HB19 use of losing trick count

♠KJ 742 Board 1 : Dealer North : Love all

♥KQ2
♦K5 West North East South
♣K65 1♠ Pass 2♠
♠ Q 10 3 ♠A5 All Pass
♥J975 ♥ A 10 6 4
♦Q42 ♦ 10 9 8 3 North losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 1 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 2 Total = 6
♣ A 10 9 ♣874 South cannot use the LTC because he does not know of an 8-
♠986 card fit. He raises to 2♠ with 6-9 points. North can use the
LTC because even if South has only 3 spades North knows of
♥83
an 8-card fit. He assumes South has 9(-10) losers so his 6
♦AJ76
losers doesn’t justify a forward move.
♣QJ32
♠4 Board 2 : Dealer East : NS vulnerable
♥AQJ54
♦ 10 9 6 5 3 West North East South
♣ 10 8 1♠ Pass
♠K765 ♠AQ J 32 2♠ All Pass
♥86 ♥K7
♦AJ8 ♦KQ4 East losers: ♠ = 1 ♥ = 1 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 3 Total = 6
♣9543 ♣762 West losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 2 ♣ = 3 Total = 9
♠ 10 9 8 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 6 – 9 = 9
♥ 10 9 3 2 Tricks made on best play = 9 E/W Points = 23
East assumes West has 9(-10) losers so his 6 loser hand
♦72
doesn’t justify a forward move
♣AKQJ
♠K865 Board 3 : Dealer South : EW vulnerable
♥9432
♦7532 West North East South
♣5 1♠
♠9 ♠ J 10 Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠
♥ K Q 10 7 ♥AJ86 All Pass
♦ Q 10 9 8 6 ♦AKJ
♣ Q 10 9 ♣J873 South losers: ♠ = 1 ♥ = 1 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 1 Total = 4
♠AQ 7432 North losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 3 ♦ = 3 ♣ = 1 Total = 9
♥5 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 4 – 9 = 11
Tricks made on best play = 11 N/S Points = 16
♦4
East/West can make 3♥.
♣AK642
♠A Board 4 : Dealer West : All vulnerable
♥ A 10 6 4 3
♦ 10 9 8 3 West North East South
♣874 1♠ Pass 3♠ All Pass
♠KJ 742 ♠9865
♥QJ ♥K8 West losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 2 Total = 7
♦K5 ♦AJ76 East losers: ♠ = 3 ♥ = 1 ♦ = 2 ♣ = 2 Total = 8
♣K652 ♣QJ3 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 7 – 8 = 9
♠ Q 10 3 Tricks made on best play = 9 E/W Points = 24
West assumes East has 8 losers so his 7 loser hand doesn’t
♥9752
justify raising to game.
♦Q42
♣ A 10 9
 ♠AQ 765 Board 5 : Dealer North : NS vulnerable
♥65
♦ A Q 10 7 West North East South
♣42 1♠ Pass 3♠
♠ J 10 4 ♠9 Pass 4♠ All Pass
♥AKJ7 ♥ Q 10 9
♦K94 ♦6532 North losers: ♠ = 1 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 2 Total = 6
♣J76 ♣ Q 10 9 8 5 South losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 3 ♦ = 2 ♣ = 1 Total = 8
♠K832 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 6 – 8 = 10
♥8432 Tricks made on best play = 11 N/S Points = 23
North assumes South has 8 losers so his 6 loser hand
♦J8
justifies raising to game.
♣AK3
♠ 10 Board 6 : Dealer East : EW vulnerable
♥AK8
♦63 West North East South
♣J987642 1♠ Pass
♠KJ 76 ♠AQ 432 4♠ All Pass
♥J632 ♥74
♦AQJ9 ♦ 10 8 7 East losers: ♠ = 1 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 3 ♣ = 1 Total = 7
♣5 ♣AQ3 West losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 3 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 1 Total = 7
♠985 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 7 – 7 = 10
♥ Q 10 9 5 Tricks made on best play = 11 E/W Points = 24.
Compare this hand to hand 7. This time West has 12 points
♦K542
for his 4♠. A slam could be on if East is strong and suitable. It
♣ K 10
is unsatisfactory that this West hand is dealt with in the same
way as the North hand in hand 7. Experienced players have
other ways of dealing with this West hand.
♠KQ 8765 Board 7 : Dealer South : All vulnerable
♥32
♦9 West North East South
♣J654 1♠
♠9 ♠ 10 Pass 4♠ All Pass
♥ Q 10 9 5 ♥AKJ86
♦KJ543 ♦ A 10 6 2 South losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 2 ♣ = 1 Total = 7
♣932 ♣K87 North losers: ♠ = 1 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 3 Total = 7
♠AJ 432 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 7 – 7 = 10
♥74 Tricks made on best play = 10 N/S Points = 19
♦Q87 East/West can make 3♥. If the club finesse had not worked
declarer would be one off, but then East/West could have
♣ A Q 10
made 4♥. North’s 4♠ is pre-emptive but it is unsatisfactory
that this North hand is dealt with in the same way as the West
hand in hand 6.

♠ 10 Board 8 : Dealer West : Love all

♥ Q J 10 7
♦AJ96 West North East South
♣ 10 9 7 5 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
♠AQ 7 ♠KJ 654 2♠ All Pass
♥A6432 ♥98
♦43 ♦872 East losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 3 ♣ = 2 Total = 9
♣K86 ♣Q32 West cannot use the LTC because he does not know of an 8-
♠9832 card fit. He raises to 2♠ with 12-15 points. East can use the
♥K5 LTC because even if West has only 3 spades East knows of
an 8-card fit. He assumes West has 7 losers so his 9 loser
♦ K Q 10 5
hand doesn’t justify a forward move.
♣AJ4
.
 ♠A KJ 5 Board 9 : Dealer North : EW vulnerable
♥ K Q 10 4 3 2
♦5 West North East South
♣75 1♥ Pass 1♠
♠87 ♠96 Pass 4♠ All Pass
♥AJ6 ♥97
♦J742 ♦KQ963 North losers: ♠ = 1 ♥ = 1 ♦=1 ♣ = 2 Total = 5
♣AK94 ♣ Q J 10 8 South losers: ♠ = 2 ♥= 2 ♦=2 ♣ = 3 Total = 9
♠ Q 10 4 3 2 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 5 – 9 = 10
♥85 Tricks made on best play = 10 N/S Points = 19
♦ A 10 8
♣632
♠87 Board 10 : Dealer East : All vulnerable
♥AJ6
♦J742 West North East South
♣AK94 1♥ Pass
♠ Q 10 4 3 2 ♠AJ 95 1♠ Pass 3♠ All Pass
♥85 ♥ K Q 10 4 3 2
♦ A 10 8 ♦5 East losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 1 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 2 Total = 6
♣632 ♣75 West losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 2 ♣ = 3 Total = 9
♠K6 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 6 – 9 = 9
♥97 Tricks made on best play = 9 E/W Points = 16
West assumes East has 6 losers so his 9 loser hand doesn’t
♦KQ963
justify raising to game.
♣ Q J 10 8
North/South can make 4♦.
♠KQ 432 Board 11 : Dealer South : Love all
♥85
♦ A 10 8 West North East South
♣632 1♥
♠ 10 6 ♠87 Pass 1♠ Pass 3♠
♥97 ♥AJ6 Pass 4♠ All Pass
♦KQ963 ♦J742
♣ Q J 10 8 ♣AK94 South losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 1 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 2 Total = 6
♠AJ 95 North losers: ♠ = 1 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 2 ♣ = 3 Total = 8
♥ K Q 10 4 3 2 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 6 – 8 = 10
♦5 Tricks made on best play = 10 N/S Points = 19
North assumes South has 6 losers so his 8 loser hand
♣75
justifies raising to game.
♠J Board 12 : Dealer West : NS vulnerable
♥ A 10 9 7
♦942 West North East South
♣ AJ954 1♠ Pass 3♠ All Pass
♠Q 9876 ♠A5432
♥Q32 ♥K86 West losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 1 Total = 6
♦KQ3 ♦A65 East losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 2 ♣ = 2 Total = 8
♣K8 ♣73 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 –6 – 8 = 10
♠ K 10 Tricks made on best play = 8 E/W Points = 23
West has 6 losers but so does the North hand in hand 13.
♥J54
The two hands are a world apart! With so many queens and
♦ J 10 8 7
no aces West should demote his hand to 7 losers and pass
♣ Q 10 6 2
3♠. Even this proves too high!
 ♠K9876 Board 13 : Dealer North : All vulnerable
♥A32
♦KQ3 West North East South
♣A8 1♠ Pass 3♠
♠ 10 ♠Q J Pass 4♠ All Pass
♥QJ54 ♥ 10 9 7
♦ J 10 8 7 ♦942 North losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 1 Total = 6
♣ K 10 6 2 ♣QJ954 South losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 2 ♦ = 2 ♣ = 2 Total = 8
♠A5432 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 –6 – 8 = 10
♥K86 Tricks made on best play = 11 N/S Points = 27
North has 6 losers but so does the West hand in hand 13.
♦A65
The two hands are a world apart! With so many aces West
♣73
might consider promoting his hand to 5 losers. He certainly
has enough to raise 3♠ to 4♠.
♠J 863 Board 14 : Dealer East : Love all
♥AKQ6
♦K752 West North East South
♣2 1♦ 1♠
♠ 10 9 5 ♠7 Pass 4♠ All Pass
♥84 ♥ 10 9 3 2
♦J4 ♦ A Q 10 8 6 South losers: ♠ = 0 ♥ = 3 ♦ = 2 ♣ = 3 Total = 8
♣KJ9763 ♣ A Q 10 North losers: ♠ = 3 ♥ = 0 ♦ = 2 ♣ = 1 Total = 6
♠A KQ 42 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 8 – 6 = 10
♥J75 Tricks made on best play = 10 N/S Points = 23
A minimum one-level overcall has 8 losers
♦93
♣854
♠ 10 7 Board 15 : Dealer South : NS vulnerable
♥ 10 9 8
♦K54 West North East South
♣ Q 10 6 5 4 1♦
♠AQ 32 ♠K98654 Dbl Pass 4♠ All Pass
♥J743 ♥KQ2
♦3 ♦ 10 9 6 West losers: ♠ = 1 ♥ = 3 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 2 Total = 7
♣AJ32 ♣8 East losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 1 ♦ = 3 ♣ = 1 Total = 7
♠J Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 7 – 7 = 10
♥A65 Tricks made on best play = 11 E/W Points = 20
A minimum takeout double has 7 losers so with only 7 losers
♦AQJ872
and a known fit East is well worth 4♠.
♣K97

♠KJ 65 Board 16 : Dealer West : EW vulnerable

♥9
♦AQ32 West North East South
♣K876 1♥ Dbl Pass 2♠
♠ 10 4 3 ♠9 3♥ 4♠ All Pass
♥AKQJ86 ♥ 10 5 4
♦J5 ♦ 10 9 8 7 North losers: ♠ = 2 ♥ = 1 ♦ = 1 ♣ = 2 Total = 6
♣AJ ♣ Q 10 9 5 4 South losers: ♠ = 1 ♥ = 3 ♦ = 2 ♣ = 2 Total = 8
♠AQ 872 Expected number of tricks under LTC: 24 – 6 – 8 = 10
♥732 Tricks made on best play = 11 N/S Points = 13
A minimum takeout double has 7 losers so with only 8 losers
♦K64
and a known fit South is worth 2♠. With only 6 losers North
♣32
should raise to 4♠.