Introduction

Before playing a Bridge hand, you should know something about the cards you have been dealt. Knowing the strength of your hand is especially important during the auction when you bid. Hand strength is determined by high card points (HCP), distribution points with modifications, and other factors.

Many of the Bridge concepts on these pages comes from How to Play Bridge Like a Boss by Anthony Medley. I will try to denote the ideas that are my own.

High Card Point Value

High card points are the sum of point values assigned to Aces, Kings, Queens, and Jacks according to the following chart.

    CardValue    
  
 Ace4
 King3
 Queen2
 Jack1

Evaluate HCP for these hands as follows.

SouthWestNorthEast
 
♠ K, 8, 4, 2  
♥ K, 6, 3
♦ A, K, J, 10   
♣ K, 7		 ♠ Q
♥ Q, J, 10, 5
♦ 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
♣ J, 5, 4    		 ♠ J, 7, 6, 3
♥ A, 9
♦ Q, 8
♣ A, 8, 6, 3, 2		 ♠ A, 10, 9, 5
♥ 8, 7, 4, 2
♦ 9, 2
♣ Q, 10, 9
 
♠ value = 3
♥ value = 3    
♦ value = 4+3+1 = 8  
♣value = 3
Total value = 17 		♠ value = 2
♥ value = 2+1 = 3
♦ value = 0
♣value = 1
Total value = 6 		♠ value = 1
♥ value = 4
♦ value = 2
♣value = 4
Total value = 11 		♠ value = 4
♥ value = 0
♦ value = 0
♣value = 2
Total value = 6

Distribution Points

Distribution points are added when a suit has 0 cards or is void, 1 card called a singleton, or 2 cards called a doubleton according to the following chart.

     Suit Card CountValue     
  
 Void3
 Singleton2
 Doubleton1

These hands can be evaluated for distribution points that are added to HCP as follows.

SouthWestNorthEast
 
♠ K, 8, 4, 2  
♥ K, 6, 3
♦ A, K, J, 10   
♣ K, 7		 ♠ Q
♥ Q, J, 10, 5
♦ 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
♣ J, 5, 4    		 ♠ J, 7, 6, 3
♥ A, 9
♦ Q, 8
♣ A, 8, 6, 3, 2		 ♠ A, 10, 9, 5
♥ 8, 7, 4, 2
♦ 9, 2
♣ Q, 10, 9
 
HCP value = 17
♠ value = 0
♥ value = 0    
♦ value = 0  
♣value = 1
Total value = 18 		HCP value = 6
♠ value = 2
♥ value = 0
♦ value = 0
♣value = 0
Total value = 8 		HCP value = 11
♠ value = 0
♥ value = 1
♦ value = 1
♣value = 0
Total value = 13 		HCP value = 6
♠ value = 0
♥ value = 0
♦ value = 1
♣value = 0
Total value = 7

Modified Distribution

Consider the example of the singleton Jack. It is probably not worth 1 HCP + 2 Distribution points, because it will most likely lose the Ace, King, or Queen. It should have some value because the suit can be trumped after the Jack loses to a higher honor. And, it might have value supporting partner’s holdings in the suit.

When an honor card is not supported in a short suit, applying HCP and distribution points is over-valuing the hand. In those cases when the honor cards are not covered and vulnerable, I assign either HCP or distribution points, but not both. In all other cases, I assign HCP and distribution points where applicable.

Note: I have been using this method for a while, so I did a google search to see if I was unique. I found a web page from the Cornell Math department describing a similar method for evaluating ‘problem suits’.

 Problem SuitsValue Method 
  
 K, Q SingletonHCP
 J SingletonDist
 KQ, KJ, QJ doubletonHCP
 Qx, Jx doubletonHCP

These hands can be evaluated for modified distribution points that are added to HCP as follows.

SouthWestNorthEast
 
♠ K, 8, 4, 2  
♥ K, 6, 3
♦ A, K, J, 10   
♣ K, 7		 ♠ Q
♥ Q, J, 10, 5
♦ 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
♣ J, 5, 4    		 ♠ J, 7, 6, 3
♥ A, 9
♦ Q, 8
♣ A, 8, 6, 3, 2		 ♠ A, 10, 9, 5
♥ 8, 7, 4, 2
♦ 9, 2
♣ Q, 10, 9
 
HCP value = 17
♠ value = 0
♥ value = 0    
♦ value = 0  
♣value = 1
Total value = 18 		HCP value = 6
♠ value = 0 (HCP)
♥ value = 0
♦ value = 0
♣value = 0
Total value = 6 		HCP value = 11
♠ value = 0
♥ value = 1
♦ value = 0 (HCP)
♣value = 0
Total value = 12 		HCP value = 6
♠ value = 0
♥ value = 0
♦ value = 2
♣value = 0
Total value = 8

Review Questions

1. Evaluate the following hand for HCP and modified distribution points.

            ♠ K, J, 5
           ♥ A, 8, 5
           ♦ 3, 2
           ♣ A, 8, 6, 4, 2

2. Evaluate the following hand for HCP and modified distribution points.

           ♠ Q, 9, 4
           ♥ Q, 10, 7
           ♦ K, J, 10, 8, 4
           ♣ J, 9

3. Evaluate the following hand for HCP and modified distribution points.

           ♠ 10, 8, 6, 3, 2
           ♥ K
           ♦ Q, 9, 7, 6
           ♣ Q, 5, 3

4. Evaluate the following hand for HCP and modified distribution points.

           ♠ A, 7
           ♥ J, 9, 6, 4, 3, 2
           ♦ A, 5
           ♣ K, 10, 7

If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to [email protected]

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