CHOICE OF SUITS TO LEAD THROUGH
In leading through strength, certain suits are preferable to others. A guarded king in the dummy is an ideal suit to lead through when you hold the queen, jack, ten of the same suit. By leading the queen, if your partner holds the ace, you can prevent dummy’s king from making.
In leading through strength, avoid a suit in which you yourself hold a protected honour. For instance, holding king, jack, small, it would be bad play to lead through ace, queen, ten, as this would give the dummy an opportunity to make three tricks in the suit.
The following may be classed as good combinations from which to lead through strength in dummy:
| Holding | Lead through | |
J 10 9 |  | A Q x in Dummy |
| 10 9 x | ||
| x x x | ||
x x x | } | A J x or A x x in Dummy |
10 9 x |  | K J x in Dummy |
| x x x | ||
Q J 10 |  | K x x in Dummy |
| Q J x | ||
| Q x | ||
| J 10 x | ||
| 10 9 x | ||
| x x x | ||
J 10 9 | | Q x x in Dummy |
| J 10 x | ||
| x x x |
In leading through any of these combinations, the top card of a sequence should be led. In fact, with three cards or fewer in a suit, it is almost an invariable rule to lead the highest card.
The following are combinations which should be led through only as a last resort:
| Holding | Avoid leading through | |
Q x x |  | A J x |
| A 10 x in Dummy | ||
| K J x | ||
| K 10 x | ||
K x x |  | A Q x |
| A J x | ||
| A x x in Dummy | ||
| Q J x | ||
| Q x x | ||
| Q x | ||
J x x x |  | A 10 x |
| K 10 x in Dummy |