The NT lead

1 The lead suit in NT
Sometimes you will have a good suit to lead, and sometimes it will be...the least bad. Your priorities are, in order:

your partner's 5 card major
your longest suit
a 4 card major

S	W	N	E
			1NT
Pass	3NT	Pass	Pass
Pass

J

10

9

8

7

9

5

J

6

Q

8

7

2

Exercise 2051 Choose spades of course. This is an interesting 5 card suit not bid by your Opponents.

2 The lead card.

With a sequence (3 consecutive cards in a suit) lead the top card. eg lead the jack with jack 10 9 x
with a suit of 4 or more cards and an honor, lead the fourth best card
in your partner's 5 card suit and in your overcalled suit: keep strictly to the Count / odd-even rule
with 3 cards
- no honor: lead the highest "top of nothing"..
- With an honor: the middle card.

S	W	N	E
			1NT
Pass	3NT	Pass

Q

10

8

6

Exercise 2018 Lead the 6, the 4th best card. You would need queen 10 9 8 to lead with the 10 (top of an internal sequence)

Exceptions.
Leading the ace /font>promises:

A K x x
or A K x

Leading the king /font>promises a strong suit (usually 5 cards or more) with 3 honors. eg king queen jack 9 x

S	W	N	E
			2NT
Pass	3NT	Pass	Pass
Pass

A

K

J

10

7

10

9

8

6

3

2

7

4

Choose the king of spades of course which shows a strong 5 card suit usually with three honors. Leading the ace would show ace king x

Main

Detail specifications 71BA - Level 1 ★

The NT lead

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