(See also Appendix A, pp. 281-6, and Appendix C, pp. 289-94.)
[The following analysis should be familiarly known by every player, not only that he himself may follow it, but also that he may form a correct idea of the cards the other players hold, by observing what they lead.]
Lead knave, then ace.
With more than four in suit, lead queen after ace.
With only four in suit, lead king after ace.
Lead king, then knave.
With more than four in suit, lead queen after knave.
With only four in suit, lead ace after knave.
Lead queen.
With more than four in suit, lead king after queen.
With only four or three in suit, lead ace after queen.
Lead king, then queen.
Lead king, then ace.
Sometimes it is right, more especially in trumps, to lead king, then to change the suit, and to finesse the knave on the return, particularly if queen is turned up to your right. With more than five trumps it is seldom advisable to wait for the finesse. No positive rule can be laid down, either for trumps or plain suits.
Lead king, then ace, if you have at least five small ones. Otherwise, lead a small one (the fourth-best if an American Leader).
Lead king, then ace.
King is led before ace to inform your partner that you hold the winning card of your suit, in case you should think fit to change the suit, or in case the fourth player should have none of it. If your partner has none, he should not trump, for, even if you do not hold the ace, you want the adversary to play it, that he may not retain the winning card of your suit.
When opening a plain suit, headed by ace, king, after having been forced to trump, lead the ace first. If you begin with the king, and your partner happens to have none of the suit, he might trump the king, in order to lead again the suit you have already trumped.
If intermediate cards fall and you remain with the command and the next best, you inform your partner of the fact by continuing with the next best. Thus:—You lead king from ace, king, knave, etc. To the king, your partner drops the queen. You should next lead the knave.
Lead ace, then ten, even though one of your others is the nine.
With more than four in suit, lead knave after ten.
With only four in suit, lead queen after ten.
Lead ace.
With more than four in suit, lead knave after ace.
With only four in suit, lead queen after ace.
If knave is turned up to your right, lead queen.
Lead ace, if you have seven in suit, and then a small one (the original fourth-best if an American Leader).
Lead a small one (the fourth-best if an American Leader), with less than seven in suit.
Obvious variations, taking into account the trump card, are omitted. It is assumed, e.g., that, if your partner has turned up the king, you would lead a small one from ace, queen, knave, &c., or from ace and any number of small cards.
Lead ace, with five or more in suit.
Lead a small one after ace (the original fourth-best if an American Leader).
Lead lowest, with only four in suit, the cards being of a lower denomination than in the leads already enumerated.
Lead ten, even though one of your others is the nine.
(a.) If ten wins the trick:—
With more than five in suit, lead knave after ten.
With five in suit, lead queen after ten.
With only four in suit, lead king after ten.
(b.) If ten forces ace:—
With more than four in suit, lead knave after ten.
With only four in suit, lead queen after ten.
The common practice is (or was) to lead queen after ten, in all cases, to inform your partner that the lead was from king, queen, knave, ten, and not from king, knave, ten. But, if the ten wins the trick, the mere fact of continuing with a high card informs your partner that the lead was from king, queen, knave, ten; for, with the only other combination from which ten is first led, (viz., king, knave, ten), if the ten wins, the next lead is a small card.
If the ten forces the ace, and your partner can give you credit for not leading a losing card when you hold a winning one, he is informed, by the second lead of any high card but the king, that you led from king, queen, knave, ten. Therefore, queen and knave are high indifferent cards, and you select the knave to show five or more originally; the queen to show four exactly (see Appendix A).
Lead knave.
With more than five in suit, lead queen after knave.
With only five in suit, lead king after knave.
Lead king, then knave.
If the king wins the first trick it is not safe to go on with a small one, ace being sometimes held up by the adversary, especially in trumps.
Lead king, if you have seven in suit, or if one of your small ones is the ten.
Lead a small one (the fourth-best if an American Leader), with less than seven trumps, and not holding the ten.
If king is led, and it wins, after king lead a small one (the original fourth-best if an American Leader).
Lead king.
If the king wins, after king lead a small one (the original fourth-best if an American Leader).
Lead nine, even though you also hold the eight.
(a.) If nine wins the trick:—
With more than four in suit, lead ten after nine.
With only four in suit, lead knave after nine.
(b.) If nine forces queen, or both queen and ace:—
With more than five in suit, lead ten after nine.
With five in suit, lead knave after nine.
With only four in suit, lead king after nine.
(c.) If nine forces ace, but not queen, king must be led after nine. Then (third lead),
With more than four in suit originally, lead ten after king.
With only four in suit, lead knave after king.
Lead ten.
If the ten wins the trick, lead a small one after ten (the original fourth-best if an American Leader).
If the ten forces the queen, or both queen and ace:
With more than four in suit lead knave after ten.
With four in suit, lead king after ten.
If the ten forces the ace, and not the queen, king must be led after ten.
If ten is turned up to your right, lead knave.
From all strong suits headed by king, other than those already enumerated, lead a small one (the fourth-best if an American Leader).
Lead queen, then nine, even though one of your others is the eight.
With more than four in suit, lead ten after nine.
With only four in suit, lead knave after nine.
Lead queen.
With more than four in suit, lead ten after queen.
With only four in suit, lead knave after queen.
If ten is turned up to your right, lead queen.
From all strong suits headed by queen, knave (or by queen), other than those already enumerated, lead a small one (the fourth-best, if an American Leader).
From queen, knave, nine (six or more in suit), if an American Leader, lead fourth-best. If not, lead queen.
In trumps, if queen or king is turned up to your left, lead knave. Otherwise, in trumps or plain suits,
(a.) If the second hand is known to adopt the practice, even though numerically weak in the suit, of not covering an honour with an honour (other than the ace, see p. 88), lead eight.
With more than five in suit, lead nine after eight.
With five in suit, lead ten after eight.
With only four in suit, lead knave after eight.
(b.) If the second hand adheres to the old practice of covering an honour with an honour when numerically weak in the suit, lead knave, then eight. And
With more than four in suit, lead nine after eight.
With only four in suit, lead ten after eight.
In trumps, if king or queen is turned up to your left, lead knave. Otherwise, in trumps or plain suits,
(a.) If the second hand, when numerically weak, does not cover an honour with an honour (other than ace), lead a small one (the fourth-best if an American Leader).
(b.) If the second hand, when numerically weak, covers an honour with an honour, lead knave. And,
With more than four in suit, lead nine after knave.
With only four in suit, lead ten after knave.
If nine is turned up to your right, lead knave.
From all strong suits headed by knave, ten (or by knave), with the exceptions enumerated, lead a small one (the fourth-best if an American Leader).
Lead a small card (the fourth-best if an American Leader).