[Trick13]

Partner leads K (asks for reverse count) against a NT contract. Dummy has Qxx, and from the bidding partner knows I have more than 1 in this suit.
This doesn't seem to be an obvious switch situation so I think I must show count. I play the J thinking this must show the 10, but partner reads this as an unnecessarily high card and switches to Spades, which proves disastrous.

Any guidelines Here?

[inquiry]

Trick13, on 2011-November-11, 19:28, said:

Partner leads K (asks for reverse count) against a NT contract. Dummy has Qxx, and from the bidding partner knows I have more than 1 in this suit.
This doesn't seem to be an obvious switch situation so I think I must show count. I play the J thinking this must show the 10, but partner reads this as an unnecessarily high card and switches to Spades, which proves disastrous.

Any guidelines Here?

If the king ask for count, you should give count not show touching honors. A general rule frequently used by people like your partner is that you would play your second highest card to show odd number. Some exceptions will apply, of course, if you held 732 you would play the seven to be sure it can be read. Thus, to play the the highest card, in general, is meant as S/P signal. However, I doubt this signalling option is appropriate for this particular forum. I have played with plenty of excellent partners who have never heard of this treatment, and I only use it currently with one partner myself. The default meaning in almost all situations for playing a mid-level honor underneath partners high honor, is what you meant it to mean: you have the touching lower honor (if we ignore alarm clock situations). So this high honor as "highest" card in a count situation to show s/p for higher side suit is a very rare exception. I think both you and your partner were thinking and playing reasonable defense. Now you will jsut have to get on the same page as what the highest card in an odd count situation means.

Notice the signals with highest card as S/P are not always clear. Here, if you play the Ten, your partner has to decide, did you play ten from T32 to show odd count clearly? Did you play Ten from T83 as S/P for spades, or did you play T from JTx to show normal count (2nd highest). Of course, to play the jack is very clear the highest card. If you play this, you will find some problems but when you can use this signal and it works, you will feel great.

[han]

Don't play obvious switch after a king lead if this is your strong suit/count lead. Partner leads the king because he wants to know about THIS SUIT.

[Trick13]

inquiry, on 2011-November-11, 20:33, said:

If the king ask for count, you should give count not show touching honors. A general rule frequently used by people like your partner is that you would play your second highest card to show odd number. Some exceptions will apply, of course, if you held 732 you would play the seven to be sure it can be read. Thus, to play the the highest card, in general, is meant as S/P signal. However, I doubt this signalling option is appropriate for this particular forum. I have played with plenty of excellent partners who have never heard of this treatment, and I only use it currently with one partner myself. The default meaning in almost all situations for playing a mid-level honor underneath partners high honor, is what you meant it to mean: you have the touching lower honor (if we ignore alarm clock situations). So this high honor as "highest" card in a count situation to show s/p for higher side suit is a very rare exception. I think both you and your partner were thinking and playing reasonable defense. Now you will jsut have to get on the same page as what the highest card in an odd count situation means.

Notice the signals with highest card as S/P are not always clear. Here, if you play the Ten, your partner has to decide, did you play ten from T32 to show odd count clearly? Did you play Ten from T83 as S/P for spades, or did you play T from JTx to show normal count (2nd highest). Of course, to play the jack is very clear the highest card. If you play this, you will find some problems but when you can use this signal and it works, you will feel great.

Thanks. I was thinking of course that the 10 would deny the J, otherwise why wouldn't I play the J to also show the 10. The bidding had shown partner to also have a Spade suit so I should have played the 10 regardless.