High Card Points (HCPs) and suit distribution (shape) determine the initial strength of a hand. Subsequent bidding by partner or opponent requires a reevaluation of hand strength.
- HCPs: A = 4, K = 3, Q = 2, J = 1
- Distribution: Add 1 point for each card over 4 in a suit
The bidding phase allows partnerships to communicate their combined points and distribution. A partnership typically needs a minimum number of points to make a Game or a Slam, specifically:
- 25 points = Game in No Trump (3NT)
- 26 points = Game in a major suit (4♥or 4♠)
- 29 points = Game in a minor suit (5♣ or 5♦)
- 33 Points = Small Slam (6NT / 6♣ / 6♦ / 6♥ / 6♠)
- 37 points = Grand Slam (7NT / 7♣ / 7♦ / 7♥ / 7♠).
Partnerships can make Game or Slam with fewer points provided they have good distribution (shape). Conversely, partnerships can fail to make Game or Slam with poor distribution (shape) even if they have adequate points. Hand distribution (shape) falls into one of four categories, namely:
- Balanced hands: 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, or 5-3-3-2
- Semi-balanced: 5-4-2-2 or 6-3-2-2
- Unbalanced 1-suited: 6-3-3-1, 6-3-2-2, or 7-3-2-1
- Unbalanced 2-suited: 5-4-2-2, 5-4-3-1, 5-5-2-1, or 6-4-2-1
With an unbalanced hand, alternatively count tricks to determine hand strength as follows:
- A = 1 trick
- AK (same suit) = 2 tricks
- AQ (same suit) = 1.5 tricks
- KQ (same suit) = 1 trick
- KQx (same suit) = 1.5 tricks
- K = .5 tricks
- Total length of a 5+ card suit = that number of tricks, but subtract 1 trick for each missing A, K, and Q . For example QJ109xx = 4 tricks.
