Wednesday, January 26, 2005 12:17 PM

Hand Evaluation  - Visualization  ( Counting HCP's )

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Still another way to visualize a Bridge hand is counting HCP’s. . Bridge auctions ( especially NT ) are HCP orientated. Experts use that to their advantage by visualizing hands via the HCP’s they have promised & what HCP’s they have played. Another skill to defend & declare a hand properly.

 

You pick up your hand & the first thing you do while sorting it is count your HCP’s . This total will guide your bidding throughout the pending auction. If you think your HCP counting is now over until the next hand , you are badly mistaken. Both as declarer & defender you must be a human “HCP odometer” as the play or defense or bidding progresses. Believe it or not you have this skill highly developed already just by the mere fact that you have played Bridge a long time. You just do not know how easy it is ! Concentrate , try it & watch your Bridge game jump a level or two.  When they play an honour card , keep a running total in your mind. You can & must do it !!

 

Develop this habit , especially if they have bid NT. This is a hand that came up with the young pair of Kevin & Jason.  Jason has ♠Kxx ♥Jx ♦QJxxx ♣AKx , opened 1♦ & the auction went double – pass - 2NT invitational & 3NT. Jason led a low diamond , the board came down with ♠Qxxx ♥KQ109x ♦x ♣Q109 . This was an insane takeout double & even a more insane raise of an invitational bid to 3NT. Anyway, the declarer wins his diamond 10 & leads a low club so what do you play & why ? Time to be a human HCP odometer. Declarer has the diamond AK known after your opening lead , give declarer the heart Ace (implied ) for not attacking hearts. He probably has the club jack for the club play so what’s the running total of his HCP’s ?  AK , A & jack so there is his 12 HCP he has shown on the bidding. He can not hold the spade Ace or even the spade jack for that matter. Win your club , switch to a small spade & partner puts in the spade 9 which wins !! The spade 10 comes back & you cash 4 spades with your AK of clubs for the top that you expected on the bidding. You duck your club , declarer takes 3 diamonds , 5 hearts & the club for –600 & a cold zero.

 

            Here is an example of counting points during the auction. Matchpoints & a tormentee held ♠Axxxx ♥xxx ♦AJ ♣AQx . I opened 1♥  which brought a 1♠ response . I bid 3♦ so the tormentee bid 4♣ which was doubled so I bid 4♠. What do you bid ? Time to add up the HCP’s during the auction. Partner shows around 19 HCP for his strong jump shift. You have 15 HCP with a two suited fit . More than enough to bid 6NT to protect your AQ of clubs from the opening lead so a top board as the field is in a major suit slam. The tormentee said he never thought of bidding 6NT to protect his clubs. Counting HCP’s during the auction would have made this decision simple.

 

            Balancing is where counting HCP’s is really necessary. How many HCP’s can partner likely hold on the auction ? You have this hand ♠Axxxx ♥xx ♦AQJ109x ♣void  , RHO opens 1♣ in 3rd seat with everyone vul. You overcall 1♦ , LHO bids 2NT invitational showing 10-11 HCP . The 3rd seat opener passes so your decision so do you bid again & if so what . Counting points around the table time 11 HCP to your left & maybe 12 for the 3rd seat opener who passed. Partner should hold around 7 HCP & the diamond king is not 3 of them as that is to your left. If you give partner the magical 7 HCP  ♠Kxxx ♥Axxx ♦x ♣xxxx you are cold for 7♠ , with a two-two break . If partner holds ♠xxxx ♥xxxx ♦x ♣xxxx you are cold for 4♠ with a two-two break. LHO denies the majors & the 3rd seat opener did not open a major. Partner could easily hold 4 spades. You bid 3♠ as you show a minimum of a 6-5 with that bid & this auction so the 4 level in diamonds should be safe. Partner will never pass you without length in spades as he knows you are going to get tapped in clubs on the opening lead. Partner had a reasonable 5 HCP for me but not the length in spades I had hoped for ♠Q10 ♥Kxxx ♦xxx ♣xxxx so he bids 4♦ which 4♦ makes for +130.

 

            Counting HCP’s on defense are a must for NT contracts. NT contracts are based on HCP’s normally.  In general , you plan your defense from the bidding & reacting to the dummy. You can count dummy’s HCP’s to plan your defense. A Tormentee had ♠xxx ♥Axx ♦KQxxx ♣Ax she opened 1♦ , a 2♥ overcall & I doubled . Her RHO bid 4♥ around to me again so I doubled & all passed. I led a trump so the basics of defense enter the picture. You react to the type of dummy that is tabled. ♠AKQ10x ♥Kxx ♦x ♣xxxx . Apply a pattern from the pre-empt,  so you know their trump is 6-3-3-1 so partner has a stiff heart. Apply the spade distribution from the bidding as partner advertised 4 of them  they are 5-4-3-1 with declarer holding a stiff spade. Therefore , the dummy dictates that you cash your tricks. Another check you can do ? You have 13 HCP’s , the dummy 12 HCP & partner shows 10+ HCP with her bidding. This leaves the pre-empter with virtually nothing which is exactly want he held ♠x ♥QJxxxx ♦xxx ♣Jxx . This is +300 off the top unless you are not at the table. Counting HCP’s & distribution helps you visualize declarer’s hand.

 

            Finessing as a tool in declarer play is greatly assisted by counting HCP’s during the play. You have to find 2 queens to make your contract. RHO opened a diamond & rebid 1NT. LHO leads a diamond , the opener plays the King & Ace of diamonds & switches to the AK of clubs. Thank you opponents , as you have just found both queens for me. Opener has shown up with 14 HCP so can not hold any more points . Bridge is a simple game , if you train yourself to be a HCP odometer.