Opening Leads

		When partner makes an opening lead we should be able to read the lead
		depending on the lead itself and from the bidding.

		If the opposition bidding went 1H - 4H, and partner, on lead, leads the three 
		of spades it can easily interpreted as his fourth highest spade.

						JT2 (dummy)

							K872 (You)

		Regardless of what card dummy plays, we rise with the King. The general 
		rule is: "Second hand play low, third hand plays high" in virtually all the tricks
		throughout the play, particularly at trick one.

		In the the above example, we know that partner has led away from a holding 
		that has the Queen of spades so we must play the King in order to promote		his Queen when declarer wins the first trick with the Ace!

		In the following example: 	876 (dummy)
		
							QJT5 (You)

		on any lead from partner, we play the ten. What we are doing here is playing
		the "lowest from a sequence", unlike being on lead where we play "top of a 
		sequence". Depending upon what card declarer plays to this trick, the 			opening leader will be able to work out that you also hold the Queen and 			Jack! Playin the bottom of a sequence enables the partnership to work it 
		all out.		

						Q83 (dummy)

							KJ7 (You)

		In this sequence, if dummy plays low, we play high: the Jack, not the King. 			As we have the Queen "surrounded" we naturally play the lower card as 
		playing the King wil give declarer a second trick in the suit with the Queen.

		Rule of eleven

		This is a simple mathmatical formula that not only works but is incredibly
		helpful for the defence, and also for declarer. It is used by one of the three
		players involved on every hand so it is very useful.

						876 (dummy)

					3 (lead)	KJ95 (You)

		In a suit contract, partner leads the three from a sisde suit. We assume it is 
		the fourth highest. By deducting the value of the card, three, from eleven 			gives you the number of cards held by the three remaining players (dummy,
		declarer and yourself) in this case eight. Declarer therefore has one card 
		held in this suit higher than the three - it must be the Ace as we do not 
		underlead Aces in suit contracts. Declarer`s holding is either singleton Ace
		or Ace - two doubleton.

		If the formula does not work, then the opening leader has not led his fourth
		highest card in the suit led. Otherwise it works every single time.

		NB. The rule of eleven can be used at any time during the play of the hand,
		not only at trick one.

		In general the vast majority of opening leads are easy to interpret. Low card
		leads suggest a holding with an honour; high card leads suggest top of a 
		sequence (when leading an honour) or top of a doubleton (7, 8, 9, T).

		Singletons are more difficult to read. However, the lower the card led the
		more likely it is to be one.

						KQJ6 (dummy)

					3 (lead)	AT72 (You)

		In a suit contract this is an unambiguous singleton. Usually this promises an
		honour, however, we can "see" all the honour cards in the suit led and as we 
		hold the two it is not a top of a doubleton lead.
		If the lead was from a higher holding, in this instance the eight or nine, it is
		not so easy to read the lead as a singleton.

		Other types of lead, internal sequences and from 3+ small holdings, are the
		most difficult to interpret.

		eg.	987	The normal lead is the eight. Until the nine is played when the
				suit is led again, partner will have a hard time recognising the
				lead is not from a adoubleton.

		From the opening lead onwards, defenders will concentrate on trying to
		"count the hand" - deducing declarer`s shape, from which they can establish
		their partner`s own hand pattern. Making a helpful lead will go a long way
		towards picturing this.