What Is The Best Signalling Method In Bridge

[@rukdropov]

Coughing is one the best if done right. The Italians favor shoe tapping. Clever use of the bidding board is not to be ruled out. Holding your cards with the same number of fingers as hearts in your hand has been tried. All good signaling methods. Oh you mean ...

[@monelleny]

I very much enjoy your videos! I do wish you would do a video on the pros and cons of some of the popular discard systems: Lavinthal, odd-even, standard, and up-side down.

[@endthisnonsense7202]

On "Odd-Evens" (also called Roman as the Italian Blue Team used it a lot) players using it should be aware that because you sometimes only have odds or only evens, there is a high risk of thinking too long before playing a card, which conveys an illegal message. For that reason there are regulating bodies that don't allow for it. Especially the lesser experienced players will be at fault here without even being aware of what is wrong. One thing to add would also be one can agree to ASK for different signals depending on the lead. For instance against NT, the King asking for count (or unblocking the J) and the A for attitude. That may imply when you hold KQ and want attitude you''d have to lead the Q (this happens very infrequently as one would often lead a low card). Finally I have played (against suit contract only) leading the A from AK with an even number of cards in the suit and the K from AK with an odd number of cards in the suit, partner then provides a count signal not of how many cards he has himself but on how many tricks will hold up in the suit (including considering the Q in case he has it) I found that very useful. The drawback is having to lead second best from other touching honors which is fine generally, but not always.

[@jpe1]

Great advice! Easy to understand and it makes sense. I figure the very fact that a variety of different methods are used at the highest levels means that no one system is clearly superior to the others (if it were, everyone would use it). Easy to remember is a good thing, too. I have a partner who likes to play even discards are laventhal and odd discards are upside down attitude. A great system (almost always have an “appropriate” discard) but hard to remember, sometimes hard to play in tempo.

[@journeymanproject1756]

Only because you're neurotypical. Bridge is dying because brainless idiots like Peter are making no effort to present this in alternate learning styles, specifically in a classroom environment with a physical whiteboard (which is called ACTUAL TEACHING by the way). I had no choice but to give up on this game because I have been forced to conclude from experience that bridge teachers have collective tunnel vision and make zero accomodations for people who learn differently.

[@anyone9689]

about to watch .... i prefer udca but i do believe the best signaling system is the one you and your pard understand and agree on

[@yousufjanmohammad3385]

Hi there. Thank you for this video. Very informative. I do have a query: When to show interest and when to show count?

[@BridgeWithPete]

Depends on agreement. A common treatment is interest on opening lead and also first discard and count on other times and declarers plays (not trumps though)

[@zayandj1667]

Thank you so much for your videos. They have advanced my game a lot. Bridge is a tough game to learn, because players brow beat you a lot online. In fact, it is the nastiest game i have played sadly. Maybe you could do a video on being kind and teaching new players lol

[@BridgeWithPete]

Good suggestion

[@deepakmalhotra9929]

Excellent discourse !! Thank you so much

[@marcindziembor8887]

@Peter Hollands - why is applying reverse count on partner's lead a great way to improve defence? Could you elaborate on the topic a bit more - so I could present this idea to my partner :D

[@BridgeWithPete]

The best way to improve defense is to improve your counting and deduction skills. If you can answer these 4 questions in defense you will be doing great. 1) What hand shape is declarer/partner 2) How many high card points do the other players have 3)What is declarer/partner trying to do 4) What was the lead from Giving count signals really help out with solving question 1 and also can with question 3. The bidding usually solves question 2. Attitude signals usually help with cash out situations but playing them might not help you improve the main skills of defending you should be building.

[@menhera2]

I don't got partner only Mister robot 😭

[@vivienwilliams1538]

I have spent so much time trying to acquire a basic medium in playing this game and I am not getting any better. It really is a complex commitment. So many conventions and signals and I have not had a permanent partner to establish agreement in play. I am loathe to give up however; maybe I might improve, but it takes so much time and I don't think I have the nouse

[@BridgeWithPete]

It can be a trap to fall into thinking you need to play lots of conventions or have complex agreements. When starting new partnerships try and keep it simple. Also focus on improving your card playing skills as they are completely transferable.

[@jyutzler]

We don't use the same terminology in the US so less experienced American players will just find this confusing.

[@BridgeWithPete]

Which terminology? I tried using a bunch that is used in the ACBL

[@jyutzler]

@@BridgeWithPete No one says "low-encourage" here. The American vernacular is based on "standard" which is essentially what Charles Goren taught in the 1950s and 60s and was passed down through the generations. Since bridge was primarily a social game at the time, you were doing well to get everyone to follow suit and they would naturally play their lowest card if they didn't intend to win the trick. At least Goren got the masses thinking that signals should be a thing, that playing a high card might alert an inattentive partner. Eventually experts figured out that they were occasionally forced to signal attitude with a slow winner so "upside-down attitude" was devised. Standard count was based on high-low (echo) from two which then extended to low from three, etc. The folks who figured out that upside down attitude was slightly superior also determined that upside-down count fit well with upside down attitude. Therefore the majority of American club players currently play "upside down count and attitude" or UDCA. Sorry for the essay. Nothing you said was wrong, but this is not a video that I could simply tell my friends (who learned from parents/grandparents) to watch. I'm sure it would work better for non-Americans and/or those who are learning the game fresh.

[@jimyoung9407]

@@BridgeWithPete The phrase "reverse" is not in common usage to describe a signaling system in the USA. Instead, it is called "upside-down".

[@BridgeWithPete]

@@jyutzler I thought in the video I mentioned those other names and synonyms.

[@benthomas3395]

When dealing with Americans one has to overcome the hurdle that most Americans can neither speak nor understand English.