doubt as to your lead select your longest and strongest suit and lead the 4th best.

WHY THE 4TH BEST CARD IS LED

There are two reasons for leading the 4th best card of your long suit.

To show partner how many cards you hold in the suit.

To show partner what you have in the suit.

If you lead 4th best and afterward either discard or play a smaller one, your partner will know that you originally held more than four cards in that suit. The lead of a deuce, for instance, shows but four cards in the suit. Your partner, by applying the "Rule of Eleven," can very often tell the exact combination of cards from which you have led.

THE RULE OF ELEVEN

Deduct the size of the card led from eleven, and the difference will show how many cards HIGHER than the one led are held outside the leader's hand. If, for instance, your partner lead an eight spot, the dummy having the queen and you holding A 10 x of the suit, as you see three cards above the eight, you know the dealer cannot play higher and that your partner must have led from K J 9 8.

Q 6 2 (11 - 8 = 3) +---------+

Y

8

A B

A 10 4

Z

+---------+

This rule is especially important at "no-trump"; but players should not give it much attention unless the card originally led is higher than a five.

If your partner has had the original lead, and you have taken a trick, either make your high cards or

LEAD UP TO WEAKNESS

Weakness means no high cards, and leading up to, is making a person play fourth in hand to a trick. By leading a suit in which dummy has weak cards, you may enable your partner to win a trick cheaply. Whenever the dummy hand is on your right you should take this advantage of its weakness. It is sometimes good play to lead a card higher than the dummy's best. This, if the card you lead is not covered, gives your partner a chance to pa.s.s the trick.

EXAMPLES OF OPENING LEADS

THE CARD IN RED INDICATES THE LEAD.

(_Hearts_) TRUMP DECLARED BY DEALER.

_Holding the Lead._

---------+--------------+-------------+---------- [H]

[S]

[D]

[C]

---------+--------------+-------------+---------- Q 6 2

K J 7 6

A K Q 6 2

8 7 5

A K 4

A 9 7 5 2

6 4 2 5 3 2

9 8 6 2

K J 6 2

A K 8

A Q 8 7 6 3

K 7 6

Q 9 8 10 4

A 8

A J 7 6 3 2

9 6 2 7 5

A Q J 10 9 2

5 3

9 7 4 Q 9

10 7 5

K J 9 3

A 8 6 5 J 10 3

A 9 6

10 7 6 4

J 4 3 6 4 2

8 7 4

A J 8 4

9 6 2 9 5 4

A 7

K 8 7 3

A Q 6 2 J 7 5

8 6 5 2

A 10

9 7 4 3 =========+==============+=============+==========

_Leading from a Sequence._

---------+--------------+-------------+---------- 9 2

K Q J 8 5 2

A J 7

A 4 J 8 7

9

K Q J 9 6 2

Q 4 2 Q 8 4

A Q 3

A 7 3

Q J 10 4 A J 3

K Q J

7 5 3 2

K 9 7 K 9 4

A 7 6

K Q 7 5

K 8 6 K 7 4

Q J 10

10 7 4 2

8 6 3 9 8 6 3

K Q J 10

A 9 6 2

5 =========+==============+=============+==========

_Leading from Long Suits._

----------+----------+--------------+------------ [H]

[S]

[D]

[C]

----------+----------+--------------+------------ K 5

10 6 2

Q 10 9 6 5

J 8 7 Q 7 4

A Q 5

10 7 4 3

K 10 3 9 5

A J 2

9 8 6 2

K 10 7 4 8 3 2

Q 8 7 4

9 6 2

10 6 3 J 7 6 5

8

A 4 2

K 10 6 5 3 A J 8 6

J 4

10 9 7 6 2

3 2 J 10

A J 6

A Q 7 5

Q J 4 2 4 2

K 8 4

K J 10 7 5

A J 3 K 6

7 5 2

9 8 4

Q J 9 6 2 Q 10 7 6

J 9 4

A 5

K 10 8 4 ==========+==========+==============+============

_Leading from Short Suits._

----------+----------+-------------+----------- 9 4 3

A J 9 4

10 9

A Q 8 6 J 4 2

Q 7 4

K 8 7 6 5

J 9 9 6 4

10 6 4 2

A 4 3

Q J 5 A 9 5

8 6

10 6 4 3

J 9 5 2 7 4 3 2

8

9 7 6 4 2

Q 6 3 A Q 2

K J 7 4

J 10

K 9 6 3 K 5 3

J 10 4

K 9 7

Q 7 6 3 9 8 6

A Q 9 8

10

J 9 5 3 2 Q 7 4

A J 9 6

K Q

K J 7 3 A 6 2

Q

K 8 6 4 3

J 9 4 2 ==========+==========+=============+===========

(_Hearts_) TRUMP "Pa.s.sED MAKE."

----------+-----------+------------+----------- J 10

K 9 8 6

A Q 7

K 6 4 2 8 5 2

A Q 7 3

K J 6

A J 8 4 3

K 9 4 2

Q 10 7 6

J 9 4 J 4 2

10 6

Q 10 9 4 2

Q 8 3 Q 6

Q 7 4 3

K Q 10

8 6 4 2 Q

K 8 5 2

Q 8 3

A Q 5 4 3 Q 6 2

A 5

K 10 7 5 2

9 7 4 9 4 3

A Q 7 6 5

J 9

K 8 6 K 8 5

K 9 7 4

Q J

K 9 4 3 8 7

Q 6 3

K J 9 3

A 8 6 5 9 8

A Q 6 3 2

Q J 6 2

K 7 ==========+===========+============+===========

AFTER THE FIRST TRICK

After you have led and have won the first trick, examine the exposed hand carefully; then either continue with the suit led originally or lead through strength.

LEADING THROUGH STRENGTH

The beginner will appreciate the fact that strength in a suit consists of high cards, but is apt to find the term "leading through" difficult to understand. Leading through means to make a person play second in hand to the trick. You always lead through your left-hand adversary.

The object of leading through strength is to help your partner make his high cards by giving him the advantage of playing after the exposed hand.

Holding a sequence of two or more cards, headed by a Queen, Jack, or Ten, when there is an honour in the dummy it is good play to lead the highest card. If the dummy does not cover this lead, it gives your partner an opportunity to pa.s.s the trick.

Holding one or two high cards of dummy's strong suit that are _not_ in sequence, avoid leading the suit. Wait until dummy leads to you.

Don't lead through strength when dummy holds a sequence of three or more cards, as

A K Q K Q J Q J 10

Holding a high card or cards in a suit in which the dummy is weak, avoid leading that suit. Try to put your partner in the lead, so that he may lead it to you.

Holding no high cards in the suit, the following combinations should be led through:

A Q x A J x A x x K Q x K J x K x x Q x x