If at a loss what suit to play for at “No-Trump” choose the one that is shown in dummy, so that the adversaries may not discover the weakness or strength of your own hand.
If at “No-Trump” you are playing a poor hand with little or no hope of winning, or even perhaps of saving the game, try leading the suit that is all against you. Often the adversaries will hold imaginary tenace over your cards and come “banging up” to your strong suit. The collision will be more disastrous to them than you.
If you must lose the lead at “No-Trump,” conceal the strength in your own hand and do not jump around and show strength in three suits, for then when you do lose the lead the adversaries cannot make a mistake as to their own strong suit.
If your adversary’s lead at “No-Trump” is a Jack and you have Ace, King, Queen in your hand, take the first trick with the Queen. Never win with the King. Many players lead the Jack from King, Jack, ten or Ace, Jack, ten.
If a Queen is led at “No-Trump” and you hold both the Ace and King, do not win the first trick with the Ace. The Queen lead sometimes indicates the Ace and Jack, and you may mislead an adversary by playing the King, whereas the Ace would clearly show the situation.
If you are playing “No-Trump” do not blank the Ace in dummy unless you want this suit led to you. Keeping a small card with the Ace may lead the adversaries to believe that you have a high card in your own hand and they may hesitate to lead the suit.
Another point that it is well to emphasize is in regard to being forced to lead disadvantageously from a suit. Be very careful in a case of that kind not to break a possible tenace by leading a high card. For instance with Ace, ten and two small in your hand and Jack and two small in dummy, you are forced to lead the suit from your own hand. Play the small card. Often the adversary makes the mistake of playing a high card second in hand, giving you, perhaps, a tenace over your right hand opponent.
Too much haste in showing ability to ruff by your weak hand frequently brings disaster. In fact a trump lead from you will discourage the trump attack by the adversaries, and they are only too likely to give you the ruff without defining your purpose.
Inference frequently will come to you from the cards held in the combined hands as to what suit will probably be led by the adversaries, but do not expose your weakness by discarding from this suit.
Last, but one of the most important facts of all, decide which of your cards you mean to play before fingering them. Indecision may tell your adversaries exactly what they are most eager to know.