Defensive Signals


RainBow Series - Lesson 10


Defensive Signals

	On defence, it is vital to give information to
partner regarding our hand WHEN PARTNER NEEDS TO KNOW
THIS INFORMATION.  Do NOT signal in cases when DECLARER
is more likely than partner to profit from the information 
that you divulge.  Also, NEVER SIGNAL WITH A CARD YOU
CAN'T AFFORD!

	So when, and how, do you signal?


Count


	In standard methods, count is shown by playing
your LOWEST card in a suit to show an ODD number of
cards in that suit.  With an EVEN number of cards in
the suit, you "ECHO" or "HI-LO" by playing a high 
one -- the highest you can afford -- and THEN your
lowest card.

Hand A:
H- K43
Play the H- 3 first.
Hand B:
H- K432
Play the H- 4, then the H- 2.
	
	"But what if I'm forced to play a HIGH card 
on the first round of a suit and want to show count
on the SECOND round?  Do I show how many cards I
STARTED with in the suit (which is called "ORIGINAL
COUNT") or the number I have NOW (which is called
"CURRENT COUNT")?"  In standard practice, CURRENT
COUNT is orthodox:  show how many you have NOW
in the suit.

	To illustrate, partner leads a small Heart
and we are forced to play the H-K ("3rd hand HIGH") 
on the first round with the two hands above.  On
the second round of Hearts, we would play the H-4
from our remaining H-43 to show TWO remaining 
Hearts.  On the second hand, we would play the
H-2 from our remaining H-432 to show THREE (i.e.
an odd number) Hearts left.

	Count in the opponents' TRUMP suit is shown
the other way around:  a SMALL one shows an EVEN
number of their trumps, an echo shows an ODD 
number of trumps (and suggests interest in ruffing
with the 3rd trump).

	WHEN do you show count?  The most common
instance is when PARTNER may be thinking of holding
up a boss card (the Ace, usually) in a suit to
deny Declarer an entry.  For example, if Declarer
in 3NT leads a small Diamond toward Dummy's D-KQJ10x 
(and Dummy has no side-suit entry) and you have D-542
you will play the D-2.  Partner will, we hope, figure
out that you have THREE Diamonds (not one or five)
from the bidding, and hold up hir Ace until Declarer
is playing hir LAST Diamond.  In this way, Declarer
can be prevented from stealing any extra Diamond 
tricks.  Meanwhile, partner, the one holding the boss 
card, should be giving a FALSE count signal (i.e. LOW 
from an EVEN number, echoing with an ODD number) to 
mask your combined holdings so that Declarer will not
know which one of you is telling the truth. :)

	A less common instance where count is important
is when defending a high level contract and Declarer is
running a long suit (and partner needs to know which 
suits to keep).  Here, your first discards in each suit
might be count in the suit you're pitching.

	When partner leads SMALL and your RHO plays a
small card, you should play "3rd hand high".  But what
if you don't HAVE a high card in the suit?  THEN you
should show Count IF AND ONLY IF 2nd hand has not
played the Ace, King or Queen in the suit (otherwise,
show ATTITUDE about partner's lead).

Hand C:
S- 542
	
	Partner leads the S-7 against 3NT.  Dummy
contributes the S-6 for J86.  You should put the 
S-2 on the table to show an ODD number of Spades.  
This may help partner (who may have lead from S-AQ973) 
drop Declarer's hidden doubleton S-K if partner 
regains the lead.

	Some people play that you should show count
whenever partner plays an ACE from what might be AK.
This is part of "KATARACT" (see below).

	Remember:  ECHO EVEN (both words start with
"E" and have four letters), LOW ODD (both words have
an "O" and have three letters).


Suit Preference


	When giving a suit preference signal, play a 
HIGH card first to ask for a HIGH ranking non-trump
suit return from partner, and a LOW card first to
ask for a LOW ranking non-trump suit return from
partner.  Remember:  HIGH for HIGH, LOW for LOW.

	"When do you make suit preference signals?"
you might wonder.  The most obvious instance is
when you figure that you're giving partner a ruff.

Hand D:
D- AQxx
C- AK832
	
	Partner leads the C-10 against 3S.  You see
three Clubs and the Diamond King on dummy.  After 
cashing your C-AK and seeing partner "echo" with
the C-7, you would return the C-2, your lowest 
Club, to ask for a DIAMOND return after partner 
ruffs, rather than a HEART return.  If you DID 
want a Heart return, you would return the C-8.

	Another time when it is correct to show
suit preference is when partner has led an Ace or
King against a suit contract and dummy appears
with a singleton.  "Which suit should I switch
to?" partner may be wondering.  Here, an unusually
high card from you asks for a high ranking switch,
a LOWEST card from you asks for a low ranking suit
switch.  A middling card says that you'd just as
soon partner CONTINUE with the led suit OR that
you have no distinct preference between the other
two suits.

Hand E:
S- QJ843
	
	Partner leads the S-King against 5D.  Dummy
has the singleton S-7.  To ask for a Heart switch,
play the S-Q here.  To request a Club from partner,
signal the S-3.  If you don't CARE which suit
partner switches to OR would like partner to keep
playing Spades, play the S-8.

	A third situation where you show suit 
preference is when discarding from a "known" suit 
(i.e. one in which partner KNOWS your holding,
likely because Declarer has shown out in that suit).

Hand F:
D- AK10975
	
	Against 6C you lead the King.  Dummy has
three small Diamonds.  Declarer RUFFS, then
starts playing Clubs--of which you have NONE.  To
show your partner that you have strength in SPADES
pitch the D-Ace or D-10 immediately.  To show
strength in HEARTS play the D-5 first.  


Attitude


	Attitude is shown by playing a HIGH card to
ENCOURAGE a given suit, a LOW card to DISCOURAGE
a continuation of that suit.  Remember:  a HIGH
card shows that you have a HIGH opinion of that
suit, a LOW card shows a LOW opinion of that suit.

	"And when, pray tell, do you show attitude?"
one may ask.

	The most common instance when we show attitude
is when partner leads an honour--especially an honour
OTHER than the Ace.  Let's say partner leads the C-King
and you hold:

Hand G:
C- Q52
Play the C- 5.
Hand H:
C- 952
Play the C- 2.
	
	A slightly less common example is when partner
leads a small card in a suit and your RHO wins with
the Ace, King or Queen.

Hand I:
H- J102
	
	Against 3NT partner leads the H-5.  Declarer
plays the H-King from dummy.  Play the H-J (the
highest of touching honours) to encourage this suit.
Note that when signalling with "equals" (the H-J
and H-10 in this case), you should always play the
HIGHEST such card.  Playing the H-10 here would
DENY the H-Jack. 

	Holding H-J82 instead of H-J102, you would 
signal with the H-8 to encourage the suit.


KATARACT


	"What should I lead from AK?" some will ask.
Here we have a Rule of Thumb:  Lead the King if you
are interested in ATTITUDE from partner, the ACE if
you are interested in COUNT from partner.  The
acronym "KATARACT" (King ATtitude, Ace Requests A
CounT) may help you remember this. :) 


One Final Word


	The above rules will act as a guideline as
to when to signal count, suit preference and
attitude.  Before deciding on which signal to
show, though, always ask yourself this question:  

	"What does partner want to know right now
about my hand?"

	THAT should be the over-riding consideration.
For an extreme example of this, check out Hand #21 
from the "Session From Hell" series at:
http://www.escape.ca/~ksired/session.htm



The Rainbow Series, from 10:00 A.M. to 12:30 PST every weekday, is a lecture program on the SAYC system, from Opening Bids all the way through to the conventional aspects of SAYC. Unlike the FireSide and 5th Chair sessions mentioned above, the Rainbow Series is a semi-private lesson program for our students. Nevertheless, you are invited to stop by and "eavesdrop" on the discussion from the Spectator's Loft.

If you have any questions arising from these notes, or about the Rainbow Lesson Series, please do not hesitate to email me at: cpw@escape.ca

Lesson #1: Opening Bids
Lesson #2: Responses to Opening Bids
Lesson #3: Rebidding Strategies
Lesson #4: Interference
Lesson #5: OverCalls & Takeout Doubles
Lesson #6: Two-Suited Overcalls
Lesson #7: Pre-Empts
Lesson #8: Competing with Doubles
Lesson #9: Lebensohl
Lesson #10: Defensive Signalling
Lesson #11: Defensive Strategies
Lesson #12: Declarer Play



General Rules of SAYC Bidding
Fit Inspired Bids - "FIBs"
Doubles
Cuebids
IMPs Versus MatchPoints
Lebensohl
Hand Evaluation
Defensive Signals
Jacoby Transfers
Pre-Empts
Jacoby 2NT Response to 1H or 1S
Michaels Cuebids
3 Types of Responding Hands
Percentages in Bridge
Roman Key Card Blackwood
BROZEL over their 1NT
4th Suit Force
Assume Jumps Are Raises
Glossary of Terms
Colin's Rules of Bridge




Back to the Tutoring Web Page
Back to Colin's Personal Bridge Page