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Attitude Signals
You need to learn to count and to draw inferences, you will not defend well consistently without doing this. It is important to think about your combined partnership assets. For example – If the opponents bid, how many points can partner have?
How can I encourage my partner to keep leading their suit?
Definition
Signalling Attitude for when you are on defense and is communicating to your partner about how much you like or dislike the suit partner has lead. Signals are performed with the card that you play. A high card is encouraging the suit and a low card is discouraging. A high card is generally something higher than 6 where a low card is usually lower than 5
The Rule
Attitude is normally signaled when following suit to partner’s led suit and when discarding on either partner’s or declarer’s led suit.
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For Example
Below: Partner leads the King of hearts, you signal with the eight if you held the Ace (this is encouraging partner to continue the suit), or with the three if you held no honors in hearts (notifying partner that a switch to another suit is likely best). Of course, you can only signal with the cards you hold. Signaling low is easy for you, but if your lowest card is the eight, partner might have difficulty
When not to Signal Attitude
1.) You judge that you hold virtually all of the defensive cards, that partner will very probably never gain the lead. Do not signal. Partner, on the other hand, knowing the situation, should consider signalling honestly.
2.) Never signal against a slam. Make declarer work as hard as possible, and hopefully make a mistake.
3.) Sometimes you cannot show attitude without throwing away a winning card then it is wise not to signal.
4.)The principle is to not signal if doing so will help declarer more than the defenders.
North
You
♥ A 8 3
Signal high – the 8 is encouraging!
South
Partner Leads
♥ K Q 10 6 2
Leads the King of hearts
