January 2025 - 65

Special Contributor
BY JAMES MARSH
STERNBERG, MD
mmay001@aol.com
T
here are three basic signals:
attitude, count, and suit preference.
Let's quickly cover the
first two, then spend the remaining
parts of this series on suit preference
(SP).
For purposes of this discussion,
we will play standard carding. If you
prefer upside-down, fine. The vast
majority of signals are " attitude. "
Partner leads a card and you signal,
" I like, please continue " or, " Please
don't continue. " High I like, low I
dislike. You may want your " low " to
mean " Play a club, " but it's just a discouraging
signal. Sorry, Charlie.
In other situations, signals are
" count " : High-low shows an even
number; low-high shows an odd
number. (The trump suit is an exception;
high-low shows an odd number.)
A suit-preference signal is a suggestion
to partner which suit to switch
to. It usually occurs in a suit contract.
Spades are trump. Partner plays a
heart. You sometimes can suggest
whether you want a switch to a diamond
or a club.
Columnist Phillip Alder warned
in his March 2018 column that " the
suit preference signal is the most
misunderstood and misused of the
three signals. It must be 100% clear
to both partners, the kibitzer, the
janitor and the gardener. " And prolific
author Mike Lawrence named
suit preference as the first weapon
he would eliminate from the arsenal
of most players if forced to eliminate
one " ... because of frequent abuse. "
So let's begin with a word of warning:
Players can become slaves to
suit-preference signals if they assume
every card from partner means
something. Attitude and count take
priority!
Consults with the Doctor
Suit preference: abused and misused
For example, spades are trump and
partner leads the hA (from A-K).
You hold the h9 3 2. You play the h2:
attitude. You hate hearts. When he
continues anyhow with the hK, and
you play the 3, does that mean you
want a club? No! You had to follow
suit. You may or may not want a club.
The purpose of this series will be to
heighten your awareness of this least
common signal, but not to make you
a suit-preference junkie, reading suit
preference into every card. A signal
means what it is supposed to mean,
not what you want it to mean at the
moment.
Some rules of the road:
1 Never signal with a card you cannot
spare.
2 The main message of any signal is
" I can afford to play this card. "
3 No card that a defender must play
in order to win a current trick or keep
declarer from winning too cheaply is
ever a signal.
4 No card that tells partner what he
already knows is a signal.
5 Never signal information that
helps declarer more than partner.
6 When you have only one card left
in the suit, it is never a signal. Only
when you have at least two cards that
you can afford to play, and partner
knows it, can you signal.
7 Signal the information partner
needs and expects.
8 When partner no longer needs
any information, signal truly what
declarer already knows or falsely
s 8 5
h K 9 2
d A K Q 10
c 10 9 8 7
what declarer hopes to learn.
9 Don't mumble. Signal high with
the highest card you can spare, or low
with the lowest card you can spare.
Remember: Attitude and count
take precedence. Partner's signal can
be suit preference only if he cannot
conceivably want to signal attitude or
count.
The suit-preference signal can indicate
the location of an entry or tell
partner what to switch to. The most
common situation for a SP signal is in
a ruffing situation. The defender who
is ruffing wishes to know which suit
his partner would like played next.
Often a second ruff may be available.
If there was ever a time to be alert
and be paying close attention to the
spot cards, this is it. Is that 7 a high
card or a low card? Too often I have
seen a player ruff, the trick is quitted,
and the player asks, " Can I see your
card again, partner? " Sorry, too late.
Consider this deal:
s K 6 4
h 8 6 5 4
d J 4 3
c K J 2
s 9 3 2
h Q 7 3
d 9 7 2
c 6 5 4 3
s A Q J 10 7
h A J 10
d 8 6 5
c A Q
South opened 1s. West made a
takeout double, but North-South
brushed it aside and reach 4s.
West leads the dA. At trick one,
East follows with the d2. What should
continued on page 73
January 2025 | Bridge Bulletin |
65
January 2025

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