Defensive signals are the cards you play to tell partner something about your hand. There are three kinds: attitude (do you like the suit?), count (how many cards do you hold in it?) and suit preference (which other suit do you want led?). In standard methods a high card encourages or shows an even number, and a low card discourages or shows an odd number.
Signals are not part of a bidding system, but every partnership needs an agreement. The standard methods below are what most club players use in North America and in Acol countries alike; upside-down signals are a popular alternative.
The Three Bridge Signals
Which signal applies depends on who leads the suit:
| Situation | Signal | Standard meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Partner leads a suit, you follow | Attitude | High = I like it, low = I do not |
| Declarer leads a suit, you follow | Count | High-low = even number, low-high = odd number |
| Attitude or count is obvious or useless | Suit preference | High card = the higher of the other suits, low = the lower |
Learn the default order first. A signal you and partner read the same way is worth more than a clever one you read differently.
Attitude Signals
When partner leads a suit and you cannot win the trick, your card says whether you want it continued.
- Encourage with a high spot: the 8 from Q82 when partner leads the ace.
- Discourage with your lowest card: the 2 from 852.
The question you answer is "Do I want this suit continued?", not "Do I have an honor?" With a doubleton against a suit contract, you may want a continuation to get a ruff: then a high card (the start of a high-low) is right even with no honor.
Against notrump, attitude on partner's lead is mostly about the suit led: encourage with an honor that helps set up the suit, discourage when you want a switch.
Count Signals
When declarer leads a suit, partner usually cares about how many cards you have, not whether you like it. Count helps partner decide when to take an ace, and how many tricks declarer can take in dummy's long suit.
- Even number: play high, then low (from 8 3, play the 8 first).
- Odd number: play low, then high (from 9 6 2, play the 2 first).
The classic case: dummy has a long suit like KQJ109 and no side entry, and partner holds the ace. If you show count, partner can hold up exactly long enough to cut declarer off from dummy. Count also helps you both count declarer's shape, which is the basis of counting declarer's tricks.
Suit Preference Signals
Suit preference applies when attitude and count say nothing useful. The card you play points to one of the two other suits (leaving out trumps and the suit being played):
- A high card asks for the higher-ranking of those suits.
- A low card asks for the lower-ranking.
The most common spot is when you give partner a ruff. If spades are trumps and you lead a heart for partner to ruff, a high heart says "come back in diamonds" and a low heart says "come back in clubs". The idea is also called Lavinthal or McKenney, after players who made it popular.
Suit preference also applies when dummy has a singleton in the suit led, so attitude means nothing to partner.
A Signal in Action
West opens 1♥ and plays 4♥. North, your partner, overcalled 1♠ and leads the ♠A.
West declares 4♥; East is dummy. Partner leads the ♠A. You hold ♠82 and the ♥A. Which spade do you play?
You hold the ♠82 and the ♥A with three trumps. If partner cashes two spades and gives you a third-round ruff, the defense has two spades, a ruff and the ♥A: four tricks and down one.
So play the ♠8 at trick one. That is a high card, which encourages. When partner continues with the ♠K, follow with the ♠2. The high-low shows a doubleton, and partner gives you the third spade to ruff. A double dummy check confirms that a spade at trick three beats the contract, while any other card at that point lets declarer make 4♥.
If you had played the ♠2 first, partner would read it as discouraging and might switch, and the ruff would be gone.
Standard or Upside-Down Signals
In upside-down signals the meanings swap: a low card encourages, a high card discourages; low-high shows an even number, high-low an odd number. The combination is called UDCA (upside-down count and attitude).
| Standard | Upside-down | |
|---|---|---|
| Encourage | High card | Low card |
| Discourage | Low card | High card |
| Even count | High-low | Low-high |
| Odd count | Low-high | High-low |
The argument for upside-down: when you like a suit you often hold honors in it and cannot spare a high spot, while a discouraging high card is usually from worthless cards. Both methods work; the method you both remember is the right one.
The First Discard
When you cannot follow suit, your first discard is a signal too. The three common methods:
- Attitude discards (standard): a high card in a suit asks for that suit; a low card says you do not want it.
- Lavinthal (suit preference discards): discard from a suit you do not want. A high card asks for the higher of the other two suits, a low card for the lower.
- Odd-even (Roman): an odd card encourages the suit you discard; an even card is suit preference, high-even for the higher suit, low-even for the lower.
Lavinthal and odd-even let you keep all your cards in the suit you want. Attitude discards are the easiest to read. Whatever you play, do not discard a card you may need to beat the contract.
Declarer reads your signals too. When the information helps declarer more than partner, for example when partner cannot gain the lead, you do not have to give an honest count. Play the card that does the least damage.
Common Mistakes
- Wasting a trick to signal. Never encourage with a card that would take a trick later, such as the jack from KJ2 when dummy holds the queen.
- Giving attitude when partner needs count, or count when partner needs attitude. Ask "who led the suit?" first.
- Reading one card in isolation. If partner plays the 6 and you can see the 2, 3, 4 and 5, the 6 is partner's lowest. Look at the missing spots before you decide.
- Signaling with your only card that matters. From K2 under partner's ace, the 2 is not "discouraging": it is all you can spare.
- Signaling every time. When the defense is obvious, a signal only helps declarer.
Practice: Bridge Signals
Against 4♥, partner leads the ♠A. Dummy has ♠754. You play standard signals and hold ♠Q82. Which spade do you play?
Your hand:
Signals are learned at the table, but a good lead starts the conversation. BridgeDummy's lead puzzles show you, for each opening lead, how it scores over many deals that fit the auction, and the Lead Gym lets you lead on random deals bid by robots. For more defense, read defense tips, the rule of 11, MUD leads and the beginner lesson on defensive signals.