Editing Signal (bridge) (section)

==Attitude signal==
When signaling standard attitude, a high card is encouraging and a low card is discouraging. Attitude is normally signaled when following suit to partner's led suit and when discarding on either partner's or declarer's led suit.

For example, if one's partner leads with the Ace of Spades, one might signal with the nine if the King is held (requesting partner to continue the suit), or with the three if one holds nothing but spade cards with low ranks (notifying the partner that a switch to another suit is likely best).

One can only signal with the cards held. Signaling low is easy, but if one's lowest card is the eight, one's partner might have difficulty "reading" it as low. When signaling high, play the highest card possible. Having easily readable cards to signal relies on luck.

Suppose the declarer draws trumps and one is out on the third round. Discarding should be an attitude signal for one's partner. For example, playing a high diamond card can ask one's partner to lead with diamonds if they gain the lead. Normally, one would have an honor or honors in diamonds in this case. Playing a low diamond card asks one's partner to ''not'' lead with diamonds if they gain the lead.

If declarer plays another round of trump, one may be able to play another diamond: this will make it unambiguous to one's partner whether one is encouraging diamonds (by playing high-low) or discouraging diamonds (by playing low-high).

===Attitude signals at notrump contracts===
With standard attitude signals one generally plays the highest card you can afford for that purpose. Typically attitude signals are made when partner leads an honor (either on the opening lead or later) and requests a continuation.  The usual reason for this is that one possesses an honor equal to the honor played or promised by the lead. Against a notrump contract (especially on the opening lead), one's partner will lead an honor from a solid or broken sequence, such as QJ10 or KQ10.  With less solid holdings like QJxx(x) or KQxx(x) partner will lead with their fourth best card. The reason to signal is, if partner leads from a broken sequence and there are small cards in dummy, partner may not know whether to continue the suit.

''Examples:''
{{BridgeSuitLeft
|7 4
|K Q 10 6 2
|J 8 3
|A 9 5
}}
Partner leads the king against a notrump contract. With J83, one would play the 8, so that if partner has something like KQ1062 and declarer A95 they can continue the suit without giving up a trick if the declarer lets it hold.{{clear}}

{{BridgeSuitLeft
|7 4
|K Q 10 6 2
|9 8 3
|A J 5
}}
If one plays the 3, one's partner may take this view of the suit, and may switch to another suit hoping to get one in to lead though declarer's probable jack. It is also possible that one have the singleton or doubleton 8, in which case declarer would have 4 or 5 cards in the suit with the bidding revealing that.  If the declarer had bid the suit, one's partner would also be less likely to lead from a broken honor sequence or lead the suit.{{clear}}

Some players agree to unblock their highest honor when a King is led against a notrump contract, and with no honor to give a count signal.

===When not to signal===
The general principle is to not signal if doing so will help the declarer more than the defenders.

Example 1:  One assumes they hold virtually all of the defensive cards, and their partner will most likely never gain the lead. Signalling is strongly discouraged. One's partner, on the other hand, knowing the situation, should consider signalling honestly.

Example 2:  Signalling against a slam is dangerous.  Make the declarer work as hard as possible.