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Do any of you play suit preference instead of Smith echo? If so, what are the exact mechanics? Specifically, how does either partner express interest in continuing the suit (vs. a switch) and how does it work when third hand may have deliberately ducked at T1 to preserve communication, or may have been forced to cover dummy's card, etc.?
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Suit preference instead of Smith echo...
#2
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Posted 2016-February-06, 12:12
Not sure I understand the question here.
Opener wins trick one and starts playing some other suit. We have to follow and can't win the trick. We look at the three suits other than the one declarer is playing and eliminate one of them which we cannot plausibly want. This leaves two suits. Usually one of them will be the opening lead suit (but maybe not if something happened like the opening lead being an obviously high card, or third seat not being able to beat a relatively small card in dummy, or third seat giving a discouraging signal at trick one). Anyway, following with a high card shows interest in the higher of the two outstanding suits and a low card shows interest in the lower suit.
This is somewhat weaker than smith in the sense that you cannot always give an unambiguous signal for the suit lead, but stronger in the sense that you can sometimes give a signal for a specific other suit. It's also more consistent because it applies in basically all situations, rather than having a sometimes-complex list of exceptions.
Opener wins trick one and starts playing some other suit. We have to follow and can't win the trick. We look at the three suits other than the one declarer is playing and eliminate one of them which we cannot plausibly want. This leaves two suits. Usually one of them will be the opening lead suit (but maybe not if something happened like the opening lead being an obviously high card, or third seat not being able to beat a relatively small card in dummy, or third seat giving a discouraging signal at trick one). Anyway, following with a high card shows interest in the higher of the two outstanding suits and a low card shows interest in the lower suit.
This is somewhat weaker than smith in the sense that you cannot always give an unambiguous signal for the suit lead, but stronger in the sense that you can sometimes give a signal for a specific other suit. It's also more consistent because it applies in basically all situations, rather than having a sometimes-complex list of exceptions.
Adam W. Meyerson
a.k.a. Appeal Without Merit
a.k.a. Appeal Without Merit
#3
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Posted 2016-February-06, 12:57
In many (most?) positions suit preference and smith echo have exactly the same result, although you have to know which you are playing (because high-low can have a different meaning).
When two suits are excluded (the suit declarer is playing on, and one other for some obvious reason) then they are identical - you are giving preference between two possible suits. If one of the excluded suits is the one that was led, smith echo is off and you play suit preference anyway (or count if you are a count aficionado).
They are only different when there are three possible suits. Suit preference is "more precise" in some theoretical way, because you can signal for any of the other three suits (high, medium or low). Smith is easier to read, because you only have to distinguish 'high' or 'low', but then you have to guess which of the other two suits partner wants if you don't encourage via Smith.
When two suits are excluded (the suit declarer is playing on, and one other for some obvious reason) then they are identical - you are giving preference between two possible suits. If one of the excluded suits is the one that was led, smith echo is off and you play suit preference anyway (or count if you are a count aficionado).
They are only different when there are three possible suits. Suit preference is "more precise" in some theoretical way, because you can signal for any of the other three suits (high, medium or low). Smith is easier to read, because you only have to distinguish 'high' or 'low', but then you have to guess which of the other two suits partner wants if you don't encourage via Smith.
#4
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Posted 2016-February-07, 04:51
foobar, on 2016-February-06, 11:55, said:
Do any of you play suit preference instead of Smith echo? If so, what are the exact mechanics? Specifically, how does either partner express interest in continuing the suit (vs. a switch) and how does it work when third hand may have deliberately ducked at T1 to preserve communication, or may have been forced to cover dummy's card, etc.?
I know that in application B♠B had already analized it with a topic about.
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