Opening Leads
The Opening Lead is the first line of attack when taking a contract down. Making the right lead often makes a difference in the final score.
Passive leads give nothing away - empty suits without honours, a trump
Active leads aim to win tricks or set up tricks - AKxxx, or BOSTON (Bottom of Something, Top of Nothing)
SPECIAL SITUATIONS
Good Leads against - 1NT P P P
- PASSIVE if you have few of your partnership points, no source of tricks or re-entries(Aces). You are looking to find partner‘s best suit.
- ACTIVE if you have majority of your partnerships points/good source of tricks. You are looking to win some tricks in hand.
Good Leads against a Blind Slam Auction - eg. 1S P 6S P P P, 1NT P 4NT P 6NT
- PASSIVE Declarer may have to guess the whereabouts of a K/Q/J, so make a lead that gives nothing away.
Good Lead against a Preference Auction - eg. 1S P 2C P 2H P P P, 1C P 1D P 1H P 2C P P P
- PASSIVE Leading a trump will minimise their ruffing opportunities. They have a misfit and only slightly more trumps than your partnership.
STANDARD LEADS
Good Leads against a trump contract
- AK in a non trump suit
- Top of a sequence (e.g. KQ) in a non trump suit
- A singleton even if it's an Ace (not trumps)
- Top of Partner's suit
Average leads against a trump contract
- The top of a doubleton (High/low)
- Play low to promise an honour in that suit
- Middle card of rubbish. Follow this with the higher card and then the lower (middle,up,down MUD)
- Trumps
Bad leads against a trump contract
- Never lead an Ace unless it is a singleton
- Never lead from a suit with an Ace
Good leads against No Trumps
- 4th highest card of your longest suit unless opposition have bid it (this is the most common lead)
- Dummy's second suit
- An unbid major suit
- Partner's suit
- Top of three card sequence (e.g. AKQ or KQJ or J109)
Bad leads against no trumps
- Declarer‘s first suit (if you have this suit hold your fire)
- High cards in any suit (unless a sequence) because you will need them to keep control of the suit