Hi Archie, thanks for your comment. Yes, leading trumps where you have 3 rubbish ones can often be a good lead. Where the opponents have each bid a suit, and have agreed upon a third suit as trumps, it is imperative to get a trump on the track asap - highly likely cross-ruffing is about to happen, so lead trumps at the start, and each time you get in, to stop them. Good luck with your bridge!
On opening lead, against a suit contract, you should never "underlead" your ace, or "lead away from" your Ace. Both phrases you will come across and mean the same. So, say you hold A93 in a suit and you are on opening lead defending a suit contract. You would never lead a low card from that holding with an A at the top. So if you led the 3 - you would be "leading away from an ace". If you must play from the suit - lead the Ace. But far better - find a different lead from another suit not headed by an ace. The job of that ace is to capture a king or a queen. If you lead away from it on opening lead, it's amazing how you help declarer who may have a singleton king they were never entitled to make, or you help set up tricks for declarer. The situation is different in NT - there when you lead your 4th highest card, you may be leading away from an Ace. Likewise, when you are not on opening lead during the play of a hand, in both suit and NT contracts, you might well underlead an Ace. But on opening lead, against a suit contract - nearly always a bad idea. Hope that helps.
In case bidder only has a singleton in that suit, so you lose the opportunity to win a trick with it, or they have a doubleton led by the king which will become master in that suit.
Really good lead against NT contracts Archie. We just don't get that detailed at this very low level beginner stage. So, showing a low one to show it's a long suit is all we indicate at first here in NZ.
very good and organized lesson on leads
excellent video. This is my favorite to use on this subject when teaching my beginning bridge class!!!
Thank you so glad it helps!
Good explanation, as in previous lessons. But more complete hands examples would be most welcome.
If you have a few (3+?) rubbish trumps, can't you play them in the hope you're using up your opponents' trumps?
Hi Archie, thanks for your comment. Yes, leading trumps where you have 3 rubbish ones can often be a good lead. Where the opponents have each bid a suit, and have agreed upon a third suit as trumps, it is imperative to get a trump on the track asap - highly likely cross-ruffing is about to happen, so lead trumps at the start, and each time you get in, to stop them. Good luck with your bridge!
Hi Jane
What do you mean by Never Lead Away from Ace " please
On opening lead, against a suit contract, you should never "underlead" your ace, or "lead away from" your Ace. Both phrases you will come across and mean the same. So, say you hold A93 in a suit and you are on opening lead defending a suit contract. You would never lead a low card from that holding with an A at the top. So if you led the 3 - you would be "leading away from an ace". If you must play from the suit - lead the Ace. But far better - find a different lead from another suit not headed by an ace. The job of that ace is to capture a king or a queen. If you lead away from it on opening lead, it's amazing how you help declarer who may have a singleton king they were never entitled to make, or you help set up tricks for declarer. The situation is different in NT - there when you lead your 4th highest card, you may be leading away from an Ace. Likewise, when you are not on opening lead during the play of a hand, in both suit and NT contracts, you might well underlead an Ace. But on opening lead, against a suit contract - nearly always a bad idea. Hope that helps.
@@janestearns9936 Thank you very much Jane, for that thorough explanation.
I'll spend some time now studying it & hopefully understand it. L
In case bidder only has a singleton in that suit, so you lose the opportunity to win a trick with it, or they have a doubleton led by the king which will become master in that suit.
What happened to leading 4th highest?
Really good lead against NT contracts Archie. We just don't get that detailed at this very low level beginner stage. So, showing a low one to show it's a long suit is all we indicate at first here in NZ.
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