Unless your partner has doubled (see Heart and Weak Suit Conventions) lead from your longest suit. It is not advisable, especially when you hold no cards of re-entry, to lead aces and kings, except when you hope to catch all of the smaller cards. Two rounds may exhaust the suit in your partner's hand; and if you have no re-entry card and he has none of your suit to lead you, your long suit, even though established, is absolutely worthless.
The lead of an ace, king, or queen indicates great strength, either seven cards or three honours.
Holding two suits of equal length and strength, lead a red suit in preference to a black, especially if the make has been passed,
Holding two suits of equal length, keep for re-entry the suit with the higher cards, as,
| holding— | A 8 6 3 2 and Q 9 8 6 3 | if you open the Q suit |
| and establish it, the ace is a sure re-entry card; if you open the ace suit the queen is a very doubtful card of re-entry. | ||
With a weak long suit and no re-entry card, many good bridge players open the highest card of a short suit, preferably hearts or diamonds. The theory is that, had the dealer been strong in the red suits, he would have declared a red trump; and with a worthless hand, this short suit lead may assist partner. While there is much to be said in favour of this play, I would suggest that, unless your partner thoroughly understands the game and your play, it is safer to open your long suit.
When you are opening a long, weak suit from a hand without re-entry cards it is advisable that you convey this information to your partner. This you can do by leading the top or an intermediate card of your long suit; your partner, by applying the "Rule of Eleven," can see that you are not leading the fourth best card, and unless it is for the best interest of the two hands will not return the suit. For example:
| From | 10 8 7 6 3, | lead the | 8 |
| From | 9 8 5 3 2, | lead the | 9 |
| From | 8 7 5 3, | lead the | 8 |
THE ORIGINAL LEAD IN NO-TRUMPS
| LEAD | HOLDING |
| ACE |
Ace, Queen, Jack, and others with a Re-entry card. Ace, with 7 or more others. Ace, Queen, with 5 others. Ace, Jack, with 5 others. |
| KING |
Ace, King, Queen, and others. Ace, King, Jack, and others. Ace, King, ten, and 3 others, with a Re-entry card. Ace, King, and 5 or more others. King, Queen, Jack, and others. King, Queen, ten, and others. King, Queen, and 5 others. |
| QUEEN |
Queen, Jack, ten, and others. Queen, Jack, nine, and others. Ace, Queen, Jack, and others. No card of Re-entry. |
| JACK | Jack, ten, nine, and others. |
| TEN | King, Jack, ten, and others. |
| 4TH BEST | From other combinations. |