[Badmonster]

I've been thinking and reading a lot about hand evaluation. Most sources will talk about the negligible value of honors in short suits, but no one tells you how to really adjust. I was told that giving that solo k no value wasn't quite right. And clearly, the whole hand is going to have to be looked at as an entirety, but if we were really, really general could we try to pin this down some? How much is my singleton king worth, before anyone bids? After p opens in another suit? After opps open in another suit? How much is it worth in p's suit? What's my singleton jack worth in p's suit? What am I forgetting to ask?

[goobers]

Well, for starters, the more values your partner has shown, the more useful that stiff K is going to be. If partner opens 2NT, then you should be fairly optimistic about your card.

If your opps have bid a suit where you have a short holding to an honor (Qxx is really good example), then you should devalue it, especially if they raise. It is not going to be very good on offense, but may score a trick on defense, for example.

Stiff honors in partner's primary suit is a good thing (well, not as good as real support, but yeh), singleton Q will often fit well in partner's 5+ card suit, even a stiff J can be a great card if partner puts down something like AKQxx.

If what you're looking for is a mathematical calculation (I should subtract 2 points for this holding but add 1 for that etc etc), I doubt that it exists, and if it does, I imagine it's such a big headache that nobody will be using it all the time anyway. Just think to yourself how your hand started out (I have an invitational hand and pard opened and showed 2 suits where I have fitting honors, so I should upgrade and move to game, or I have invitational hand, but opps bid and raised my suit where I hold QJx, so I should be cautious), and that'll probably be okay.

[Winstonm]

You keep wanting to quantify evaluation in terms of "point value". Knock it off.
HCP are really only of value in NT contracts, when they yield a reasonable expectation of contract.

Make it easy on yourself. Your partner makes a limit raise of your 1S - what do you do with these two hands.

AK532
J5
KQ
8763

AKJ106
xx
xx
KQ108

Which hand is better? If you can tell the difference, you can evaluate.

[P_Marlowe]

Winstonm, on May 3 2007, 08:24 PM, said:

You keep wanting to quantify evaluation in terms of "point value". Knock it off.
HCP are really only of value in NT contracts, when they yield a reasonable expectation of contract.

Make it easy on yourself. Your partner makes a limit raise of your 1S - what do you do with these two hands.

AK532
J5
KQ
8763

AKJ106
xx
xx
KQ108

Which hand is better? If you can tell the difference, you can evaluate.

The LTC gives you the answer ...

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

there are several methods out there,
have look / read and think.

One method to look at, is the LTC.
Have a look at "Modern Losing Trick Count "
from Ron Klinger.
Do not only read the first chapter, you will
discover several simple modifications.
e.g. an evaluation method related to LTC
is the concept of cover cards, and this concept
answers partly your question about the single
King.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: Absent any add. information, just use the
4-3-2-1 method, it has survieved and not only
because changes happen slow.