Improver Lessons Leads and Discards

Plan your opening lead Why? Watch bidding – what is it telling you? Start thinking about your lead during bidding if it looks likely opposition will win contract

Plan your opening lead Use REAL Review the bidding Examine your cards Analyse the situation Lead after thinking through the above

Review the bidding Confidant auction? 1H 2H 4H – Take a risk Struggling auction? Eg 1H 2H 3H 4H – Play a safe lead so not to give away a trick on lead

J X X X 76 T A K K T X A X X X T 4 3 A Q A K Q X X Q J X X X X X X X J X X X K X X X Q J Dlr: E Vul: N-S N E S W P 1H P 2H P 3H P P What would you lead from W?

J X X X X K J K T X K X X X T 4 3 A Q A K Q X Q J X X X X X X X X J X X X A X X X A Q Dlr: E Vul: N-S N E S W P 1D P 1H P 4H P P P What would you lead from W?

Examine your cards Top of touching honours – KQXX in suit and KQJXX in NT – T9XX – KJT – QT9XX AX doubleton AK or AK? – AK doubleton AND AKXX – or vice-versas

Examine your cards Top of sequence (2+ in suit and 3+ in NT contract) Low from an honour – T 4 2 – Q – J 8 4 MUD when not partners bid suit – – – 9762 Doubleton (high then low)

Differences Suit – AT95 – AQ T98 – A JT – A K XX – A X X X X – KQXX NT – AT95 – AQT98 –AJT–AJT – AKXX – A X X X X – KQJXX

Lead after consideration Suit contracts NT contracts

Suit contracts – partners bid suit Your partners bid suit – Low from an honour – Highest from a doubleton – Highest (then middle) of worthless tripleton eg 964 – Singleton – Consider leading another side suit if opposition may be void

Suit contracts Lead an unbid suit. Often the other major can be a good lead eg H if in S contract Top of a sequence of at least two touching honours eg KQxxx Top internal sequence K JTxx / Q T98 A from AK K promises the A or Q eg AKxx, KQxx

Suit contracts – trump lead If contract high for point count (as declarer will be relying on ruffs) EG 1s -2s -3s-4s Sacrifice bid When NT been a consideration by opposition eg 1S-2S-2NT- 4S Slam contract Safe lead XNot if you have ++trumps – lead your long suit XNot if you hold one trump XFrom honour doubleton eg Q5

Suit contracts – more desperate Small card if you have the K or Q in suit eg Q lead the 4 Doubleton eg 9 7 Middle Up Down (MUD) in unbid suit eg lead the 8

Suit contracts - singletons Singleton if there is a good chance partner may have A & you have trumps

How to get in a 2 nd ruff…. Contract 4S A 7 Q T Q A 4 3 2

What NOT to lead in a suit contract Any card if holding an unsupported Ace in suit eg A If you do lead this suit, lead ACE From split honours unless not much choice AQX Honour trump doubletons eg Q4 A singleton if you dont have trumps or partner unlikely to have Ace / a way to return suit in time Singleton trump

Play boards 1/9 and 2/10

No trump contracts 4 th highest longest and strongest suit eg QJ54 Note that if 2 led, that it is from a 4 card suit, 3? Your partners bid suit (low if you have an honour and 2+ more / high if you do not have an honour or only have two cards eg Qx) A major suit if Stayman not used eg 1NT – 3NT Lead through strength and away from your weakness

No trump contracts Top of a sequence if 3+ honours eg QJ10XX or close QJ9XX

No trump contracts A major suit if Stayman not used eg 1NT – 3NT

J X X X X X X T X A K 7 2 K T XX A X X T 4 3 A X X A J X X A K X X K X Q X K X X Q X X X J X X X Dlr: E Vul: N-S N E S W P 1D P 1NT P 3NT P P What would you lead from E?

No trump contracts Lead through strength and away from your weakness

J T 5 4 Q 76 2 X K J 7 6 K 8 6 T XX K X X T 4 3 X A Q X X A K Q J X X X X X J X X X A X X X A Q X Dlr: E Vul: N-S N E S W P 1D P 1H P 2S P 3NT P P P What would you lead from E?

Play boards 3/11 and 5/13 and 7/15

Leads against a slam Dont give away a trick! Trump often a safe lead Dont lead an Ace without King Singleton if p may have Ace Look at bidding – may p have an Ace?

Signaling on a lead in a suit contract Reverse Attitude Little - I LIKE High - discouraging

What would you play if your partner led the following card? 1. KS (answer= 4) 2. KC (answer= 8) 3. KD (answer= 7, then 8 next round) 4. KH (answer= 3) A Q

Discards in a NT contract Any suit you do NOT like Want something more sophisticated? Try Lavinthal -The 6+ in suit says you want the HIGHER of the other 2 suits -2-5 in suit says you want the LOWER of the other 2 suits

What would you discard when C is played? 1.To show a S 2.To show a D 3.To show a H A Q K 7 4 K A 7 J A K 7 3

What would you discard when D is played? 1.To show a S 2.To show a H 3.To show a C A Q K 7 4 K A 7 J A K 7 3

In summary Use REAL Review the bidding Examine your cards Analyse the situation Lead after thinking through the above

Play boards 4/12 and 6/14 and 8/16