LD Precision Club

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**LD Precision Club Bidding System**

==Introduction==

This is a description of the LD Precision Club Bidding System.  

The LD Precision Club Bidding System (“Bidding System”) is an evolution of the Wei Precision Club Bidding System.

The distinguishing features of the Bidding System are a strong 1C opening bid (16+ HCP) and a Weak NT opening bid (11-15 HCP), 5 card major opening bids (11-15 HCP), and a natural 4+ card 1D opening bid.

In addition to the 1C bid there are two other special conventional bids: 2C and 2D.  These two bids handle some special patterns of hands that do not fall into the previously mentioned opening bids.  The 2C bid is used for hands containing 6C or 5C and a 4 card major.  The 2D bid is used for those rare hands that contain 4414 distribution, i.e., a singleton diamond and 4 cards in each of the other suits (the existence of this bid is what enables the use of 5 card majors while avoiding the problem of opening points but no 5 card suit to bid).

So, the opening bids, in decreasing order of HCP:

**Strong hands, 16+ HCP**
|2NT	|22-24 HCP, balanced hand|
|1C	|16+ HCP, any distribution, forcing one round|

**Intermediate strength hands, 11-15 HCP:**
|1NT	|balanced hand, no 5 card major (no voids, no singletons, at most 1 doubleton)|
|1S	|5+ cards|
|1H	|5+ cards|
|1D	|4+ cards|
|2C	|6C or 5C+4 of a major suit|
|2D	|4414 distribution (singleton Diamond)|

**Weak hands, < 11 HCP**
|2H, 2S		|6-10 HCP, 6+ cards in suit, 2 of top 5 honors|
|3C, 3D		|<11 HCP , 7+ cards in suit|
|3H, 3S		|<6 HCP, 7+ cards in suit|

That’s it!  These bids cover probably 99% of the hands, except for those unusual 8+ cards in a suit hands that we often directly bid game or one less than game.  Oh, and a gambling 3NT opening bid with a long minor suit that we hope to steal the bid with.  If you have 11+ HCP, you have an opening bid to use with your hand pattern.

**Hand Evaluation, High Card Points (HCP), and Distribution Points (DP)**

In this Bidding System accurate hand evaluation is essential.  Both you and  your partner must use the same methods to evaluate your hands to avoid bidding crashes.

First, we evaluate the hand based on honor cards.  We use the Milton Work point count system that is used by just about everybody:  Ace=4 pts, King=3 pts, Queen=2 pts, and Jack= 1 pt.  There are variations on this point count system but probably 95% of the players use the above.

For initial evaluation, distribution is ignored.  A singleton King is still worth 3 pts.

The sum of all of your honor point counts is called the High Card Points, usually abbreviated as HCP.

If you are seeking a contract in NoTrump, HCP are the main consideration.  You can upgrade your hand if you have a long runnable suit, but normally HCP is what you got.

If your are seeking a contract in a suit, however, HCP are not the only factor determining how many tricks your partnership can take.  Trump tricks add to the HCP tricks.

A group in England has come up with a method to evaluate a suit based hand, the "Winning Tricks Hand Evaluation Method".  If during the bidding you establish that you have a trump suit fit, i.e., at least 8 cards in the suit between you and your partner, then you can re-evaluate your hand in that context.

(Distribution Points are my enhancement of the Winning Tricks Hand Evaluation Method).

First, the hand with the most trumps (normally the opening hand) does not count Distribution Points.  I repeat, the opening hand does not count Distribution Points!  The reason is that any trumps used for ruffing are trumps that won't take tricks because of trump suit length.  If the opening hand becomes the supporting hand with respect to trumps, then the Distribution Point counting reverses also.  If the fit is 4/4, then both hands may count distribution points to reflect the possibility of cross-ruffing.

The supporting hand (the hand with the fewer trumps) adds Distribution Points.  Distribution Points come in two flavors:  3 card trump support, and 4+ card trump support.

For 3 card trump support, add
3 points for a void
2 points for a singleton
1 point for a doubleton

For 4+ card trump support, add
5 points for a void
3 points for a singleton
1 point for a doubleton

Using the new combined point count (HCP+DP), subtract 2 to eliminate any contribution by Jacks, and divide the remaining balance by 3 (it takes about 3 points to make a trick).  This gives you an estimate of HCP+DP trick taking capability

Example:  You (13 HCP, 5S), your partner (10 HCP, 3 card support, a singleton)
	13+10+2(singleton) = 25, -2 for assumed number of Jacks = 23, divide by 3 = 7.66

This example has an estimated 7-8 tricks from HCP.

Now estimate the number of trumps between you and your  partner.  Partner knows you have at least 5 spades.  He has 3.  So the total is 8.  Now subtract 6 from that total (the number of trumps you will normally use to draw trump from the opponents).  That leaves you with 2 extra trump tricks.

So you estimate that you have 7.66+2 tricks available to you in a spade contract.  That is just shy of game.  If either of you have something extra to add to the pot then game is likely.  If opener has 6S or has 15 HCP for example, that would make the difference.

The group in England that published this method has done research on hundreds of tournament games and indicates that this method is accurate to +- 1 trick 95% of the time.

For NoTrump contracts it seems that the formula is 1 trick + total HCP/3.  The 1 trick seems to come from being the declarer and being able to manage the play.  So a 3NT contract requires 24 HCP to make, say 70% of the time (24/3=8+1=9)

**Bidding Strategy**

This Bidding System is aggressive.  We routinely open with 11 HCP.  We want to be in game with a combined point count of 24 (HCP for NT, HCP+DP for suits).  We don’t want add to the aggressiveness and overbid unless we are intentionally sacrificing.  So let the Bidding System do its work, count your HCP and DP, estimate the tricks likely, and bid accordingly.  Push a little if you have some feature of your hand that is not exposed by the bidding.

Finding the opening bid is almost mechanical.  The following is a "bidding ladder", an ordered set of questions that will lead you to your opening bid: (M=Major, m=Minor, X=Any suit)
^Question^Opening Bid^
|22-24 HCP, balanced hand?|2NT|
|16+ HCP?|1C|
|11-15 HCP, 5+M?|1M|
|11-15 HCP, balanced hand?|1NT|
|11-15 HCP, 6C or 5C and 4M?|2C|
|11-15 HCP, 4414 pattern?|2D|
|11-15 HCP, 4+D?|1D|
|6-10 HCP, 6+M?|2M|
|6-10 HCP, 7+m?|3m|
|<6 HCP, 7+M?|3M|
|8+X, <5 losers?|4X or 5X|
|Any other|Pass|

**Response Patterns**

The response patterns to the above opening bids are presented in two versions: Basic and Advanced.  The Basic version contains the minimum differences from Standard American or 2/1.  In the Basic version many of the responses are identical to Standard American or 2/1.

The Advanced version introduces additional conventions to enhance the precision and competitiveness of the Bidding System, at the expense of additional complexity.  

Our suggestion is to learn and become comfortable with the Basic version before proceeding with the Advanced version.  However, if you have some experience, feel free to tackle both.  The Advanced version presentation does depend on having digested the Basic version material.

**Following are links to the various response patterns and other support pages. Just click on the link. It is suggested that you read them in the order of presentation.**

**Basic Version Responses:**

[[NoTrump|NoTrump]]

[[StdAm|1D/1H/1S]]

[[OtherIntermediate|2C/2D]]

[[strong|Strong Bids]]

[[weak|Weak Bids]]

**Advanced Version Responses/Conventions:**

**NoTrump Enhancements**
  * [[meckwell|Meckwell Escapes]]
  * [[AustralianStayman|AustralianStayman]]
  * [[transferlebensohl|Transfer Lebensohl]]

**Majors Enhancements**
  * [[Majors|Majors]]

**1D Enhancements**
  * [[advanced1D|1D]]

**Slam Bidding**
  * [[slambidding|Slam Bidding]]

**Handling Interference Bids**
  * [[interference|Interference]]

**Competitive Bidding**
  * [[competitive|Competition]]

**Lecture Notes**
  * [[Lesson1Notes|Lesson 1]]
  * [[Lesson2Notes|Lesson 2]]
  * [[Lesson3Notes|Lesson 3]]
  * [[Lesson4Notes|Lesson 4]]


For those with further interest, there are full spreadsheets of this bidding system available.  Contact Larry Drews at bridge@ansantek.com for details.
LD Precision Club

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