THERE ARE RULES FOR PARTNER’S SUIT

Whatever the contract, if partner has bid a suit, you should lead it unless you have a very good reason not to. But which card should you select? Look at the West hand. You are defending against four spades, partner having opened one heart. Which heart would you lead?

If you have a doubleton, lead the higher. With three to an honor, lead the lowest. However, what do you pick from three low cards? This is the best method: If you have not supported, lead your lowest. But if you have supported (so partner knows you have length), lead the highest to deny an honor in the suit.

Today’s deal shows why this agreement is so important. If West leads the heart seven, East will win with the jack and cash the ace. When he sees partner drop the five, East will think that West has just completed an echo, playing high-low from a doubleton. East will try to cash the heart king, but South will ruff, draw trumps and run the clubs for an overtrick.

However, if West leads the heart three, East, after taking two tricks in the suit, will know that his partner, not South, has the remaining heart. East will shift to the diamond three (low from length guaranteeing an honor in an unbid suit), and the defenders will take the first four tricks.

From three-card or longer suits containing no honor, lead top of nothing unless it is partner’s suit and you have not supported.

P.S. From three low cards, some players lead MUD: middle, up, down. In my view, stay clean and avoid MUD.