Giving Count

2^nd August – Board 17: Love All. Dealer North.

Signaling can take one of several forms but maybe the most important of all is the count signal whereby you tell partner the parity you have in a certain holding, that is to say whether you have an even or an odd number of cards in a suit. Traditionally, playing high-low shows an even number and vice-versa (although some players do play reverse count.)

The auction may take different turns but to my mind the one given above is not unreasonable. The 4♣ bid by East is a splinter in agreement of diamonds and South would be extremely wet if he didn’t join in at that stage. 5♣ can be defeated but probably won’t be as East is likely to kick off with the ace of diamonds leaving declarer an easy task of drawing trumps and setting up the heart suit and making all thirteen tricks! Against 5♦ North should lead the club king which specifically asks for a count signal and South must be careful to play a high card to indicate an even number of cards in the suit. Without that knowledge North might try to cash the ace, but declarer would ruff and set up the spades via a ruff for an unlikely overtrick. With the knowledge that his partner has an even number of clubs North should switch to the king of hearts at trick two with South playing the ten. As South could hardly have four card heart support North knows he can cash a second heart for sure. Just remember that when you have the ace and king in a suit you can lead either, so why not have leading the Ace to ask for Attitude and the King to ask for Kount.