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001-014: Beginners - Evaluating your Hand

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  1. 001 - Introduction
  2. 002 - Definition of Terms
  3. 003 - Tricks To Make Your Bid
  4. 004 - High Card Points
  5. 005 - Long Suit Distribution Points
  6. 006 - Short Suit Distribution Points
  7. 007 - Total Points (TP)
  8. 008 - Trump Suits
  9. 009 - No Trumps
  10. 010 - The Ranking of Bridge Bids
  11. 011 - The Major Suits
  12. 012 - The Minor Suits
  13. 013 - Playing Bridge On Our Computer Game
  14. 014 - Quiz 1 Hand Evaluation
001-014: Beginners – Evaluating your Hand 006 – Short Suit Distribution Points
Lesson 6 of 14
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006 – Short Suit Distribution Points

006

When do you use Short Suit Distribution Points (SSDP)

There are two different techniques used for counting your distribution points. The second method is when you have know that between you and your partner’s hand you have at least 8 cards in the same suit. This is known as ‘finding a fit’ – if you have less than three cards in a suit can you give yourself extra points
.
Beginners Bridge – Short Suit <span class="glossary-tooltip glossary-term-27022" tabindex="0"><span class="glossary-link"><a href="https://members.60secondbridge.com/glossary/distribution/" class="glossary-only-link">Distribution</a></span><span class="hidden glossary-tooltip-content clearfix"><span class="glossary-tooltip-text">This refers to how cards in a suit are shared between the four players in a bridge game. <a href="https://members.60secondbridge.com/glossary/distribution/">More</a></span></span></span>

Finding a Fit

In Lesson 4 we counted your HCP.  This lesson is about when you and partner have both been bidding and you find that between you you hold at least 8 card in a suit, this is called a ‘fit’. If you have a ‘fit’ in a suit this is a very strong situation as your side have the majority of the points. So now that you have one very long suit, it is to your advantage if you have a small number of cards in other suits.

Dis-regard Long Suit Distributional Points

Firstly, you must now ignore the long suit distributional points that you previously calculated (pre-fit finding) and start again (remember you can only use one method of distributional points evaluation at a time).

After establishing that you and partner have at least 8 (or more) cards in the same suit , suit shortages in other suits can add extra power to your hand. These shortages enable you to ruff the side suits gaining extra tricks:

  • voids  (0 cards in a suit)  are worth 5 extra points
  • singletons (1 card in a suit) are worth 3 extra points
  • doubletons (2 cards in a suit) are worth 1 extra points

How to count your Short Suit distribution points.

The following system is commonly used for Short Suit Points:
Short suit distribution points: 5 points for a void in a suit; 3 points for a singleton in a suit and 1 point for a doubleton with no honor cards, these are added to your HCP after your partnership has reached a fit. This is the way you re-evaluate the strength of your hand after you partner has supported (bid) your trump suit.


Definition of Terms

· a ‘void’ is where your hand contains no cards in a suit;
· a ‘singleton’ is where your hand holds only 1 card in a suit;
· a ‘doubleton’ is when your hand holds two cards in a suit;
· a ‘fit’ in a suit is when you and your partner have 8 or more cards in one suit;

NB: Long and short suit points cannot be combined together at the same time, use only one or the other when evaluating your hand.






Instant Progress Quiz – Check the correct answer



  Yes

  No


Partner opens the bidding 1S

Exercise: Calculate the distributional points on this hand
  • ♠A K 10 9 8 7 6 5
  • ♥10 8 3 2
  • ♦2
  • ♣
Answer = You have 7 HCP and you have 8 (SSDP’s) so you have 15 total points. This consists of 5 DP’s for the club void and 3 DP’s for diamond singleton, after partner supported your spade suit.
Your total points are 15 TP so with a combined count of partners minimum 12+ points and your 15 TP’s, partnership total is 27 total points (TP’s)you have you can jump into 4S.

Practice revaluing your hand after opening

Use LSDP’s and then change to SSDP’s with this deal

PLAY

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The Acol Bidding System

*If you live in the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand Acol is the most widespread system Acol has the following characteristics:
  • It is a natural system: most opening bids, responses and rebids are made with at least 4 cards in the suit bid, and most no trump bids are made with balanced hands.
  • It is a four-card major system: only four-card suits are required to open 1♠ or 1♥, unlike Standard American and many other systems where five-card suits are typically required.
  • It makes extensive use of limit bids: limit bids describe the hand so closely, in terms of high card points (HCP) and shape, that the one who makes the limit bid is expected to pass on the next round, unless partner makes a forcing bid.
  • Understanding and correct use of limit bids and forcing bids is fundamental to applying the system: all no trump bids below the level of 4NT are limit bids, as are all suit bids that merely repeat a suit already bid by the partnership; changes of suit may be forcing or not depending on the approach bids.
  • The level of the 1NT opening bid influences other bids: the normal choice is between a “weak no trump” (12–14 HCP) and a “strong no trump” (15–17 HCP).
  • All 1 of a suit opening bids then promise at least 4 cards in the bid suit
  • Notrump follow-up conventions include Stayman, Jacoby transfers Blackwood and Gerber Convention.
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