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Published byTamsin O’Brien’ Modified over 9 years ago
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Occasional Lessons on Play Opening Leads Part 1
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3 Things to consider Active or Passive? Which Suit? Which Card? Honour Sequence Honour Sequence No Honour Sequence No Honour Sequence I’ll deal with Honour sequences later But for now a short quiz:
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Which Card to Lead? K 9 8 4 2 From: K 9 8 4 K 9 4 K 4 4 Lead: 4 4 K 9 From: 9 8 9 8 4 9 8 4 2 9 Lead: 9 8 8 9 8 4 3 2 8
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4 th Highest from an Honour Example From K 9 8 4 2lead 4 From K 9 8 4 2lead 4 Important Remember that this rule says: Remember that this rule says: From an Honour This is the standard lead in No Trumps and if you choose to lead a long suit against a suit contract
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3 rd Highest from 3 to an Honour Example From K 9 4lead 4 From K 9 4lead 4 Makes things easier for partner Not a very common lead but may occur when leading: Unbid suit or Unbid suit or Partner’s suit Partner’s suit
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2 nd from ‘Nothing’ Example From 9 8 4 3 2lead 8 From 9 8 4 3 2lead 8 From long suits without an honour: So it is different from leading from an honour So it is different from leading from an honour Consider the following layout:
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2 nd from ‘Nothing’ K T Q 8 7 9 6 4 3 2 A J 5 N S EW Quite a common lead, either: To try to establish a suit, or To try to establish a suit, or Simply as a safe lead Simply as a safe lead
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MUD from 3 small Example From 9 8 4lead 8 From 9 8 4lead 8 Middle Up Down Differentiates between a doubleton and 3 BUT – you MUST play the 9 next Else partner will think you had a doubleton Else partner will think you had a doubleton Not an ideal lead but use if honours elsewhere or honours elsewhere or this is partner’s suit this is partner’s suit
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Top of a Doubleton Examples From K 4lead K From K 4lead K From 9 4lead 9 From 9 4lead 9 Doubleton leads from honours are risky But it can be effective if it is: The unbid suit or The unbid suit or Partner’s suit Partner’s suit
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So – a general rule is: Lead a low card from an honour Lead a higher card without an honour Why such a fuss about holding an honour? Consider the following two situations:
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Leading low from Honours A J 5 2 A J 5 2 Q 4 Q 4 9 8 7 3 9 8 7 3 K T 6 K T 6 N S EW by South 4 by South A J 5 2 A J 5 2 7 4 7 4 Q 9 8 3 Q 9 8 3 K T 6 K T 6 N S EW
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Leading low from Honours So: It is IMPERATIVE to lead low from honours only Another example:
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Leading low from Honours 9 7 4 A J 8 A J 8 A J T 6 T 6 4 K Q J Q 6 Q 6 9 8 4 A K 9 8 5 T 8 6 5 3 K T 4 K T 4 Q 7 2 J 7 A 2 9 7 5 3 2 9 7 5 3 2 K 5 3 Q 3 2 7 lead 7 lead 8 played 8 played 3NT by S
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Which Card to Lead? K 9 8 4 2 From: K 9 8 4 K 9 4 K 4 4 Lead: 4 4 K 9 From: 9 8 9 8 4 9 8 4 2 9 Lead: 9 8 8 9 8 4 3 2 8
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Honour Leads K Q J 4 3 From: K Against Suit: K Q 5 4 3 K K Q T 4 3 K Q J 5 4 3 Q Q J 9 4 3 Q K J T 4 3 J A J T 4 3 A K J 9 4 3 4
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Honour Leads K Q J 4 3 From: K Against NT: K Q 5 4 3 4 K Q T 4 3 K Q J 5 4 3 4 Q J 9 4 3 Q K J T 4 3 J A J T 4 3 J K J 9 4 3 4
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Honour Leads K Q J 4 3 From: K Against Suit: K Against NT: K Q 5 4 3 K4 K Q T 4 3 KK Q J 5 4 3 Q4 Q J 9 4 3 QQ K J T 4 3 JJ A J T 4 3 AJ K J 9 4 3 44
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Honour Leads T 8 6 J 9 2 A 7 K Q 5 4 3 3NT by S Now swap dummy’s holding with partner’s:
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Honour Leads T 8 6 J 9 2 A 7 K Q 5 4 3
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Broken Sequences So, the rule is: Against Suits, with two or more touching high cards LEAD HIGH Against NT, with more than two touching high cards LEAD HIGH Note, for example: K Q T and Q J 9 etc. count as 2 ½ but NOT eg, K J T
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Broken Sequences 8 6 5 J 9 2 A 7 K Q T 4 3
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Interior Sequences A 6 5 9 2 Q 8 7 K J T 4 3 With three high cards, When the lower two touch lead the higher of the touchers.
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Last Rule Never lead away from an Ace on the opening lead against A suit contract
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Leading from an Ace K T 7 A 5 Q 8 2 J 9 6 4 3 Partner leads 4
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Leading from an Ace K T 7 J 5 Q 8 2 A 9 6 4 3 Partner leads 4
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Leading from an Ace K T 7 9 5 Q 8 2 A J 6 4 3 Partner leads 4
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Honour Leads K Q J 4 3 From: K Against Suit: K Against NT: K Q 5 4 3 K4 K Q T 4 3 KK Q J 5 4 3 Q4 Q J 9 4 3 QQ K J T 4 3 JJ A J T 4 3 AJ K J 9 4 3 44
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Next Session Choosing the suit Basic leads against NT Basic leads against suit contracts Short suits Short suits Long strong suits Long strong suits Trumps Trumps What else? Unbid suits Unbid suits Partner’s suit Partner’s suit Active or passive? Active or passive? Things to avoid
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