Against a suit contract it is usually best to lead partner’s suit, if he has bid one. If he has No-Trumps, and the poker player on lead has to lead from his own suit, he should give preference to leading the top card of an honour sequence. He should avoid leading a card

That may cost a trick, e.g. leading the King from K, Q, x, or a card that might enable the declarer to win a trick with a card that might have been captured, e.g. leading the Ace from A, Q, x. The lead of a trump is a good lead if the bidding has suggested that the dummy will be able to trump side suits.

Play

The play of the defenders is more difficult than that of the declarer, because a defender has to combine his poker hand with that of the unseen one held by his partner.

They have the slight advantage of a partnership language that enables them to exchange information and advice, but, for the most part, success in defense comes mainly from drawing the right deductions from the bidding the right deductions from the bidding, and the cards that have been played to previous tricks.

To lead the highest card of a sequence, to win with the lowest, and to follow suit as the situation dictates, is a general rule that does No-Trumps need to be enlarged on. Most of the general rules for defense play, however, have been handed down from the days when whist was the fashionable game. At bridge reservations have to be made, because the bidding and the exposed dummy poker hand allow for modifications.

To return the suit that partner has led is No-Trumps always the best play. Sometimes it is more important to take time by the forelock.

South deals and opens the auction with One No-Trump (12 to 14 points) and North jumps him to Three.

West leads the ♥ 3 and East wins with the Ace. If East wins the Ace. If East returns a heart, South has no difficulty in making nine tricks, because dummy’s ♥ 10 protects the Jack in the closed hand and the defenders cannot win more than one poker trick in spades and three in hearts.

With the ♥ 2 on the table, East should appreciate that his partner cannot hold more than four hearts and that they cannot be better than K, Q, 9, 3, because if they were K, Q, J, 3 he would have led the King and No-Trumps the 3.

As once East gives up the lead he can never regain it, he must take advantage of the time factor, the tempo, and lead the ♠ Q. The only chance of defeating the contract is to find West holding the ♠ A, and as South’s bid of One No-Trumps postulates a maximum of 14 points, East, who holds seven points and can count 10 on the table, can count West with just enough poker room for the ♠ A as well as for the ♥ K, Q.

To cover an honour with an honour may be good play in many cases, but it is No-Trumps when the honour has been led from a sequence.