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EASTLAKE BRIDGE CLUB |
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DEFENSIVE SIGNALS |
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One of the best ways to
convey information about your hand to partner is through |
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signals - legal
ones. There are certain standard
defensive signals used the world |
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over. Without them, bridge is little more than a
guessing game. If you happen |
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to be playing with a
better player, by signalling correctly, he will have a chance |
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to make good decisions
and your partnership can succeed on his ability! |
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There are 3 types of
defensive signals: |
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1) |
Attitude |
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- high card encourages |
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- low card discourages |
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2) |
Count |
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High - low shows and even
number |
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Low - high shows an odd
number |
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3) |
Suit Preference |
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High card asks for the
higher ranking suit |
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Low card asks for the
lower ranking suit |
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ATTITUDE SIGNALS: |
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Why do we need attitude
signals? Let's look at an example: |
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♠ 53 |
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WEST |
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EAST |
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♠ |
KQ942 |
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♠ T87 |
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♠ AJ6 |
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DECLARER |
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You lead the K and East
plays the 7, and Declarer plays the 6! |
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If you don't know that
partner's play is discouraging (lowest card) then |
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you are likely to
continue with the queen. Declarer
rises with the Ace |
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and now the Jack is
good. Declarer takes 2 tricks in the
suit. |
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If West reads partners 7
as discouraging, then he will wait for partner |
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to
get in and lead the spade through declarer - if declarer plays the |
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jack, it loses to the
queen and he only gets one trick. If
declarer plays |
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his ace, then later west
can play the queen and declarer's jack never |
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takes a trick. |
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This
hold up by declarer is called the bath coup.named after the |
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city of Bath in
England. Don't be fooled by it! Watch partner's signal! |
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ATTITUDE SIGNALS APPLY
WHEN PARTNER LEADS THE SUIT |
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DUMMY |
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♠ A84 |
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WEST |
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EAST |
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♠ |
QT752 |
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♠ K93 |
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♠ J6 |
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DECLARER |
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Partner leads the 5 (4th best) and
declarer plays dummy's ace. Do you |
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like the suit? Show partner you have something good in
it! Play the 9! |
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If Dummy played a small card instead
of the ace, can you give partner |
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a signal? |
NO - you have to play the king. |
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You can only give partner
a signal when you have a choice of cards to play, |
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not when you are forced
to play a specific card. |
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COUNT SIGNAL: |
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To understand the importance of the
count signal lets look at 2 deals played |
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in 3NT: |
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763 |
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West leads
the 2 of spades, you play the T and declarer takes the King. Declarer has 7 tricks outside the diamond
suit (which is his best suit in the combined hands). Declarer leads up to the King and if you
take the Ace, declarer still has another diamond to get back and cash 4
diamonds to make his contract easily.
What if you take the 2nd diamond?
Declarer has no way to get back to his good diamonds and goes
down! What if he takes the 3rd
diamond? Contract makes! |
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72 |
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KQJT4 |
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943 |
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![[W - E]](lesson5_files/image006.gif)
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JT8 |
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J9 |
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QT876 |
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632 |
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A95 |
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J865 |
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T9 |
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AK5 |
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AK54 |
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87 |
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AKQ2 |
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Clearly it is right for East to take
precisely the 2nd diamond trick because South |
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has only 2 diamonds. If South had 3 diamonds, it is right to
take the 3rd one. |
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How is east to know? |
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Before answering let's look at one
more deal: |
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7632 |
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West leads
the hQ and declarer has 6 tricks outside the diamond suit. He needs 3 tricks in diamonds. He leads up to the dK. If East takes the ace, declarer makes his
contract. In this case East must take
the 3rd diamond and hold declarer to only 2 diamond tricks. So how does east know to take the second
diamond on the first deal, and the third diamond on the 2nd deal? Simple:
West has told East which diamond to take - not with words but with a
count signal. |
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72 |
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KQJT |
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943 |
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QT54 |
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QJT6 |
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985 |
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82 |
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A954 |
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J876 |
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QT |
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AK |
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AK54 |
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763 |
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AK52 |
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It is important to understand that
when declarer is setting up a long suit with no |
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entries in dummy, the defender with
the ace, must win the trick at the same time |
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that declarer is playing his last
card in dummy's long suit. |
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When using count signals, (whenever
declarer is setting up dummy's long suit) |
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the defender with 3 cards plays his
lowest. With 2 cards, he plays his
highest. |
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On deal 1, west must play
his deuce - to show east his original holding of 3. |
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East can know that
declarer only has 2 and confidently take the 2nd diamond. |
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On deal 2, west must play his 8,
East can figure that declarer has 3, and take |
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the 3rd diamond. |
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The count signal applies
when following to a suit that was led by declarer. |
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Next week we'll do some practicing! |
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