What is it?
It has to be said that wherever you look you will find marginally different descriptions and calculations but most agree on the basic principles, one of which is that you assume reasonably normal breaks in suits and at least 50% of finesses working.
(1) Why does it work: purely on mathematical and statistical probabilities.
(2) How do you"count" your losing tricks? Look at each suit seperately and count as follows: Add together the losers in each suit and add an additional loser if the hand is Aceless.
(3) How is it used to open the bidding?
(4) How does Responder use it?
This is the basic system but you can should always use your judgement and any extra information derived from the auction.
(5) Use after opening and initial response.
Bridge Bidding is a matter of system and judgement: the Losing Trick Count is a valueable tool and should be adhered to most of the time but you are allowed, as stated above, to take other things into consideration.A final example on that subject . As with all things Bridge nothing is sacred. Normally with 10 or 11 points and support for Partners Major you would bid 3 but if by chance your 11 count is only a 9 loser still bid 3 Spades. In other words use both methods and choose the the highest. Equally if you have 11 points but by the Losing Trick Count method it is a 7 loser hand bid 4 Spades. Summary
The above deals with Openers hand and Responders replies, either immediate or secondary.
Next come the situation when Opener supports Responders suit.
There are lots of other small refinements that the experts will promulgate but if you get most of the above engrained into your thinking and your system it will be a great help.
It is a method to evaluate the strength of your hand to determine the level to bid to when you have a known fit in a suit.
Many players think this a relatively modern invention but in fact it was invented in 1935 by the American F. Dudley Courtenay and the Englishman George Gordon Joseph Walshe.
The method was popularised in this country by Maurice Harrison-Gray one of the great English players from the mid 1930’s until his death in 1968 and given credence by the all conquering Italians during the 60's and 70's
(1) Why does it work
(2) How do you"count" your losing tricks?
(3) How is it used to open the bidding?
(4) How does Responder use it?
(5) Use after opening and initial response.
This is just one example behind the theory.
Take the situation where one of your suits is AQ5. What are the odds that this will be only one loser, or in
other words, what are the chances that your AQ5 will make into two tricks?
If partner has only two or three small cards, the chance for the finesse is 50 per cent, but Partner might not have small cards. Partner could have the King.
The King can be in 3 places. If it is with Partner, you have three tricks.
If the king is on
your left, you have two tricks.
Suppose Partner has exactly Jxx in the suit.You count 1 loser, they count 3 losers so together you have counted 4 losers but in the play of the suit in isolation you can only lose one and make two. If Partner has 109x unless KJx are over the AQx, about a 25% chance, you will make two tricks.
All of which says that it is at least an 80% chance that this holding is 1 loser
Someone did lots of similar calculations for all the less obvious holdings but you and I don't have to think or remember any of that, the mathematicians have done it for us.
All we need to remember is that for the purpose of calculation we use the table below.
a void = 0 losing tricks.
A singleton other than an Ace = 1 losing trick.
Any two card suit is 2 losers unless one is an Ace or King (AK stiff would be no losers)
Any three card suit or longer is 3 losing tricks less any Ace King or Queen held in that suit.
Most opening bids (in a suit) should, and if valued by other methods properly, will be 7 losers or less.
So the first point is that if you open the bidding your Partner can assume this but until a suit fit they should just keep it in mind
If you examine most 12-14 No Trump hands you will see that they are nearly always 7 or 8 loser hands.
So if you are debating whether to open a suit or 1NT check the losers; if 8 or worse open 1NT. This doesnt mean that if it is a 7 loser you should always open a suit.
You must use your judgement remembering that you need a rebid.
♠ A54 ♥ K752 ♦ KQJ4 ♣ 65. Although this is a 7 loser it is better to open 1NT as you dont really have rebid after 1 Spade or 2 Clubs from Partner but if your hand was ♠ AQ106 ♥ KJxx ♦ KJx ♣ xx. there would be nothing wrong with opening 1 Heart as you can support Spades or bid 2NT over 2 Clubs or Diamonds (upgrading it to 15 points) despite the two small Clubs.You dont't have to but it might get you a to better contract if Partner responds 2 Hearts or 1 Spade with only a 6 count and you play in 2 Hearts/Spades.
It simply gives you options.
So, generally, dont open in 1st or 2nd seat unless your hand is 7 losers or less (Unless you can open 1NT) .
This is not restrictive: Most two suited hands with 11 points will comply
For example ♠ AKxxx ♥ xx ♦ KJxx ♣ xx. or ♠ QJxxx ♥ xx ♦ KQxxx ♣ K
You couldn't get much worse to open but they are 7 loser hands.
Without an immediate fit responder just bids according to the normal criteria; a bid at the one level 6+ or a bid at the two level 9/10 plus or x number of NT according to points.
But if they do have a known fit, 4+, they should raise Partners suit to the appropriate level with one important addition: if you have 5 card trump support deduct one loser.
To start with it is best to apply it to the Majors but as the auction progresses if it is apparent that the fit is in the Minors then the system comes more in to play.
This is how it works, and although there will always be deals where it will go wrong ,on balance it is suprising how often it is very accurate.
Responder starts by adding their losers to 7 and subtracting it from 18 and that tells them which level to bid to or adding them to 7 and subtracting the answer from 24 which tells you the number of tricks you will make, it amounts to the same thing.
♠ Qxx ♥ Qxx ♦ Ax ♣ Axxxx
North opens 1 Spade and South bids 2 Clubs,North rebids 2 Diamonds; what should South bid now? 12 points, 7 losers with Spades as Trumps (we now know there is a 5/3 fit) Bid 4 Spades
Change it slightly to ♠ Qxx ♥ Qxx ♦ QJ ♣ Axxxx
Same bidding, North opens 1 Spade and South bids 2 Clubs,North rebids 2 Diamonds; what should South bid now?
11 points, 8 losers with Spades as Trumps: Bid 4 Spades: that QJ of Diamonds should have increased in value ( not necessarily if Partners Diamonds are 98xx, but glasses are half full not half empty, be optomistic they might have AKxx) and most of your little Clubs can,hopefully, be ruffed.
And finally change it a bit more to ♠ Qxx ♥ Qxx ♦ xx ♣ Axxxx; its not great but it is now an 8 loser with 3 card support so after 2 Diamonds bid 3 Spades
You are at the point of deciding whether to raise partner to 4 of a Major but have a hand that is borderline
The oppostion have both bid Diamonds indicating at least 8 between them and in your calculations you have taken into consideration your 4 small Diamonds, 3 losers. Partner can have at most one Diamond and possibly none. Upgrade your hand and bid 4 Spades.
As responder raise Partners Major to the level indicated as soon as a fit is known, either immediately with 4+ support or second time round when it is revealed that you have a 5/3 fit.
Responding hands with 6 points will normally be anything from 9 to 11 losers but it is necessary to apply some standard to assist the calculations and Opener can start by assumimg, at worst, a 9 loser.
You open the bidding 1 Heart with ♠ Qxxx ♥ AJxx ♦ Axx ♣ Ax (15 points and a 7 loser) and hear Partner say 1 Spade.
You have already told him that you have opening points and at least a 7 loser hand. You still have the same hand, no better, but as Responder is unlimited, unless a Passed hand, you must bid again and that bid is 2 Spades telling Partner " still a 7 loser but I do have 4+ card support for your Spades".
But improve your hand to ♠ KQxx ♥ Axxx ♦ Axx ♣ Kx
Now it is a 6 loser so you can raise to 3 Spades giving the same message but adding " I am one loser better than a basic opening" and assuming your hand is a 9 loser this equates to the 3 level (18-(6+9) = 3)
Improve the hand even further to ♠ Axxx ♥ AQxxx ♦ Axx ♣ A and now it is an 18 count 5 loser so you bid 4 Spades with reasonable confidence. 18 points plus 6 is tight for game but the LTC, 18-(5+9) = 4, pushes you to game.
And of course Responder will hear these messages and decide on any further action.