Carding
Standard Carding
The two most common signals that can be shown by carding are: attitude and count. Attitude is usually shown before count.
The common (and abused) signal is the suit preference signal. Here is how they work:
Attitude (sometimes referred to as Equal Honor Signal)
When you are not going to win the trick, you should tell partner about your attitude towards the trick.
Say partner leads the King of Spades (showing KQ or AK) and you hold the A82 of spades. You should play the 8 to tell partner that you like the suit and want it continued. Playing high shows that you like the
suit, and low shows that you dislike the suit.
Foster Echo
Against a NT contract, when 3rd hand cannot win the trick, 3rd hand is expected to unblock the 2nd highest card. With 4+ cards, 3rd hand plays second, third and finally lowest card. With three cards,
3rd hand plays second, and then lowest card. For example:
Partner leads the 4 of spades (4th best leads) against 3NT, dummy has K72 of spades, declarer calls
for the King which holds. Your spade holding is:
J95 play the 9 and next play the 5
T65 play the 6 and next play the 5
9853 play the 8, then the 5 and finally the 3
Q9653 play the 9, then the 6 and finally the 3
T4 play the 4 and then the Ten
The Foster Echo thus shows count while retaining the highest card (if needed later). Of course, the downside of playing Foster Echo is that the second highest card may be an important spot card.
Smith Echo
(Edited from Granovetters' Conventions at a Glance)In NT contracts, declarer often attacks the best suit first. While following suit, each defender signals:
hi-lo = likes the opening lead
lo-hi = doesn't like the lead
Defense
try to knock out a vital entry first, this will prevent them from signaling effectively.
*Warning*
some pairs play Reverse Smith Echo.
Trump Echo
(paraphrased from Granovetters' Conventions at a Glance)Against suit contracts, when declarer is pulling trumps
hi-lo = odd number of trump
lo-hi = even number
Some pairs play that the hi-lo signal shows that the signaler wants to trump with the third trump.
NOTE:
many pairs play Suit Preference in the Trump Suit For example, hi-lo may mean that they have strength in a high ranking suit while lo-hi means that they have strength in a lower ranking suit.