Defensive play relies on coordinating two hidden hands without speaking, using card choices to send messages. This system uses upside-down (reverse) signals, where a low card is good news.
Card value always outranks signalling. Never waste an honor or cost a trick to send a message; the engine always picks the cheapest card that carries the message.
Signals and Discards
- Attitude: The first time you play a suit partner is interested in. LOW = "I like this suit, keep going." (requires an ace or king, two touching honors, or in a trump contract, a doubleton or singleton asking for a ruff).
- Count: When following suit to a declarer- or dummy-led suit, your card shows your original length. LOW = an EVEN number (2 or 4 cards). An odd number (3 or 5) uses a HIGH-then-LOW echo.
- Discard: When you cannot follow suit, LOW = "I can win a trick here, lead this suit" (requires an ace or king and at least three cards long). Never discard a trump.
- Decision: Partner led = attitude; Declarer or dummy led = count.
Playing to the Trick
- Third Hand: Third hand high as cheaply as possible. Win the trick or force a higher card; play the lowest of touching honors. Exceptions: Do not crash partner's winner (play low unless your whole holding is two cards or fewer to unblock, or you hold two or more cards above partner's honor). Trap dummy's honors if dummy has already played low and retains a card higher than your intended play.
- Second Hand: Second hand low (doubles as a count signal). Exceptions: Split touching honors with the lowest of the sequence, or cover an honor with the cheapest higher honor.
Opening Leads & Returns
- Lead types: An honor equals the top of a sequence. A low card shows length: fourth-highest against notrump; third-highest from 3-4 cards or fifth-highest from 5+ against a suit contract (never underleads an ace). A high-then-low shows a doubleton (except king-headed).
- Rule of 11: Against notrump, subtract partner's fourth-highest lead from 11 to find higher cards outside their hand.
- Returning a suit: Return partner's suit with a remaining doubleton (lead high) or original fourth-best from a longer holding. Lead the top of a sequence in a fresh suit. Ruff with the lowest trump and never ruff a trick partner is already winning. Win as fourth to play as cheaply as you can.
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