[Feegle]

Having returned to the game after a long gap my partner and I are trying to sort out leads against suit contracts. Our methods are fairly standard (?) but:

Leading small (suit contract) shows an honour, but would this include the ten? I lean towards A, K, Q or J. What is best?

With three small, is MUD still in fashion?
What is a sound system of leads these days?

[pclayton]

4th best is playable against suits, but many have switched to 3rd from even and low from Odd. Partner can frequently get a better picture of the layout with this method, and determine whether or not a shift is warranted.

From xxx and we have not bid the suit our way or raised partner, you can either lead small for count, or highest if partner can read it. MUD isn't a good idea unless you are playing it conjunction with some other methods that don't really have to do with MUD.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

usually the 10 gets treated as an honor
card, but this is a matter of agreement.

MUD, together with 4th best from a good
suit, 2nd from a bad suit, low from Hxx is
certainly an old fashioned lead system, but
it is certainly playable.

A similar leading system, and a little bit more
modern, is leading 2nd / 4th, which means
from 3 lows you dont play MUD, but MDU.
2nd means, you lead low from 2 smalls,
but you still lead high from 2 cards with an
honor.

The difference, the first leading system
is focusing on the quality of the suit your are
leading, the second leading system is focusing
on the length of the suit you are leading.

And fairly popular opinion is, that the information
about the length is more important than the
information about the suit quality.
You buy this or you dont buy this, the decision
is yours.

With kind regards
Marlowe