BridgeHands

Google BridgeHands

 HOME  Encyclopedia  Newsletter  Laws  Products  Services  Reviews  Tournaments  Blog  Training  Practice   HELP
 You are at:

 

Distribution Points - Additive points based on one of the following (but not both):
 

1.

 Length 

A suit with more than 4 cards, ideally with several honors. This method anticipates the suit becoming declarer's trump, thus promoting low cards into winners.

2.

 Shortage

A suit with less than 3 cards, ideally opponent's suit.  This method anticipates allowing partner to eliminate losers by ruffing the suit -- assuming adequate holdings in partner's planned trump suit.

Here are various distribution point count methods, some complementary and some unique: (also see Cover Cards associated with Losing Trick Count)

Work Point Count
Robertson Point Count
Reith Point Count
Culbertson Point Count
Sheinwold Point Count
Goren Point Count
Karpin
Point Count
Roth
Point Count
Kantar Point Count
Bergen Point Count
Losing Trick Count

Work Point Count - Opener and responder's hand count:

Ace

4

King

3

Queen

2

Jack

1

Two 10s

1

 

Robertson Point Count - An alternative hand evaluation method based on 64 points in the deck:

Ace

7

King

5

Queen

3

Jack

2

10

1

 

Reith Point Count:

Ace

6

King

4

Queen

3

Jack

2

10

1


Culbertson Point Count (including Work HCP):

Opener's hand count:

5 card trump suit if raised

1

6 card trump suit if raised

2

7+ card trump suit if raised

3+

4+ card side suit

1+

Responder's (dummy) hand count: deduct points for 4-3-3-3 hand, 3 trumps (versus 4+):

6+ card trump suit

2+

Void

1

Two singletons

1

 

Sheinwold Point Count (including Work HCP):

Initial Hand Valuation

Void

3

Singleton

2

Doubleton

1

Aceless Hand

-1

3-4 Aces

"worth more"

Queen or Jack

Only worth full value when accompanied by Ace or King

Singleton King or Doubleton Queen or Jack

"not worth full value"

Declarer Hand Valuation

5th card in trump suit

1

6th card in trump suit

3 (2 additional over 5th)

7th card in trump suit

5 (4 additional over 5th)

Dummy Hand Valuation

4+ trump and Doubleton

1

4+ trump and Singleton

3

4+ trump and Void

5

 

Goren Point Count (including Work HCP) - also see Goren Bridge Books and Goren System:

Opener's hand count:

Void

3

Singleton

2

Doubleton

1

Responder's (dummy) hand count: deduct points for 4-3-3-3 hand, 3 trumps (versus 4+), non-guarded honors; add point for face card in trump (allowing up to 4 HCP in trump)

Void

5

Singleton

3

Doubleton

1

 

Karpin Point Count (including Work HCP):

Opener's hand count:

5 card suit

1

6 card suit

2

7+ card suit (etc)

3+

Responder's (dummy) hand count:

4+ trump

3 trump

Void

3

2

Singleton

2

1

Doubleton

1

0

 

Roth Point Count (including Work HCP) -

Opener's hand count:

Void

3

Singleton

2

Doubleton

1

6+card suit

1+

Responder's (dummy) hand count: add 1+ point when opener supports responder's 5+ card suit

0-2 trump

3 trump

4+ trump

Void

0

3

4

Singleton

0

2

3

Doubleton

0

1

2

 

Kantar Point Count (including Work HCP):

Declarer Distribution Points

 

7 - 8 card
Trump fit

8 card
Trump fit

9+ card
Trump fit

Doubleton

0

1 each Doubleton

2 extra

Singleton Honor in Side Suit

-1

-1

-1

 

Bergen Point Count (including Work HCP):

Bad Distribution

4-3-3-3

Bad for offense and defense

5-3-3-2

Bad offensively for suit contracts

Excellent Distribution

5-4-3-1, any 5-5, any 6-4

Void Value with Trump Fit

Declarer

3

Dummy with 5 trump

5

Dummy with 4 trump

4

Dummy with 3 trump

3

Singleton Value with Trump Fit

"Normal"

2

Dummy with 4+ trump

3

Extra Length Points in Notrump

5 card suit

1

6 card suit

3

7 card suit

5

"Great suit"

1 Extra

"Poor suit"

Subtract 1

Extra Length Points in Side Suit with Fit

5 card suit

1, unless balanced (including 5-3-3-2)

6 card suit

3, but 2 if 6-3-3-2

7 card suit

5, but 4 if 7-2-2-2

 

Losing Trick Count - Simply stated, once partnership has identified a 8+ card suit fit (unless the opener has a very strong-long major, e.g., a "self-sustaining suit), each suit has between 0 to 3 losers; Aces and Kings are not losers (except a singleton King), Queens may or may not be losers depending on the suit support.  Adjustments to LTC include:  A J 10 [x...] = 1.5 losers, Q x x = 2.5 losers, while J 10 x = 3 losers and Q x= 2 losers, but are a "plus".  See Details

See BridgeHands newsletter on Losing Trick Count as well as our LTC quiz (please allow 1 minute to download the attached music and audio file)

Also see BridgeHands newsletter on Cover Cards as well as our Cover Cards quiz (please allow 1 minute to download the attached music and audio file)

HOME  Encyclopedia  Newsletter  Laws  Products  Services  Reviews  Tournaments  Blog  Training Practice Links HELP
Contacts: Sales  Support  Reviews  Q&A    Disclaimer    Privacy    © 2005 BridgeHands   Updated 01/22/11