Signalling in Defence Signalling in Defence Aims To

Signalling in Defence

Signalling in Defence Aims • To introduce the concept of Signalling in defence • To clarify the situations where we can signal • To explain the standard attitude signal High encourages, Low discourages

Signalling in Defence The Attitude Signal During the play, defenders can signal to one another by the card they play. (and nothing else!) The most common type of signal is the high-low signal. When partner leads an honour, you can encourage him to continue the suit by playing a high card. . . … or discourage the suit led and suggest a switch by playing a low card.

Signalling in Defence The Attitude Signal The standard attitude signal is - • High to encourage • Low to discourage

Signalling in Defence The Attitude Signal We signal when partner leads an honour card …. . . not when a high card is led by declarer or dummy. Make an encouraging attitude signal with the highest card you can afford. Make a discouraging attitude signal by playing your lowest card.

Signalling in Defence The Attitude Signal Sometimes you do not hold ideal cards for your signal. Partner has to “examine the pips” to try to interpret it. e. g. Sometimes a 6 may be a discouraging signal … … or a 5 might be an encouraging signal. Partner must look at their holding in conjunction with dummy and what was played by declarer.

Signalling in Defence The Attitude Signal Remember, good declarers do not always play their lowest card from hand to cause some uncertainty in the defence signals.

Signalling in Defence S 652 The Attitude Signal N S AK 4 W E S 7 S South plays in 4 H. West leads AS. The play to the first trick is AS - 2 S - 7 S - 3 S. West can see all the spades smaller than the 7. Therefore the 7 is East’s lowest spade In this case the 7 is discouraging.

Signalling in Defence The Attitude Signal There are two possible reasons for encouraging partner to continue the suit led - • You have an honour in the suit and hope to take tricks there. • You have a doubleton in the suit and hope to ruff the third round.

Signalling in Defence The Attitude Signal H 876 H AK 3 N W E H Q 952 S South plays in 4 S. West leads AH. (this promises the K) East plays 9 H asking partner to continue with the KH and another to the QH

Signalling in Defence The Attitude Signal ♥ 1074 K♥ led N W E ♥ J 863 S South plays in 4 S. West leads K ♥. (promising Q) Here East plays 8 ♥ telling partner it is safe to continue with the queen. South may have had AJx and held up the first round.

Signalling in Defence The Attitude Signal H J 106 N A ♥ led W S E H 42 South plays in 4 S. West leads A ♥. East plays the 4 ♥, hoping partner can read it as a doubleton. If West continues with K ♥ and another he can ruff the third round.

Signalling in Defence The Attitude Signal When partner leads an ace against a trump contract play high from a doubleton to encourage him to continue the suit. We can trump the third round.

Signalling in Defence The Attitude Discard When you cannot follow suit you have to discard a card from another suit. You can take this opportunity to tell partner where your high cards are. Discard a high card to say I have some honours in this suit. Discard a low card to say I have nothing in this suit.

Signalling in Defence Other Signal and Discard Systems You will encounter other signal and discard systems. You don’t have to remember all these - just be aware of them. Reverse Attitude Count Mc. Kenney Suit Preference Dodds Gemmel Revolving Low to encourage, high to discourage Shows even or odd number of cards held in the suit Higher or lower of other two suits Similar to Mc. Kenney Even = that suit, odd = other suit same colour Low minor = H, high minor = S Low major = C, high major = D High - suit above, low - suit below

Signalling in Defence Other Signal and Discard Systems You are entitled to know what your opponents’ signalling methods are. Tip If a defender discards, note it, but wait until all the cards of that trick have been turned over before you ask what their discard system is. It is now illegal for them to show their card. Their partner may have missed it or have forgotten it.

The Encouraging Signal J 54 N AK 2 W S E Q 873 1096 West leads A against 3 NT. Dummy plays low. The lead of an ace is often from an AK combination. Since he holds the Q, East wants West to continue , diamonds by playing K and another. To encourage West to continue he plays the highest card he can afford, . 8

The Discouraging Signal 1098 AK 2 N W S E QJ 6 7543 This time East has nothing useful in diamonds and no reason to encourage West to continue playing diamonds. So he plays his lowest diamond, 3. This is a discouraging attitude signal. If West is paying attention he will receive the signal, and switch to another suit.

Examples of “Reading” a signal AK 42 98 N W E S Q 653 J 107 West leads A. East encourages with 6, his highest spot card. Is a 6 high or low? West looks at the other little cards: dummy has 98 and declarer plays 7. 5 and 3 are missing In this case 6 is a high card, an encouraging signal West continues with K and another

Examples of “Reading” a signal 53 N AK 42 W S E 876 West leads A QJ 109 East discourages with 6, his lowest spot card Is a 6 high or low? Dummy has 53 and West has 42 in his own hand. Since he can see all the lower cards 6 must be a low card, a discouraging signal West will look for another suit to switch to.

Encouraging when we want a ruff Q 75 Q 742 753 A 98 A led N W S ? ? ? E 93 South plays in K 86 2 10984 K 1043 West leads A, Ace from AK If East plays 3 West will switch to another suit But if he plays A, K, then a third spade East can ruff dummy’s Q with 6. So East plays 9, encouraging

Encouraging when we want a ruff K 964 83 QJ 52 South plays in 2. AQ 8 82 N A led W E J 1042 983 S KJ 73 West leads A, Ace from AK You cannot ruff the third round, so play 3, discouraging and asking for a switch. West should try a high club through dummy’s A and Q

Signalling when we cannot follow suit Lead top of a doubleton) QJ 75 AKJ 10 K 9 K 84 N A 92 4 764 W E 853 QJ 1085 7642 S J 3 AQ 1092 K 10863 Q 92 A 3 765 Love All Dealer N West North East South - 1 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass West leads Q, taken by South’s ace. Declarer starts to draw trump, leading 3 to the 2, Q and 4 On the next spade East discards 10, encouraging in clubs West wins A. He has seen partner’s signal and leads J through dummy’s K 84 The defence take 3 club tricks, and declarer goes one down

Signalling when we cannot follow suit Lead top of a doubleton) Love All KQ 52 K 96 J 7 KQJ 10 N 106 874 W E AK 963 S 752 A 873 1052 Q 84 963 Dealer N South is playing in 2 S J 94 AQJ 3 1052 A 84 West leads A, and East plays 2, discouraging 1 West leads 8 at trick 2. Declarer plays low from dummy and 1 East 1 wins the trick with J. He returns a diamond to West’s K West plays another heart to Q East cashes A and A for one down

QUIZ When can you make an Attitude Signal? When partner leads an honour How should you signal? High to encourage and low to discourage

QUIZ You are East. South plays in 4. Partner leads A. Do you want to encourage or discourage? Which card do you play? 732 A N W E S 1094 9864 Discourage 4 A N W E S Q 1084 8765 A Discourage 5 N W E S 52 Encourage 5

QUIZ • South declares 4. 432 1094 N W E S AK 6 W West leads A. N 7 E S A 2 7 5 AKJ 3 W N 108 8 E S A 4 8 2 AK 973 W 5 N E S A 8 5 6 Is East’s card an encouraging or a discouraging signal? Discouraging Encouraging 5, 6, 7 missing Encouraging, 2 and 4 missing

QUIZ KQ 74 K 865 AJ 8 98 N W E S South plays in 4 3 K J 1043 KQ 62 7432 West leads K. Dummy plays 8 Which club do you play? 7 _______ South wins A. To trick 2 South leads a small spade to dummy’s king and continues by playing 4 towards his hand What do you discard? 6

Signalling in Defence End of Lesson