Losing Trick Count

Here are the notes from Jonathan's class:

Basic Premises

An opening hand has 7 losers.

Always bid as though partner has worst hand possible ( highest number of losers ), he will correct if he has fewer losers.

A winner ( what responder counts ) is an Ace or a King. Queens will count as help suit winners. A singleton with 3 trump or a doubleton with 4 trump is also a winner.

Asking bids are in the next Ranking suit. ( ie. 1H-P-2H-P 2S ( 2S is the next ranking suit ))

If a question is asked ( ie. help suit ) and you do not have the specific suit in the ask, you may bid another suit which answers the question if you can still retreat to the trump suit at the correct level. This is a conversation of the type: Do you have help in diamonds? No, but I have help in hearts if that helps. You can not bid past the proper level of trump for the known number of winners.

A Queen ask is looking for Qxx or Qxxx in a suit. This is not a help suit ask per se, it is specifically a Queen ask. The A's, K's and short suits have already been counted in the number of known winners with the first response.

1 of a Major opening

Simple Raises:

1H - P - 2H - P

1 H shows 7 losers and 5 hearts. The simple raise shows 2 winners and heart support. Opener will pass with 7 losers and look for 3rd winner with 6 loser hand. With 5 losers, opener will bid 4 of the major ( 5 losers - 2 winners = 3 losers )

Help Suit Asks:

    If opener has 6 losers, he will ask for a potential 3rd winner. These are specific queen asks, looking for a Qxx or Qxxx. This asking bid is the next ranking bid. In this example, 2S is asking partner to bid the suit he has help in. This help is specifically a suit with Qxx(x). Responders A and K's have already been bid ( winners ).

1H                                      2H ( 2 winners )
2S ( asking for help, 6 loser hand )    3C ( Qxx(x) in Clubs )
4H ( help is useful, will be 3rd winner )

Or, if the bid suit is not helpful, then opener can use next bid to ask for another specific suit:

1H 2H
2S 3C
3D ( Do you have other help? )

Responder can bid 4S if he has diamond help
                   3H if has heart help (no diamond help, but will hearts work? )
                   3S if no more help.

Short Suit Bids ( Alertable ):

        Since the next ranking bid is a general help suit ask, all the rest of the higher bids are showing a short suit by opener:

1H 2H
3C(!)   Shows singleton in clubs

1H 2H
2N(!)   Shows singleton in spades

Limit Raises:

A limit raise shows 3 winners. The same type of help suit bids are applicable. The theory is that asking bids after a limit raise are FORCING to game and therefore are slam investigations.

Openers actions after a limit raise:
With 7 losers, bid the game ( It is a team game! Are you a wuss or something? )
With 6 losers, slam should not be possible, so just bid the game. Since we are using Bergen raises, responder can bid again if they have extras:
1S - 3D
4S - ?
With 4 losers, slam should be there. Ask for Keycards and make sure there are NOT 2 quick losers ( AK of same suit ). 7 could be possible, so the same inquires used for the 5 loser slam hands are applicable.

The interesting hands are those with a 5 losers. Here you are investigating for slam at the 3 and 4 level. You should be safe to bid up to the 5 level with a 5 loser hand. Once again the next ranking bid is used to ask responder to show suits with Qxx(x) ( A's and K's have already been shown ).

1S - 3D ( bergen limit raise )
3H = help suit ask, responder will bid Qxx(x) suits up the line.

After the 3H:
        3N shows Qxx of Hearts
        4C shows Qxx of Clubs
        4D shows Qxx of Diamonds
        4S shows no Qxx

SPECIAL AUCTION in this sequence.

1S - 3D
3H - 3N
4H = Do you have 4 hearts? Let's play in our 4-4 heart fit ( Probably in 6H ). Bid 4NT as Keycard for Hearts. Responder could just have 3 hearts and will correct to spades, opener will decide whether to advance to slam with Keycard.

Splinter Raises:

A splinter raise shows EXACTLY 4 winners ( 3 A's or K's and a singleton ). Opener can bid the next ranking suit as a Queen ( Qxx(x) ) ask. Opener should have 5 loser hand. This is a Slam investigation. Looking for a grand and making sure not off 2 quick tricks ( AK of a suit ). Responder is promising exactly 4 winners.

1S - 4C ( Club splinter, 4 winners )
4D = Queen ask, responder bids queens up the line.

1H - 3S
3N ( queen ask )

4 winner raises without a singleton:

Use the Bergen limit raise ( 3D ). After opener defines his hand, you will be able to bid again.

1S - 3D
3S - 4S    Opener shows a 7 loser hand. By bidding 4S, responder shows 4 winners.

1S - 3D
4S - P     Opener shows a 6 loser hand.

1S - 3D
3H - 6S    Opener shows a 5 loser hand by bidding the help suit ask after a limit raise. By bidding 6S, responder shows 4 winners. Actually, the best way is to use 4NT as Keycard ask in spades to make sure.

Jacoby 2NT:

Use Jacoby 2NT with 5 winners.

1S - 2NT Openers responses are:

4S = 7 loser hand
3S = 5 loser hand
With a 6 loser hand, bid 3NT or a singleton ( or 2nd 5-card suit at the 4 level.(?) )

Opening one of a minor:

Minor suit openings work similar to the major suit openings after a major suit fit is found:

1C - P - 1S - P

1S shows 2+ winners and 4 spades.
Openers responses are to bid to the level of known winners.

1C - P - 1S - P
2S ( shows 7 loser opening hand with 4 spades )

1C - P - 1S - P
3S ( shows 6 loser opening hand with 4 spades )

1C - P - 1S - P
4S ( shows 5 loser opening hand with 4 spades ) there are better constructive bids than this with a 5 loser hand

If responder has extras ( they are still unlimited by there 1S bid ), they can show them after the response. Remember the number of openers winners are known and you should not bid past that level. Responder can ask for help if he has more than 2 Qxx suits.

To bid over an invitational bid by Opener (who is showing a 6 loser hand ), you must have better than a 3 winner hand with extras ( you would just bid 4S with only 3 winners ). You are investigating for slam.

1C - 1S
3S - 3NT 3NT ( next ranking suit ) = Where do you need help? I have more than one Qxx suit.

1C - 1S
3S - 4C 4C is showing Qxx of clubs.

NOTE:

1C - 1H
3H - 3S 3S is the next ranking suit. This does not show the Qxx of spades.

1C - 1H
3H - 3NT 3NT shows Qxx of spades, since 3S is the next ranking suit bid.

Overcalls

Overcalls are assumed to be 8 loser hands. The same bidding styles are used as for openings.

A simple limit raise or better cue bid shows 3 winners.

1C - 1S - P - 2C

Each raise by advancer shows another winner:

1C - 1S - P - 2C
P - 2S - P - 3S

2S shows no interest in going higher opposite 3 winners. 3S shows 4 winners. 4S shows 5 winners. Why not bid 4 spades over the 1 spade overcall? The cue bid is still a limit raise or better, using it lets the overcaller define his hand more fully.

If the opponents bid two suits, then there are 2 cue bids available.

The lower cue bid is a 3 winner limit raise.

1C - 1H - 1S - 2C shows 3 winners.

The higher cue bid shows a 4 winner limit raise.

1C - 1H - 1S - 2S shows 4 winners.

There are also jump cue bids available.

A jump cue bid in the lower suit shows a mixed Bergen raise.

This shows 4 trumps and only 2 winners. This bid will take away the opponents chance to show a support double and follows the Bergen strategy of safe at the 3 level with 9 trumps.

1C - 1H - 1S - 3C shows a 2 winner Bergen raise.

A jump cue bid in the higher suit shows 5 winners.

1C - 1H - 1S - 3S shows 5 winners. Since we have only 3 losers we are committed to game.

After all these bids, the next ranking suit is a Queen ask. These work the same way as bidding over an opening.