On defense, much of your success in counting and card reading will depend on how well you and partner communicate with signals and discards. Many new methods have become popular in recent years, and if your partnership is still using standard carding, you may be wondering if you need an “upgrade”.
Standard count and attitude signals are simple, familiar and efficient. If you and partner agree to play them, you can do well without further discussion.
The main alternative is upside-down count and attitude (UDCA), which reverses the meanings of standard signals. Here's how it works:
To show positive attitude (encourage the lead of a suit), you play or discard a low spot -- the 2 from K982, for example. To discourage, you play or discard a high spot -- the 9 from 982.
When giving count, you follow low-high to show an even number of cards -- the 2 from 82 or 8652. Playing high-low shows an odd number -- the 8 from 872.
The advantage of UDCA is that you don’t have to waste a high spot card to encourage when you hold a suit such as KJ102. The disadvantage is that you sometimes can’t give an honest discouraging signal because it would waste a high spot card (from a holding such as J102).
This sounds simple enough, but there are many variations. If you decide to play UDCA, you need to discuss whether you’ll lead low or high from doubletons, how you’ll show present count and suit preference, and other exceptions. Recommended is to play standard carding when making a suit-preference signal (high card shows strength in the higher-ranking suit) and when giving present count.
Decisions become even more complicated when you consider adding a discarding convention (odd-even, Lavinthal, Scanian) and specialized “echoes” (Smith, reverse Smith, trump suit preference).
The simple answer to any question about carding systems is that your choice should be based on your personal preference. No matter how vehement the arguments about the superiority of one method over another, the claimed advantages are tiny. On any given hand, the effectiveness of your chosen method may depend largely on the spot cards you happen to be dealt.
Far more important than your carding system is your judgment. If you can figure out what information partner needs, you can almost always find a way to communicate it. The toughest tasks are deciding when you should signal, and if so, whether to show count, attitude or suit preference. Here are some quick guidelines:
Give the most careful, honest signals when following to a suit partner has led and when discarding.
When partner leads a suit, he usually wants an attitude signal. When following to the second lead of that suit, your card can show present count or suit preference.
When declarer is leading a suit, give count signals . . . but only if you believe partner needs this information (he has to figure out how many times to duck his ace, for example.)
When discarding, give an attitude signal. Your second discard in the suit can be suit preference.
If partner is winning a trick and dummy’s holding makes it clear that you cannot want him to continue the suit, play a suit-preference signal (a high card asks for the lead of the higher-ranking suit).
When discarding or following to a suit that has already been led, give present count (a high card if you have two cards remaining; a low card if you have three cards remaining). This also applies when you return a suit partner has led. From A92, for example, win the ace and return the 9 (high from your remaining 92 doubleton). If you had started with A932, you would win the ace and return the 2 (low from your remaining xxx).
© Karen Walker