and one or more others[22] Lowest or 4th best
King, Ten, Nine, and one or more others[22] Ten
King, and two or more others[22] Lowest or 4th best

Queen, Knave, Ten, with or without others Queen
Queen, Knave, Nine, with or without others Queen
Queen, Knave, and two or more others 4th best[23]
Queen, Knave, and one or no others Queen
Queen, Ten, Nine, with or without others Ten

Knave, Ten, with or without others Knave

Ten, Nine, with or without others Ten

[22] These suits unless declared by partner should not be
opened, as they are disadvantageous leads against a Trump
declaration.

[23] This is the conventional lead from this combination, but
many good players prefer the Queen, especially when the
indications are that the hand is not evenly divided. When long
suits have been announced, the chances are that the suit led will
be ruffed on the third round, if not earlier. If the King be in
the Second Hand and the Ace in the Third, a trick can be gained
by leading the Queen whenever the suit does not last for three
rounds. Therefore, unless the hand indicate that the suits are
evenly divided, the Queen seems to be the better lead.

IX

THE PLAY

It has been stated elsewhere that it is easier to advise an Auction
player how to declare than how to play. This is unquestionably true,
and as a rule instruction in print relating to intricate situations in
the play is of little benefit to the reader.

End situations, and even those which arise earlier in the hand,
seldom exactly repeat themselves. Pages may be filled with the
description of brilliant plays by the Declarer and his opponents.
The reader may study such examples until he becomes thoroughly
familiar with every detail, and yet, so great and infinite is the
variety of Auction hands, may play for years without ever having one
of them arise. Mathematicians state that the 52 cards may be
distributed in 53,644,737,765,839,237,440,000 different ways, and
that a player may receive 635,013,559,600 different hands. There is
no reason to question the accuracy of these figures, but even if
they be grossly excessive, it is still self-evident that each deal
is apt to produce some totally new situation.

All that will be attempted, therefore, in considering the play, is to
offer a few gen