Main
Detail specifications 71AA - Level 1 ★
Choosing the lead (trumps)
The lead suit:
Sometimes you will have a good suit to lead, and sometimes it will be...the least bad. The aim could be either:
Sometimes you will have a good suit to lead, and sometimes it will be...the least bad. The aim could be either:
- to make your honors,
- to set up a suit
- a ruff for yourself or your partner.
S | W | N | E |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Pass |
2 |
Pass |
2 |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
| |||||||||||
Q 4 9 4 3 2 A K 2 10 9 8 6 | | | |||||||||
|
The choice of lead card:
With a sequence including at least one honor, lead top of sequence:/font>
Without a sequence, give the count and lead odd-even:
With a sequence including at least one honor, lead top of sequence:/font>
- the ace with AKxx
- the king with KQx
- the queen with QJx
- the jack with KJ10(x) or J10x
Without a sequence, give the count and lead odd-even:
- with an uneven number of cards, the lowest
- with a doubleton, the highest
- with 4 cards, the second highest.
S | W | N | E |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Pass |
2 |
Pass |
2 |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
| |||||||||||
5 Q J 10 9 J 4 3 2 Q J 9 8 | | | |||||||||
|
Exercicse 2002 The lead card to choose is the queen of ♦ . This is the top of a sequence in a non bid suit: a really good choice. Above all, don't shorten the trumps in your hand by leading singleton spade.
The good leads:
a suit headed by Ace King
a singleton...except in the trump suit!
your partner's suit...except if you hold the King.
a sequence of honors
S | W | N | E |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Pass |
3 |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
| |||||||||||
9 3 A K 6 A 10 9 Q J 10 8 2 | | | |||||||||
|
Exercise 2061The lead with a sequence AKx: Lead with the strongest sequence to stay in hand and find the best way to continue.
The leads to avoid:
a suit announced by the opponents
a trump singleton
an ace if you don't also hold the king
under an ace, even if your partner has bid that suit
S | W | N | E |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Pass |
2 |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
| |||||||||||
J 10 4 2 2 A 9 3 2 Q J 8 4 | | | |||||||||
|
Exercise 2137 By the process of elimination, the best lead suit is diamonds (the queen). With strong trumps, don't lead a singletonor you will have to ruff with high trumps that you would have made anyway. Don't lead under your ace either.
The choice of suit: Don't lead clubs, you will set up the opponents' suit, not spades, as you only have Queen and a low card. That leaves diamonds!