February 2012 - 52

Losing Trick Count - part 3
By Jennifer Jones

This month we'll look at using LTC
in slam bidding. To review, when partner opens the bidding and we have a
fit, we can assume that partner has no
more than seven losers. We add our
losers to partner's and subtract from
24 to find the number of tricks the
combined hands should be expected
to make. Invite game with eight losers
and bid game with seven. With six losers we are in slam territory, and with
five or fewer losers, head directly
toward slam. Ace-asking bids and
cuebidding sequences are still important to ensure there aren't two quick
losers.
1. What would you bid with this hand
after partner opens 1?
10 8 7 6 2 A 10 9 8 5 3 A 4  --There are only 8 high-card points,
but a closer look reveals that the hand
has only six losers, so it is quite a
good hand. You definitely want to be
in game and realize that even a slam
is possible. Make a descriptive bid (a
splinter in clubs or Jacoby 2NT) and,
being alert to the slam potential of the
hand, you should be able to conduct
an intelligent auction.
You can reach an excellent 23-point
slam when partner holds either of the
following hands:
52 Bridge Bulletin February 2012

A K Q 9 5 K J 9 Q 8 7 5 3

A. A 8 2 6 3 A 10 6 5 K Q 10 9

A K Q 9 5 7 6 K Q 7 J 8 3

B. A 8 6 3 A 10 6 5 K Q 10 9 6

2. What would you rebid with these
hands after you open 1 and partner makes a limit raise (showing
eight losers)?

C. A 8 3 A 10 6 5 3 K Q 10 9 6

J 4 2 K Q 9 6 4 A K 9 A 8
J K Q 9 6 4 A K 9 3 2 K J
Both hands have 17 HCP, but the
first hand has six losers, so sign off at
4. The second hand is much stronger with only four losers. It is suitable
for Blackwood. If partner shows two
aces, you will bid a slam.
3. You open 1 holding:
A K 10 7 5 K 3 A 9 8 6 5 10
and partner bids 4, a splinter bid
showing spade support and diamond
shortness. How should you proceed?
As partner should have no worse
than a seven-loser hand for this action, head for slam with your fiveloser hand, bidding 4NT to ask about
aces.
Minor-suit bidding
LTC is also effective for bidding
minor suit games and slams. Eleven
tricks are needed for a minor suit
game, so if partner opens a minor and
you have a fit, force to game with a
six-loser hand and explore for slam
with a five-loser hand.
How would you respond with these
hands after partner opens 1 or 1?

All three hands have 13 HCP, but the
loser count varies. Hand A has seven
losers, which means that an 11-trick
minor-suit game may not make, but
with an opening bid facing an opening bid, perhaps a notrump game can
be reached. Hand B, with six losers,
should be able to make game in either
a minor or in notrump. Hand C, with
five losers, has great slam potential.
A concerted effort should be made to
get to a minor-suit slam.
Be alert to situations where counting losers can aid in hand evaluation. Here's a hand from a nationally
rated pairs game at the Fall NABC in
Seattle:
A K Q J 9 5 2 K 4 K 5 9 6
I opened 1, partner responded
1NT and RHO bid 2. I looked at
my four-loser hand and made a jump
rebid of 4! Partner, holding:
8 4 3 A Q J 5 2 9 6 4 A 7
and intending to make a three-card
limit raise, bid a slam without further
ado. Although virtually all of the pairs
took 13 tricks, 1460 was a great score
because only one-third of the field got
to slam.
r
To learn more, visit the author's
blog site: jennbridge.blogspot.com.

http://jennbridge.blogspot.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2012