LEARNING CENTER

Against notrump, lead 4th from your longest and strongest. Lead the honor only with 3 in a row or "almost" 3 in a row. With a suit headed by QJ9, you can lead the Q. (Against a suit contract, it is okay to lead the Q from QJ empty).

4. You should opt for the major, not the minor (even though the diamonds are better). Dummy could easily have diamond length. Dummy won't have heart length (no Stayman, no transfer).

5. Lead 4th from your longest and strongest. It is okay to lead away from an ace against notrump. Just don't do it (nor lay down an ace) against a suit contract!

J. Prefer the major. Lead top from 3 in a row or "almost" 3 in a row as here. Against a suit contract, you would probably lead the A.

K. Yes, your diamonds are longer, but this sequence is too much to pass up (and, you won't be hitting dummy's suit--whereas dummy could have 4 or even 5 diamonds).

8. Partner's double is for penalties. It also says "please lead dummy's suit". From a doubleton, you lead the higher one. North used Stayman in an attempt to find a fit for a four-card major. Since they didn't raise spades, that must mean North's major is hearts. Without the double, we'd lead the 10.

2. It may seem like a tossup between clubs and diamonds, but you have a bit of extra information from the auction. Partner could have made a lead-directing double of clubs. It's not much to go on, but it's enough to tilt the scales in favor of a diamond lead. 

If you would like to learn more about Opening Leads, you'll find it in Larry's book.