Opening Leads in Bridge

The opening lead is the only card in the play made without seeing dummy. You have the auction, your own thirteen cards and the agreements you share with partner, and nothing else. Opening leads in bridge are hard for that reason, and a few sound principles will save you more tricks than anything clever. This guide covers what to lead against notrump and against a suit contract, which card to choose from each holding, and how the auction should change your choice.

Against notrump, the defenders usually win the race by setting up long cards before declarer can run nine tricks. So the standard choice is your longest and strongest suit, or partner's suit if partner has bid. Most pairs lead fourth best from it unless they hold a sequence.

• Fourth best from your longest and strongest suit. From K-J-8-6-3, lead the 6, the fourth card from the top. It tells partner you have length and probably an honor, and it lets partner use the rule of 11.
• Top of a sequence. From K-Q-J-x lead the king, from Q-J-10-x the queen. A three-card sequence, or a broken one like K-Q-10, is strong enough to lead the top and knock out declarer's stoppers without giving a trick away.
• Top of an interior sequence. From K-J-10-x or Q-10-9-x, lead the jack or the ten. Leading the top honor from these holdings can give declarer a cheap trick.
• Partner's suit. If partner overcalled or opened, lead it unless you have a clearly better suit of your own. Lead the top from a doubleton and low from three to an honor.

Some leads against notrump are best avoided. Stay away from a suit the opponents have bid naturally, a short suit without a reason, or a three-card suit headed by a single honor (K-x-x, Q-x-x) when you have a longer suit. Short leads rarely set up tricks, and they can give declarer a trick in the suit.

Against a suit contract, long cards matter less, because declarer will ruff them. The defenders want quick tricks and safe leads, and the aim is to avoid giving declarer a trick he could not make on his own.

• Sequences. From K-Q-J, Q-J-10 or K-Q-x, lead the top. A two-card sequence is a good lead against a suit, though not against notrump.
• A-K. Lead the ace (or the king, by your partnership's agreement). You win the trick, see dummy and keep the lead.
• Singletons. A singleton aims at a ruff. It works best when you have a trump entry, such as the ace or K-x, and when partner may have an entry to return the suit. It is a poor lead with natural trump tricks like Q-J-10, where a ruff would cost you a trick you were going to make anyway.
• Trumps. Lead a trump when the auction says dummy will ruff, for instance when dummy took a preference to declarer's second suit, or the opponents have stopped in a part score with a misfit. Trump leads also suit hands with strong holdings in declarer's side suits.
• Partner's suit. Still the default, especially when partner's bid promised a good suit.

Once you have picked the suit, the card follows from the holding. This table shows the standard card from common holdings.

From three small cards partnerships differ. The MUD lead (middle, up, down) separates three small from a doubleton. Top of nothing tells partner at once that you hold no honor. Neither is clearly better. Agree on one with partner and stick to it. Partner reads your lead together with the signals you give later, so consistency matters more than the choice.

The auction often matters more than your holding. A few questions sort out most problems.

1. 1.Did partner bid? Then lead partner's suit unless you have a strong reason not to.
2. 2.Did dummy show a long side suit? Declarer will discard losers on it, so be active: lead from an honor and try to set up or cash tricks quickly.
3. 3.Did the opponents bid with little to spare, like 1NT - 3NT with no long suit, or a game reached after an invitation? Then be passive: lead safely from a sequence or small cards and let declarer find the tricks.
4. 4.Is there a suit dummy bid? Partner sits behind dummy, so a lead of dummy's suit traps dummy's honors. The old advice to lead through strength comes from this. Leading up to declarer's bid suit usually helps him.
5. 5.Is it a slam? Against a small slam, try to set up a trick quickly before declarer's discards come. Against a grand slam, make the safest lead you can.

You can test your choices in the Lead Trainer. Pick a lead from a real auction and see what every card in your hand costs over thousands of layouts.

What is an opening lead in bridge?

The opening lead is the first card of the play, made by the defender on declarer's left before dummy comes down. It is the only card the defenders choose without seeing dummy, so it rests on the auction and partnership agreements.

What is the best opening lead against notrump?

Usually fourth best from your longest and strongest suit, or the top of a sequence such as K-Q-J. If partner has bid a suit, leading it is normally best.

What should I lead against a suit contract?

Prefer the top of a sequence, the ace from A-K, partner's suit, or a singleton when you have a trump entry. Avoid leading away from an ace or from unsupported honors like K-x-x.

Should I ever underlead an ace?

Almost never against a suit contract. Declarer may win a singleton king, and your ace may never take a trick. Against notrump, leading low from a long suit headed by the ace is normal.

When should I lead a trump?

Lead a trump when the auction suggests dummy will ruff declarer's losers, for example when dummy gave preference to declarer's second suit, or when you hold strong cards in declarer's side suits.

What does fourth best mean?

It is the fourth card from the top of your suit. From K-J-8-6-3 the fourth best is the 6. It shows length and helps partner work out the suit with the rule of 11.