Dear Martin,

Partner on lead, places a card face down on the table. No questions are asked. He changes his mind and takes back the unexposed card and replaces it with another. Is this allowed?

Thanks, 
Joyce Brown

Reply Martin Sinot

Dear Joyce,
 
The answer depends on the exact situation. If partner is making the opening lead, the answer is no. An opening lead is made face down, and it is then not allowed to change it, unless so instructed by the director after an infraction. For example, when after the closed lead declarer corrects earlier given information, the card may be withdrawn and replaced with another. Another example is when the wrong defender leads face down; this card too may be withdrawn without consequences. Changing your mind, however, is not a valid reason.
When partner makes a lead later in the game, however, no such regulation exists. The only law is then that a card of a defender is played if partner could have seen it. Since that is not the case, partner’s card is not played, and it is allowed to replace it with another one.
 
So in summary: the answer is no in case of the opening lead (barring infractions) and yes at a later stage.
 
Regards,
Martin Sinot