You always exclude the suit you are signalling with, and, either the trump suit in a Trump contract, or, the suit led in No Trumps, which leaves just 2 suits remaining.
Suits are ranked alphabetically CDHS, as in bidding, ♣♦♥♠, an even card showing preference for the higher of the two remaining suits, and an odd card for the lower.
An easy way to remember this is EVEN=HIGH(er) of the other 2 suits, both have 4 letters; ODD=LOW(er), both have 3 letters; or HELO = (Higher Even Lower Odd).
For example, when ♣s are Trumps, or, in No Trumps, when a ♣ is led and you can’t follow suit; if you want ♥s use an odd ♦, preferring lower of the other 2 (♥s and ♠s), or an even ♠ requesting higher of the other 2 (♦s and ♥s)
The advantages are that you can mostly use low, medium and unimportant cards to signal with, and you can, express your desire for the lead of a suit in which you are VOID, choose to signal from either of 2 suits, and get to keep a precious card, a potential trick-winner, in the suit that you want led back to you.
Experienced partners are able to signal a suit preference on partner’s opening lead of an honor (AKQJ10). Although you’re following suit, an EVEN card still requests the HIGHer of the other 2 suits (this time ignoring both the led and trump suits), and an ODD card the LOWer of the other 2 suits). If ♥s are trumps and your partner leads the ♦A, an odd ♦ shows a wish for a ♣, and an even ♦ says please lead me a ♠.
However if you hold a doubleton, you Peter (High-Low, play your higher, then your lower card) hoping for a ruff, as your partner will now know you had a doubleton, and will realize your first card played was in fact probably not a preference signal after all.
A further enhancement can be utilized. When your partner eventually leads your requested suit, they can also indicate their own suit preference. Taking the above example with ♥s as trumps, your partner leads the ♦A, your odd ♦ asked for a ♣. Then, if they lead an even ♣ they might want ♠s, whereas an odd ♣, could mean a ♦.
Yet another refinement can be the signal given when leading into a situation, where partner is going to ruff (typically after a doubleton). For instance, when holding ♠AK72 opposite partner’s 85, the 3rd lead of the EVEN ♠2, may indicate a request for a ♦ return, HIGHer of other 2 suits (with ♥ trumps), the ODD ♠7 maybe for ♣s.
Suit preferences can additionally be signaled by which trump is used to ruff. For instance on (partner’s) ♦ lead, when holding trumps ♥965 and no ♦s, the EVEN ♥6 could call for a ♠ return (the HIGHer of other 2 suits), and similarly either the ODD ♥9 or the ODD ♥5 might invite ♣s.
In the event of partner’s lead being covered or trumped by the 2nd player, one can still establish another suit preference, with the remaining odd/even cards in that suit.
The final sophistication available, is on your (opening) lead to show your real desired suit, for example, when opposition are in say ♦s and you have NO ♥s, the lead of an ODD ♣ or EVEN ♠ requests ♥s, whereas an EVEN ♣ is for ♠s, and ODD ♠ for ♣s.
This may very well be highly advantageous when leading to partner’s indicated suit.
Of course this system, as with any system, needs you to have the appropriate cards, which unfortunately is not always the case. Occasionally you might be left with only even cards, but bear in mind that a Jack is an odd card (and a Queen is an even card).
The Finch Discard Signalling System does NOT, needlessly use High cards, force you to waste a card from the very suit you’re requesting, neither does it have any color prejudice or need you to guess whether 5s, 6s and 7s are low, medium or high, and nor does it make you old and Doddery or demand your brain to be constantly Revolving.
It does however, give you the ability to show a void, a choice of 2 suits with which to signal, and it can be utilized with the opening lead, and can also tell partner that you have nothing to offer in the way of assistance, by signalling an implausible suit.
The only thing it can’t do, is show a like or dislike for the suit being discarded, but as you can readily indicate your required suit, the word discard can finally be taken literally.
During the course of play many opportunities are presented for the Finch Discard Signalling system.
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This post has been edited by diana_eva: 2019-March-11, 09:49
Reason for edit: removed dead link