Our Opening Leads
What Can I Tell Partner With My Opening Lead?
Spot Cards
First, let's agree on which low card to lead. We can use fourth best leads even if
they are not the best because but they are easy to remember and easy to decipher.
The Rule of Eleven, which is part of fourth best leads, also sometimes makes it
easier to figure out what declarer is holding in the suit. The rule does not work
with 3rd and 5th best leads, although there is a similar rule for those leads.
Ace or King?
Next, we can agree to lead the ace from an ace-king combination when we have an even
number in the suit, but we will lead the king when we have an odd number of cards in
that suit. Playing high-low to indicate an even number is a tried and true method
of showing count, so there's nothing new here, but sometimes it's critical to know if
partner started with three or four. Standard methods don't give us this advantage,
so this should help.
Rusinow
Finally, because the lead of the king could be ambiguous when either we have the ace-king
or the king-queen combination, we will lead the lower of touching
honors for all honor leads. We can do this all the way down to the
nine spot promising the ten. These are referred to as Rusinow leads.
Some partnerships agree to not play Rusinow when leading partner's bid suit. You and
your partner will have to decide.
Thus, from a sequence of QJTx
we will lead the jack, not the queen.
There's a hidden advantage to this as well. Although it has to be marked on the card,
there's no requirement that the opponents must be warned that we are leading in this manner.
It's surprising how many players think our leads are the same as theirs and then
misplay when they "think" they know where the missing honor is located.
Be ethical, though, and if they ask give them a full explanation.
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