Why do you reverse the procedure?

When on defense, how do you signal? Do you give attitude precedence over count (good) or the reverse (not so good)? Or do you give partner the signal that you think he wants to receive?

This last approach is obviously best, but it is fraught with danger. Will you always know which signal partner would like? Will partner be confident that you are giving the signal he needs?

However, there are some textbook signaling situations. One arises in today’s deal. South is in four hearts. After West leads the diamond jack, what should happen?

North used a Texas transfer to reach four hearts. However, he would have done better here to raise to three no-trump.

Partner leads a card. When you, third hand, follow suit, and you play the highest card so far contributed, so that you might even win the trick, you usually follow the key guideline of playing the bottom of your equally high cards. Here, that would mean the diamond king.

However, when you have exactly the ace-king doubleton, you reverse the procedure, winning with the ace and cashing the king at trick two.

Then it is partner’s job to tell you where his entry card lies by giving you a suit-preference signal. Here, since West wants a spade shift, he drops the diamond 10 at trick two — his highest diamond signaling for the higher-ranking spade suit.

East leads the spade nine at trick three and receives a diamond ruff at trick four to defeat the contract.

Similarly, if you are leading from ace-king doubleton, start with the king and continue with the ace.