Lead low for like, lead high for hate

Lead low for like, lead high for hate

(This, and articles like it can be found at andrewrobson.co.uk.)

When defending, you can send a message to partner according to the size of the card you lead. The crucial ditty is “lead low for like, lead high for hate” .
Leads of…   
Ace…………….Ten: honour leads, normally top of a sequence, showing the card below
Nine………about six: Leading high for hate cards.
About five…….two: Leading low for like.

Which card would you lead from these holdings (and I’m talking about the first round of the suit, not merely the first trick)?

• a)    ♣ K J 5 2
• b)    ♦ 8 4 3 2
• c)    ♣ Q J 5
• d)    ♦ J 9 6 2


• (a). Lead  ♣ 2 – leading low for like. Note that I’m not telling you to lead a club, another issue entirely (indeed leading from  ♣ KJxx is very dangerous – potentially round to  ♣ AQ), merely which club to lead if you’ve decided to lead the suit.
  (b). Lead  ♦ 8 – leading high for hate. Partner is not clairvoyant – by leading  ♦ 8 you tell partner not to return the suit.
  (c). Lead  ♣ Q – top of a sequence, showing  ♣ J.
  (d). At trick one, lead ♦ 2 – leading low for like because you have a picture. However, say dummy is tabled and you are switching to this suit but have the information to know that you don’t want partner to return it; now lead  ♦ 9 – telling partner not to return it.