ATTITUDE SIGNALS

Attitude signals are far and away the most common defensive sign; Whenever partner leads an honor card, a common lead, you a expected to give an attitude signal. Playing 'standard attitude', a relatively high spot card is an encouraging signal and a relatively spot card is a discouraging signal. What is this 'relatively' all about"*
Well, if partner leads a suit you don't like, you play your low -card. But if you were dealt the 987, the 7 is your lowest card, the other hand, if partner leads a suit you do like, you play highest spot card you can afford. However if you have the Q3 then the 3 is the highest card you can afford.
Alas, we come to the awful conclusion that you cannot always what partner's attitude is by looking at the card partner plays; have to look under the cardl What are you looking for under th You are looking to see if any lower spot cards are missing. If t are, partner is probably signaling encouragement. If you can every spot card lower than partner's between the dummy, y hand, and the card declarer plays, then partner's card is discou ing no matter how 'high' it is.


Just to give you an idea of what you are up against, look at example. You lead the *K against a heart contract, partner the *7 and declarer the *5. Is partner signaling encourage (showing you an honor) or is partner discouraging, showing you : honor in the suit?
NORTH (Dummy) 44 3 2

WEST (You) * K Q 9 6

N
W E S
EAST
* 7

SOUTH
*5

Your conclusion should be that partner is signaling discouragert* because you can see every spot beneath the *7. That *7 is partm lowest spade; it is the equivalent of a deuce! Looks can be decs