Agreeing Your Opening-Lead Methods
Before you play, agree what you lead from honour sequences, small cards and suits partner has bid. A short checklist settles most of it.
An opening lead tells partner about your hand. That only works if you agree what each lead means. Spend five minutes on this checklist with a new partner.
The checklist
Honour sequences: top of a sequence (K from K Q J, Q from Q J 10). Agree what you lead from A K: the king or the ace.
Interior sequences against no-trump: the J from K J 10 or the 10 from K 10 9 tells partner you have a higher honour too.
Long suits with no sequence: fourth highest is the most common choice. Agree whether you lead third and fifth instead.
Small doubletons: top card (8 from 8 4).
Three small cards: top of nothing, middle (MUD) or bottom. Pick one.
Partner's suit: agree whether you lead top from a doubleton and low from three to an honour.
Against no-trump versus suit contracts: say whether anything differs, for example underleading an ace is usually avoided against suits.
Put it on the convention card
Write your leads in the lead section of your card. If you share a card on Bridge Coach, both of you see the same agreements.
Why it matters
If you lead the 2 from three small cards, partner may think you have an honour and return the suit. A shared agreement prevents that.
Key takeaways
Agree sequences, long suits, doubletons and three small cards.
Agree what you lead in partner's suit.
Write your agreements on your convention card.