=============== = leads = =============== 4+ card suit: K from an AK or KQ pair (trump contracts only) A from AKT9x or AQJTx (NT contracts only) highest from a sequence of 3 or more adjacent honors or 2 adjacent honors and one honor one spot off at the top of the suit: (A)KQx (A)KJx A(K)Tx (K)QTx (Q)JTx... the following special cases: A(J)Tx K(J)Tx A(T)9x K(T)9x Q(T)9x Xxx(x) (4th highest, not bottom) (x)xxx (suit contracts only) xxx(x) (NT only, 4th highest) 3 card suit: A(K)x (K)Qx (Q)Jx (J)Tx Xx(x) (x)xx 2 card suit: highest =============== = discards = =============== against a suit contract where lead is not trump: odd - return this suit even - return the other non-trump suit honors - return anything other than this suit against a NT contract or when lead is trump: odd - return this suit 2,4 - return the next non-trump suit down 6,8 - return the next non-trump suit up honors - return anything other than this suit =================== = third hard play = =================== after an A lead: - if your hand contains an honor, discard it to allow leader to run the suit after a K or Q lead: - if your hand contains is Ax, Kx, or Qx, discard the honor to allow partner to establish after a lead of an honor, when ducking - low indicates no interest in continuing the suit - high indicates the presence of an honor after any lead: - from a sequence of honors, play the lowest - if partner is established in the suit (lead under a known good trick or singleton), low indicates a desire to have return on the lower remaining suit and high indicates desire to have return on higher suit - if partner is guaranteed the trick, an honor of another suit should be the last card in the suit and requests return for a rough =============== = defensive = =============== when declarer is trying to setup a long suit on the board with no/few outside entries: high then low indicates an even number of cards low then high indicates an odd number