Social Lesson 4 – More Major Suit Game Bidding using Losing Trick Counting

Once again, after opener opens in a major suit with 12-21 points and a 5 card suit, with 6 points and a 3+ card suit it’s time for responder either make a signoff 2 level bid, invite game with a 3 level bid or drive to a 4 level major suit game.  Fair enough, yet even when responder makes a minimum call, opener may have extras – either a medium or maximum hand, and push onward toward game.  We normally define openers minimum/medium/maximum hand as 12-14 HCP, 15-17 HCP or a good 18-21 High Card Point hand.  Better yet, in this episode we will see how Losing Trick Count hand valuation can help propel us to game when traditional HCP hand valuation falls short.    But wait, there’s more!  Both the declarer and defenders will have their work cut out for themselves doing their level best to make or defeat the declarer’s auction.   So sit right up and tune in to our BridgeHands videos!

Premium and ULTRA members are welcome to enjoy both lesson segments as well as the Advanced Part 2 lesson on Freebids.  Better yet, check out the hundreds of hours of videos in our archive by clicking “Index to Videos” on the navigation above or simply click this link.

General Audiences – click here to view Part 1 of our Teaser

Premium and ULTRA Members click here to view Part 1 with 31 minute of video

In session 1 of our Social Lesson, opener aggressively jumped directly to a major suit game with what some would call a “medium hand” with 15-17 High Card Points. How so?  Using Losing Trick Count and only 5 losers, of course.  So far – so good, but now the proof of the pudding is in the eating and its time prove our meddle during declarer and defender play.  We will include three play variations, identifying the good, bad, and the ugg!

General Audiences – click here to view Part 2 of our Teaser

Premium and ULTRA Members click here to Part 2 with 23 minutes of video

In this lesson we will cover Losing Trick Count and Cover Card hand valuation, the perils of not covering an honor with an honor (most of the time), ensuring transportation and entries to promotable suit, avoiding giving declarer a ruff and sluff, preventing a “dangerous” opponent from gaining the lead, planning a contingency plan when defender’s trump break 4-1, listening to the opponents bidding before blindly trying a finesse and more.

Happy Trails,

BridgeHands