Toledo Blade – 8 Ago 1998
When you have a distributional hand and your partner has supported one of your suits, the Losing Trick Count is the best way to evaluate the trick taking potential of your hand. Count the number of missing aces, kings and queens in each suit to determine the number of losers in your hand.
If you have a singleton in a suit, the maximum number of losers you hold is one unless you hold a singleton ace. With a doubleton, the maximum number of losers you can have is two unless you hold the ace-king in that suit.
How do you know when to make a game try using the Losing Trick Count?
Suppose the auction goes: 1
Pass 2 Pass
a. With a seven-loser hand, pass.
b. With a six-loser hand, consider a game try.
c. With a five-loser hand, make a game try
d. With four losers or less, go directly to game and skip the game try.
Bill Ryan, who directs games in both Perrysburg and Bowling Green, played the following hand at a club game in Fostoria. South was the dealer and everyone was vulnerable at matchpoints.
Opening lead was the three of clubs.
Bill won the opening lead with the ace of clubs and led a heart to the king. He then led the 10 of spades, which was covered in turn by the jack, queen, and king. West found the best return by shifting to the queen of diamonds, but Bill countered by playing the ace, king and another diamond. West won the jack of diamonds, but he was forced to give South an entry to dummy to lead up to the nine of spades. Bidding and making four was a top board.