[JohnLW]

For quite some time when dummy in a No Trump contract I have chosen carefully which suit to put on my right (the trump position). I try not to put a suit that either declarer or myself have bid so that partner cannot mistake the suit there as trumps. I saw no problem as the order is not dictated in the laws.

A couple of weeks ago an opponent told me that they always put the suit of the opening lead on the right. I thought that this must be illegal as it is giving an aide-memoir to declarer to which he is not entitled. My method is also an aide-memoir but it is a fact that declarer can ascertain at anytime throughout the play.

Opinions on the legality of either of these methods would be appreciated.

[RMB1]

 JohnLW, on 2012-March-13, 14:53, said:

Opinions on the legality of either of these methods would be appreciated.

Anything that records information in the order of suits could be seen as illegally communicating with declarer. I guess the only solution is to order the suits randomly.

But I do the same: avoid putting a long suit as "trumps", put the suit of the opening lead (if an unbid suit) as "trumps". I think this is harmless.

[blackshoe]

The laws don't specific a particular order when there are no trumps. Since you have to put them down in some order, I suppose any order will do.

[mrdct]

Not putting a suit that could be mistaken as trumps in the right-hand column in a NT contract is legal as it doesn't carry information with it and I must admit that I've always been in the habit of doing that myself.

Always placing the lead suit in the right-hand column would be in breach of Law 43c as it's an illegal communication to declarer as to which suit was lead; particularly if you have actually discussed your dummy arrangement agreements with your partner.

To avoid any suggestions of illegal communication, I think the best practice is to order your suits randomly (with or without avoiding potential attempted ruffs in a no-trump contract) or do something consistent like putting the suits in rank order or alternating colours (the latter is what I sometimes do, but I think I lean towards random).

[barmar]

Of course you have to put them in some order, but other than putting the trump suit on the right, you don't have to follow any rules.

I think the point of the OP is that using some consistent rule that helps declarer could be seen as illegally participating in the play and/or as a memory aid.

I tend to do as the OP, but I don't always remember to do it. I think I have enough variability that complaints would be unfounded.

[blackshoe]

I think most people have enough variability that complaints would be unfounded. Well, except those who always put the suits in the same order (spade, hearts, clubs, diamonds, left to right, say) have no variability, but there again complaints would be unfounded.

[mycroft]

I have one partner who is partially blind and insists on the required ordering <trumps>, spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs. So, for him, I do it; and to keep in the habit, for everybody else, I do it too.

I will admit that with others, I might just forget to put my KJTxx spade suit on the left in 3NT.

Oddly enough, nobody's ever commented - even to ask/demand/wonder about alternating colours.

[PeterAlan]

I always do the following:

Suit contract: trumps on the right, then alternate red / black, keeping majors and minors together (so in S it's S, H, C, D; D it's D, C, H, S etc).

No-trump: S, H, D, C.

I suppose there's a memory aid in the different NT configuration, but no-one's ever commented on it. And the information that a NT contract is being played is always available.

[gnasher]

Suppose that you trust your partner to remember that he's in notrumps. Is it legal to intentionally put a potential trump suit on the right in the hope that an opponent will forget what the contract is?

[mjj29]

I always alternate in trump suits and put either both red suits or both black suits in the middle in no trumps. Like the other posters, I also try to avoid putting possible trump suits on the left. I suppose the dummy suit ordering should be either fixed or random, but since fixed isn't required and random is patently absurd, there's no harm in any of these things.

Having a scheme whereby dummy places the suit he thinks declarer should be careful about playing at one end, otoh, would definitely be out.

[bluejak]

I avoid potential trump suits on my right in no-trumps. If it's illegal - and I can see the case - sue me.

As for the order of other suits there is a board thingy getting slightly in the way in the middle of the table. So I always put my longest suit to my left so it avoids the board thingy.

[WellSpyder]

 JohnLW, on 2012-March-13, 14:53, said:

A couple of weeks ago an opponent told me that they always put the suit of the opening lead on the right.

With some players, the important thing is not where you place the suits on the table, but what order you reveal them in - with those who have a habit of playing from dummy too quickly it makes sense NOT to reveal the suit of the opening lead before the rest of the hand!

[mgoetze]

 WellSpyder, on 2012-March-14, 03:27, said:

With some players, the important thing is not where you place the suits on the table, but what order you reveal them in - with those who have a habit of playing from dummy too quickly it makes sense NOT to reveal the suit of the opening lead before the rest of the hand!

Ah... actually I sometimes reveal the suit of the opening lead first so partner can start thinking about it already. I guess I wouldn't want to play with the people you mentioned, anyway.

[WellSpyder]

 mgoetze, on 2012-March-14, 04:35, said:

I guess I wouldn't want to play with the people you mentioned, anyway.

That's a reasonable point, and to be fair to my existing partners none of them falls into this category. However, one of my partners does sometimes play with another partner who has been known to call for a card from dummy almost before the last card hits the deck, and he seemed quite taken with this advice when I suggested revealing the suit led last.