Jennbridge: Losing Trick Count Seminar, part III

Here is part III of the LTC seminar presented at the San Francisco NABC:  Bid Like the Experts! 

HOW TO APPLY LTC IN PRACTICE

A normal minimum opening hand contains 7 losers: ♠AKxxx ♥Axxx ♦Qx ♣xx.  If partner also has 7 losers, the total number of losers is 14.  Apply the formula. Subtracting 14 from 24 is 10: the number of tricks the partnership can expect to win. So if partner opens the bidding and you have a 7-loser hand with a fit, move toward game. 

An invitational hand has 8 losers: ♠xxxx ♥Kx ♦Kxxx ♣Axx. If partner opens 1♠ and you have 8 losers, invite game with a limit raise!

A single raise contains 9 or10 losers: ♠xx ♥QJxx ♦Kxxx ♣xxx. If partner opens 1♥, raise to 2♥.

If your partner opens the bidding and you have a 5-loser hand, you should immediately think about slam:  ♠Axxx ♥KQx ♦KJxx ♣A.  If partner opens 1♠, make a game-forcing raise and set about getting information on keycards.

To summarize:  as the responder, if you have support for opener’s suit, base your response on how many losers you have. With nine or more, make a simple raise. With eight, invite game with a limit raise. With seven, make a game force. With six losers, consider slam, and with five or fewer, head toward slam.

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*The seminar material presented here contains a brief summary of Losing Trick Count.  For more information you may purchase either or both of my LTC books on this site. Vol. I contains the basics, how to use LTC with Bergen Raises, and several good example hands from actual play.  Vol. II contains the six Bridge Bulletin articles plus more great hands. Questions?  Email me at Jennife574@aol.com. 

Next: LTC example hands. 

See you at the table!