[FrancesHinden]

JLOGIC, on 2012-June-19, 11:36, said:

While we're on the subject, we always joke with the Swedes about Swedish 3/5th, because almost all of them (including the top players) seem to include QT9 and KT9 in 3/5th, so thy will lead the 9 if 3/5th has been agreed. Not that leading the 9 is a bad agreement from those holdings.

This is where the WBF card is handy to be clear about opening leads, because we also might* lead the 9 from QT9(x/xxx)/KT9(x/xxx) or the 10 fro KJ10(x/xxx).
*Any time we've bid and raised the suit, and also quite often from a 6-card suit when partner can tell we are leading from length.

We also would frequently lead 5th highest from e.g. Q109xx. My partner led 5th highest from this holding against Zia in the Gold Cup semi-finals against a slam (it saved an overtrick) and Zia said he'd never seen a lead like that before, somewhat to our surprise.

[icer]

Stephen Tu, on 2012-June-19, 11:37, said:

I think 3rd best from 6 is clearly better than 5th best from 6.

But I wonder if lowest card from 7 is really better than 5th best. Perhaps from 7 5th best is fine, and 7th should be reserved for some suit preference situation where you are looking for partner to win his ace and give you say a club ruff. Presumably 7 cd suits get mentioned in most auctions, and partner can usu work out 5 from 7?

I think this suit-preference possibility makes 3/5 a better rule than 3/low,
these long suits often are mentioned in auctions and the "low suit pref" will
be easy to read.