The Laws and Principles of Whist Stated and Explained, / and its practice illustrated on an original system by means of hands played completely through. 18th edition

by Cavendish

LOW CARD LED.

When you open a strong suit with a LOW CARD lead your FOURTH-BEST.

When a four-card suit is opened with a low card, the lowest is the card selected. Instead of calling this the lowest, call it the fourth-best.

When a five-card suit is opened with a low card, the penultimate card is selected. Instead of calling this the penultimate, call it the fourth-best.

When a six-card suit is opened with a low card, lead the ante-penultimate. Instead of calling this the ante-penultimate, call it the fourth-best.

And so on for suits of more than six cards. Every suit of four or more cards, opened with a low card, is to be treated, on the first lead, as though there were no cards below the fourth-best in the leader's hand.

Example:—

	Lead
From Qn, 10, 8,	7,
" Qn, 10, 8,	7,	6
" Qn, 10, 8,	7,	6, 4
" Qn, 10, 8,	7,	&c., &c., &c.

By following this method, you show your partner, as regards a strong suit which you open with a low card, that you invariably hold exactly three cards higher than the one first led; and not infrequently what those cards are.