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Few points should be no deterrent.

We are told we need at least 25 hcp to bid and make a game. That may be true in no-trumps (and even then game has been made on less when one player has a long suit or perhaps when all one’s finesses work) but in a suit contract, you can fail with more than 25hcp and bid good games with many less. It is not necessarily that hard to identify a situation where you can attempt game in a major suit and have a good chance of success.

Take this North hand:

 

What should you bid now?

Only 13 hcp and with 4 card spade support. That suggests raising to 2. Yet, our hand is worth more than that because of our singleton heart. We can add on 3 points for a singleton once we have found a fit. Those who use Losing Trick Count to evaluate their hands should say we hold a 6 loser (see footnote) whereas a minimum opening hand is a 7 loser. Since we can count responder to have no worse than a 9 loser, we can say that 18- (6+ 9)= 3, the level we should now bid. Whether we count our hand as being worth 16 hcp or a 6-loser, either way we should bid 3.

Let’s slide across to look at South’s hand after this sequence:

 

 
South thinks their partner holds 16-17 hcp. They have 7 hcp including a singleton queen which you can either count as 2 points or 3 for the singleton. Add another point for the doubleton diamond and South has around 9 points. Opposite 16-17, that is worth raising to game. Another way to evaluate is the extra trumps South has, which should be worth extra tricks.

South has an 8, not a 9 loser hand. They think their partner has a 6 loser. 18 less (6+8) =4, the level to play. Bid 4.

Some may ask why South did not open 2. They were disciplined in not opening 2 with 4 cards in the other major. That is wise even with a poor major like South’s. Had South opened 2, their partner is probably worth a shot at game, much depending on where A is…unless South holds Q which vastly improves its chances.  

Let’s look at the 4 hands:

 

West will lead Q (winning the trick) and may try a diamond at trick 2. Declarer can win and take a losing trump finesse (to finesse is the better odds for this spade combination but fails this time). The defence can only realistically take one trick in each major and the A: game made on a combined 20 hcp.

Yes, perhaps fortunate that some of South’s honours were not in hearts but J was totally unnecessary and game had a reasonable chance of success even if South’s club was a small club. Basically, game made with 13 hcp opposite a 4-count though Q ensured the game’s success.

Neither player knew their partner was so weak in high cards but both had good reason to bid their hand aggressively and were duly rewarded.

For those who do not follow Losing Trick Count, the maximum number of losers in any one suit is three and in simple terms refers to holding or not holding any of the AKQ of any suit. A 2 card suit has a maximum of 2 losers. A standard minimum opening hand has a 7-loser (try counting one) whereas the player who makes a minimum response has a 9-loser. Add the number of losers in the 2 hands and take away the answer from 18 and you have the suggested level: e.g., 18 – (7+9) = 2 level. Losing Trick Count is best applied only when you establish a trump fit.

Richard Solomon

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