Attitude, Count and Suit Preference Signaling

There are a variety of signaling methods in bridge. Every player will swear theirs is the best approach. But each method has its pros and cons, like any bridge convention. The examples below are considered basic signaling techniques.

What is more important than your signaling method is the correct use of signaling, and recognizing opportunities for signaling.

There are three signaling situations. Here they are, in order of priority:

  1. Attitude
  2. Count
  3. Suit Preference

Attitude

Attitude applies in two situations: when partner leads a new suit, and when you cannot follow suit, i.e., your first discard.

When Partner Leads a New Suit

Examples:

  1. Partner leads A(K); encourage with Qxx. For example, if you hold Q73, play the 7, not the 3.
  2. Partner leads A(K); with QJ(xx), play the Queen. This implies that you either have the Jack, or the singleton Queen.
  3. Partner leads A(K). Encourage with xx if suit contract, e.g., if you hold 96, play the 9, not the 6, to help partner recognize that you have a doubleton, and may be able to get a ruff. However, discourage continuation in a notrump contract; play the 6 from 96.

Your First Discard

Examples:

  1. Declarer draws trump, e.g. spades, and you cannot follow suit. If holding the Ace of diamonds, discard a high diamond.
  2. If dummy has a King and you hold AQ in that suit, encourage partner to lead that suit by playing a high card.

Count:

Tells partner if you have an odd or even number of cards in a suit. Examples:

  1. Helps partner decide when to take their Ace in a suit. For example, dummy has a long suit that declarer is trying to set up, and your partner has the Ace. Show count so that partner can determine when to take the Ace. Playing high-low shows an even number of cards in the suit; playing low-high shows an odd number.
  2. Helps partner determine declarer’s holding / distribution.

Suit Preference:

  1. Must be aware that the situation does not call for an attitude or count signal.
  2. There must be a choice between only two suits. (There may be exceptions, e.g., if a third suit is AKQx.)
  3. Opportunities for Suit Preference:
    • Trump suit preference. Playing high-low in trump suggests strength in the higher remaining suit(s). Playing low-high in trump suggestions strength in the lower remaining suit(s).
    • When possessing the Ace of trump, hold up with the Ace to allow partner to discard and show suit preference, unless there is a very good reason to take the Ace immediately.
    • When the defense cannot or should not take the second trick in a suit, play high to show your preference for the higher remaining suit(s); play low to show preference for the lower remaining suit(s). Examples:
      1. Partner leads an Ace and there is a singleton on dummy.
      2. If partner continues suit, dummy has a card that will be set up.
    • Show partner if you have a stopper in a suit. Example: a King behind dummy’s AQJxx in a suit.
    • When giving partner a ruff. Examples:
      1. Play a high card for partner to ruff so partner will return higher remaining suit.
      2. Play a low card for partner to ruff so partner will return lower remaining suit.

Notes

  1. Do not signal with a card that might give up a trick. Signal with a 2-9.
  2. When playing to partner’s lead, e.g., Ace from AK, if holding Qx, do not play high-low. In this context, playing the Queen promises the Jack or is a singleton Queen.
  3. If partner shows strength in a suit, this does not mean that you need to lead that suit at first opportunity. You may have other tricks you can develop before leading partner’s requested suit. Use your judgment to determine the best of sequence of defensive play.
  4. When holding 3 cards in sequence, e.g., A987, use the 9 to signal, not the 7. Partner does not know that the 7 is just as good as the 9, and 9 will be a stronger signal to partner than the 7.

Final Thoughts

Since defenders do not have the benefit of seeing each other’s hands, they must communicate using the cards in their hands. Without this communication, defenders cannot make optimal use of their combined assets.

In general these guidelines will suffice in the majority of situations. However, there will be times when these rules will need to be broken, based on the context of a specific hand.

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