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Making tricks in suits

When making tricks in suits, remember the maxim that tells you in which order to play your sequential high cards between your hand and dummy:

If leading from the hand with the shorter length, lead the highest card.

If leading from the hand with the longer length, lead the lowest card.

Think L-L: Lowest-Longest. 

Exercise: How would you play these suits? You are leading from your hand

Hand a)   Hand b)   Hand c)  
♠ K 2
A Q 3 2
♣ A K J 5 2
♠ A Q 3
K J 4
♣ Q 3


  1. Lead  ♠3 first – lowest card from the longer length – to  ♠K – highest card from the shorter length. Now  ♠2 back to ♠AQ.

  2. Lead K first, then, reapplying the motto, J, then 4 to AQ.

  3. Lead  ♣Q first, then  ♣3 over to  ♣AKJ. Unless the suit splits 5-1 or 6-0 (unlikely), you will have a long card (♣5).

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