[Quantumcat]

In NT contracts I like to guess what will be led and put them down first. If partner is of the same mindset we keep a tally and whoever wins over the session adds one beer to their tally of beer cards. Otherwise, long suits or suits partner has bid go on the left.

If I have a jackpot I like to put that down first.

In trump contracts if pard has bid his own suit with no encouragement from me, I like to sometimes put those trumps in with the suit of the same colour, possibly along with a comment "you'd better have a bloody good suit" to give him a heart attack.

[BunnyGo]

I try to put down with the following priorities:

1) The suit least bid by us (and not dummy's longest) on the left

2) Alternating colors

3) The led suit as far to the right as possible

4) The higher valued cards farther from declarer (I don't mind too much when dummies do the opposite, but it can be distracting)

[Bbradley62]

 BunnyGo, on 2012-September-08, 12:36, said:

The higher valued cards farther from declarer (I don't mind too much when dummies do the opposite, but it can be distracting)

Law 41D: Dummy’s Hand

Quote

After the opening lead is faced, dummy spreads his hand in front of him on the table, face up, sorted into suits, the cards in order of rank with lowest ranking cards towards declarer, and in columns pointing lengthwise towards declarer...

[JLOGIC]

If they led a suit that I have a really good holding in I insta put that down first. Especially good if it's like:

1N p 3N, spade lead, and I have 5 spades for my 3N bid, I'm insta puttin down those spades.

However, if they make a good lead I put down that suit last, cuz F them.

If I have done anything weird in general on the hand, like not raise my partners major with AKx and then let him play 3N, or cuebid a 2 small (that they don't lead), I will definitely put that down first.

If I have 3 suits with no honors in them, but a really good hand overall, I will put those down first, like 1S p 2S AP and dummy is xxx xxx xxx AKQJ, I'm definitely putting down the clubs last (unless the opp led them).

If the opponents lead a trump and I have some tenace position like J9x that looks like it will pickle their partner, I will definitely put that down first.

Conversely, if the opponent doesn't make a trump lead on a normal trump lead auction (esp after tanking before leading), I'll put down my stiff side suit first so they can see my ruffing value immediately.

[gnasher]

If I have a long suit, I put it at one of the ends. That allows me to spread the suit out properly without the board getting in the way.

I also try to make sure that there are no bits of paper underneath my cards, so that the cards are clearly distinguishable from their surroundings.

Feel free to make use of either of these tips, with proper attribution of course.

[aguahombre]

I wonder about putting down the suit I expected them to lead first. Am I confirming their choice as best, when I am right? If I am wrong, am I giving them food for thought about auction inferences I had, but they didn't until now?

Other than avoiding the placement of a suit partner has bid on my right, I try to just get the dummy down there and sit back.

Unless I want to mess with everyone, of course. Like with unexpected length, putting half the suit down first and then the rest as a fifth suit.

Or, knowing pard will be relying on values/length, I enjoy putting down two small as my first act. She is used to that, and just says "knock it off", before I finish.

[CSGibson]

Trump, then closest to my thumb. I don't even pay attention enough to have alternating colors.

[Quantumcat]

 aguahombre, on 2012-September-08, 18:22, said:

.....
Unless I want to mess with everyone, of course. Like with unexpected length, putting half the suit down first and then the rest as a fifth suit.

Or, knowing pard will be relying on values/length, I enjoy putting down two small as my first act. She is used to that, and just says "knock it off", before I finish.

lol me too. Also If I have values in only one suit I like to put all the others down first. Really, anything that can give pard a heart attack is fun.

[blackshoe]

 Quantumcat, on 2012-September-09, 04:28, said:

Really, anything that can give pard a heart attack is fun.

Given the age of some of the people I play with, I would question that.

[barmar]

My partner will occasionally lay out the suits in a way that looks like he didn't have his bid, then add some cards to the critical suit at the end to make it right. It no longer surprises me, but maybe it amuses the opps who haven't seen it before.

[Rossoneri]

 barmar, on 2012-September-09, 12:32, said:

My partner will occasionally lay out the suits in a way that looks like he didn't have his bid, then add some cards to the critical suit at the end to make it right. It no longer surprises me, but maybe it amuses the opps who haven't seen it before.

I did that to my partner a few nights ago, trying to wake him up. He proceeded to fall asleep and misplay the contract...

Back to the original question, I put them SHCD, just in case partner's a bit colour blind...

[Zelandakh]

In NT I always put the cards down SHCD from the right unless we have considered spades as trumps. In that case I put them down HCDS unless hearts was also considered - and so on. Sometimes partner will move the spades back to their normal position on my right if I have put them down in the unusual order.

[gwnn]

I have once been lectured by a defender that it has to be trump-spade-heart-diamond-club (cross out the one that is not applicable). I thought it was interesting (I knew they were wrong about the rules but it's interesting that they thought it was so).

A related question: what is your position on egocentric defenders who put suits upside down (i.e. smallest card closest to them)? Do you ask them to turn it properly and if they think it's a weird/rude request, do you call the director?

[gwnn]

 Quantumcat, on 2012-September-09, 04:28, said:

lol me too. Also If I have values in only one suit I like to put all the others down first. Really, anything that can give pard a heart attack is fun.

If you have a fit like AKx in slam it can be fun to say 'I hope you have good trumps partner...'.

[Antrax]

 gwnn, on 2012-September-10, 02:55, said:

A related question: what is your position on egocentric defenders who put suits upside down (i.e. smallest card closest to them)? Do you ask them to turn it properly and if they think it's a weird/rude request, do you call the director?

Whenever a defender puts down suits on the table, I call the director. However, as dummy I sometimes (often, TBH) get confused and point the small cards towards my partner, but I never found a reminder not to do it rude, even if it comes from the opponents. I didn't think it made me egocentric, though

[gwnn]

 Antrax, on 2012-September-10, 03:11, said:

Whenever a defender puts down suits on the table, I call the director. However, as dummy I sometimes (often, TBH) get confused and point the small cards towards my partner, but I never found a reminder not to do it rude, even if it comes from the opponents. I didn't think it made me egocentric, though

Good point on both counts. But I think some people do do it consistently because they think it's prettier to see the suits as e.g.
A
J
6
4
2

as opposed to
2
4
6
J
A

They either forget that this latter layout is exactly what their partner will have to endure or they don't care, and I think both possibilities are symptoms of egocentrism

[Zelandakh]

It is against the Laws gwnn, so yes I feel perfectly justified in asking Dummy to place their cards correctly. That said, the last time I did this the opponents got rather uppety about it (perhaps it was just my bad German though). Most opponents do not mind; if someone did object I would call the Director since I find it easier to visualise layouts with cards properly laid out in Dummy.

[gwnn]

 Zelandakh, on 2012-September-10, 04:21, said:

It is against the Laws gwnn, so yes I feel perfectly justified in asking Dummy to place their cards correctly. That said, the last time I did this the opponents got rather uppety about it (perhaps it was just my bad German though). Most opponents do not mind; if someone did object I would call the Director since I find it easier to visualise layouts with cards properly laid out in Dummy.

Yea I know it's against the rules, hence my question about the director. But I've never heard anyone call a director for something like this. Another thing that annoys me slightly is when defenders touch my cards when I'm dummy to spread them 'better,' again illegal but again I've never heard anyone call the director for it. So I usually do not call the TD lest I become a secretary bird.

[Zelandakh]

 gwnn, on 2012-September-10, 05:39, said:

Another thing that annoys me slightly is when defenders touch my cards when I'm dummy to spread them 'better,' again illegal but again I've never heard anyone call the director for it. So I usually do not call the TD lest I become a secretary bird.

If they were spreading them evenly then I certainly would not call the Director about it. On the other hand I am particularly anal about laying out the dummy perfectly and may well "tidy up" after the defender removed their hand. If they were having difficulty seeing the cards I would happily increase the distance between each card to satisfy them.

[barmar]

Most of the times I've seen people lay down dummy upside-down it has been newbies who just don't know better; I think they sort their hands that way, and don't realize that they have to reverse the suits when laying them down.

There are also the ones who are new to using bidding boxes, and don't place the bidding cards so you can see all the previous bids.