"Count-Attitude-Suit Preference" Carding

Rev: June 7, 2000

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Note: No need to alert opponents for this carding convention, but your convention card should indicate this agreement.

A. When Partner Leads

Order of Preference - Count, Attitude then Suit Preference

When partner make the opening lead
OR if you made the opening lead and later partner gets in and leads "his suit".

When partner leads, and you can follow suit, it appears that some of the better players will show count as the first choice, then attitude as the next choice, and suit preference as the last choice.

Count is deemed important to help the partnership "count the hand" as play progresses.

When giving count to partner's opening lead makes no logical sense then the signal should be taken for attitude.

If attitude doesn't make sense then the signal should be taken for suit-preference.

Exception 1: When partner opens K against a NT contract show attitude always.

Exception 2: When one opponent has made a preemptive bid and ends up as the dummy in a suit contract, always show attitude on partner’s lead.

When giving count for an even number of cards when partner leads (and conditions indicate it is count, not attitude) play the very highest card you can afford to start the high-low. Many times this will tell partner on your first discard that you have an even number even before you complete the echo on a subsequent round.

B. Discards on Declarer's Tricks

Order of Preference - Count then Suit Preference

Discards on declarer's tricks should show:

	Count as the first preference. If count may be crucial to partner and not help declarer, then signal it. Here there is no need to start with the highest card you can afford to start the echo; a three followed by a two is fine otherwise partner may take a higher first discard card as a suit preference.
	However, if showing count will benefit the declarer (letting him get a count on the hand) always start with a low discard and work up ignoring showing count.
	Suit preference (phony or real) is the second preference. If there is a crucial need at this moment to tell partner about your suit, ignore count and signal suit preference and discard the highest card you can afford.

C. Discards on Partner's Tricks

Order of Preference - Suit Preference then Count

Discards on partner's tricks should show:

	Suit preference (phony or real) is the first preference.
	Count is the second preference. Here there is no need to start with the highest card you can afford to start the echo; a three followed by a two is fine otherwise partner may take a higher first discard card as a suit preference.
	However, if showing count will benefit the declarer (letting him get a count on the hand) always start with a low discard and work up ignoring showing count.