Communications and Signalling

Declarer has one big advantage in the play--he can see all the twenty-six cards that belong to him. While defenders can also see dummy, they have no control over how these cards are played, and can only see thirteen of the cards 'owned' by their side, namely, their own hand. To offset this disadvantage, defenders try and pass signals to each other during the play. Not your illegal kicks under the table, or even your unethical facial or body movements, but legitimate signals through the actual cards we play, not the way we play them.

Note that signalling is always secondary to taking the trick. Suppose you hold K 8 3 in third position and the ace has already been played to this trick. You have the choice of playing the 8 or the 3, and depending upon your methods, this may give you the opportunity for a signal. If only two small cards have been contributed to the trick by the time it reaches you, then almost certainly you must try and take the trick with the king.

There are two areas of play that are useful to defenders and it is important to distinguish between them.

1. When you are leading a card or simply following suit.
2. When you are unable to follow suit and are throwing away a card you do not want or need ie a discard.

Let us look first at the issue of leading or following suit.

THE PETER

The most basic signal is to 'peter' with only two cards in the suit by playing the higher of the two followed by the lower. This would apply whether you were on lead or were following suit. In a trump contract, the doubleton you are showing may well be paving the way for a ruff, while in a no-trump contract, it may be important for partner to know that you have just two cards in this suit.

With the hand above, against a contract of four hearts, the doubleton spade offers the prospect of a ruff ( partner has some points ) and you should lead the eight. If partner is on lead and produces the ace of spades, she is probably looking for a ruff and you should begin your peter with the eight.

Turn the eight of spades into an honour and you might be reluctant to lead the king from K 2 of spades ( unless partner has bid it ) as it may turn into a sacrificial offering, but you would peter without any worries if you had A 2 or J 2.

If partner has led the ace of spades against a no-trump contract ( hand repeated below for convenience ),

your peter would enable him to decide whether he can run the spade suit, or whether to do so would give declarer a trick. Without the knowledge that you have precisely two cards in that suit, partner is defending in the dark.

Note that if partner leads, say, the two of clubs, she cannot be petering and so cannot have two cards in that suit.

Still on the theme of leading or following suit, more experienced players find that relying on the peter alone gives them insufficient information, and leaves them with substantial gaps in their knowledge of partner's holding.  Three further stages are possible, in whatever order you feel able to take them on board. You will notice that they sometimes conflict with each other, so you won't necessarily be able to do them all.

• Attitude
• Count
• Promise of an honour

If this is your first encounter with the peter, I suggest you use that for a year or so and then progress onto the extensions above.

DISCARDS and other signals

When you are ready, have a look at the second aspect of signalling we mentioned earlier--discards and other signals.