Good Leads and Bad Leads Good leads (lead the underlined card) Bad leads AKQxx, KQJx, QJ10xxx (top of sequence) Axxxx, Axxx, Axx x (singleton, not trump & not in notrump) (lead A if you must) Suit your partner bid AQxx, AQx, KJxxx, Long suit, e.g. KT874 or Q97542 QTxxx (4th from longest suit against notrump) (tenace holdings) AKxxx, KQx, QJxx, J10xx (touching honors) Kxxxx, Kxx, Qxxx, Jxxx (e.g. K9532) Trump (usually) xx (top of doubleton, e.g. 84) Declarer’s 2nd suit xxx (top of nothing, e.g. 952) Circle all the cards in each hand that seem like good leads. ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 1. Contract is 4♥. You have KQJ6 K5 9732 653 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 2.Contract is 2♠. You have A63 984 7 QT7532 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 3.Contract is 3N. You have AK3 984 QT7532 8 4.Your partner bids first with 1♥ but the opponents get the ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ contract for 3♦. You have KQ32 1084 7 KJ752 ♠ ♥ ♦ 5.Contract is 4♠. You have 6 A874 KJ532♣ A73
Good Leads and Bad Leads Good leads (lead the underlined card) AKQxx, KQJx, QJ10xxx (top of sequence) x (singleton, not trump & not in notrump) Suit your partner bid Long suit, e.g. KT874 or Q97542 (4th from longest suit against notrump) AKxxx, KQx, QJxx, J10xx (touching honors) Kxxxx, Kxx, Qxxx, Jxxx (e.g. K9532) xx (top of doubleton, e.g. 84) xxx (top of nothing, e.g. 952) Bad leads Axxxx, Axxx, Axx (lead A if you must) AQxx, AQx, KJxxx, QTxxx (tenace holdings) Trump (usually) Declarer’s 2nd suit Circle all the cards in each hand that seem like good leads. 1. Contract is 4♥. You have ♠ KQJ6 ♥ K5 ♦ 9732 ♣ 653 2.Contract is 2♠. You have ♠ A63 ♥ 984 ♦ 7 ♣ QT7532 3.Contract is 3N. You have ♠ AK3 ♥ 984 ♦ QT7532 ♣ 8 4.Your partner bids first with 1♥ but the opponents get the contract for 3♦. You have ♠ KQ32 ♥ 1084 ♦ 7 ♣ KJ752 5.Contract is 4♠. You have ♠ 6 ♥ A874 ♦ KJ532♣ A73