Friday, September 16, 2005 8:41 AM

Attitude vrs Suit Preference

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Leading your singleton and using partners spot card to determine her entry is pretty standard Bridge. If she lead her small card back , she wants the lower ranking suit , a higher card back the higher ranking and a middle card no suit preference. This is technically a known count situation as its obvious you have led a singleton. How about finding switches when you lay down an Ace ?  If you or partner has bid the suit , there is a “known count” situation , a middle card says continue or no suit preference and hi & lo cards are suit preference. If there is no known length involved ( no bidding ) its just plain attitude. You discourage if you want a switch and partner must be able to find the switch. There is no suit preference involved with unknown suit length.

 

          What about if you lay down a stiff Ace ?  It is obvious for everybody at the table from looking at the dummy that it is stiff. This is a “known count situation” . Your count is exactly one so a middle card in that suit by partner would mean no suit preference and a high card &  a low card suit preference. With stiffs on the board it is a known count situation. “Law raises” are known count situations which brings in the middle card as continue or no suit preference.

 

                               ♠ KQ10

                               ♥ KQ8642

                               ♦ Q86

                               ♣ 6

 

♠ AJ9753

♥ A

♦ 732

♣ Q62                    You have bid spades & partner clubs and they are in 5♦X. You lead the spade ace and then

                               the heart Ace. If partner wants a spade ruff , she plays a high heart . A low heart would signify the club Ace. Change the hearts on the board so partner can not read the stiff Ace and then partner just discourages hearts and you must find the correct switch.

 

                                                                        ♠KJ74

                                                                        ♥J1064

                                                                        ♦ 8

                                                                        ♣ J653

 

You have bid hearts with   ♠ 92

                                         ♥ KQ9852

                                         ♦ J4

                                         ♣ AQ4           & they are in 5♦X . You lead the spade 9 and partner wins her Ace . She lays down the heart Ace and everybody follows. This is a no brainer. A high heart in your known length suit would mean you want to ruff a spade , a middle heart says continue and a low heart demands a club.

 

          There is a neat variation of this theme. What if your entry is the Ace of their trump suit ?

 

                                         ♠ J54

                                         ♥ 6

                                         ♦ AK72

                                         ♣ Q8652

 

♠ 862

♥ KJ8432

♦ 964

♣ 7                                They get to 4♠ with no adverse bidding. You lead your club and partner wins the Ace and

 

returns the club 3. She can not want a diamond as that is silly looking at those diamonds. She is warning you that a heart is not a good idea or she has the trump Ace as an entry. Suit preference or attitude ? It depends if there is known count or length . Simple.

 

          A rare form of known count is where the situation is obvious that you are looking for a switch. You lead the Ace of a suit and Qxx appears on the board. You have no idea what to do so you say “ what is theirs is theirs” and continue with the King. With no suit preference partner plays a middle card . Otherwise a high card is the higher ranking suit and a low card is the lower ranking suit.  Let partner help you out !