I get this question a lot on the tournament trail…”Should we switch to upside down signals?”  To get everyone on the same page, upside down signals are just the opposite of standard signals so a high card says you do not like the suit, whereas, a low card says you do like the suit.  High-low shows an odd number and low-high shows an even number.

My usual answer it is far more important to know which signal partner is sending – Attitude, Count or Suit Preference – and when!  For newer players, I recommend sticking with right side up signals until they are “fluent” in standard signals.  The logic behind this statement is that most of your opponents will be playing standard signals…so until you can think in two different languages – standard for your opponents and upside down for your partnership – stick with stand signals!

I was standing in a Jeff Meckstroth’s Q & A this afternoon, and he got this same question.  I was amazed when he echoed my philosophy.  He said there is very little advantage between one or the other and the more important factor is to know what your partnership is playing.  He also went on to say that he wasn’t a big fan of special discarding systems.  Again, sticking to standard discards and knowing which signal the discard is sending is top priority.

Since I have opened this can of worms…I thought I would do a series of when which signal means what!?!  Stay tuned…