Ghost Honors

[rhenry]

Here is the basis for my 1.5/1/0.5 evaluation system. (See my earlier post.)

 

An Honor (A, K, or Q) becomes a "Ghost Honor" when it fails to take a trick. Example:

 

North: Q8764 J3 Q7 AK96

South: KJ52 Q1062 A54 J3

 

In a spade contract, the opponents' spade Ace takes just 1 trick, so 0.5 of their spade Ace is a "ghost", which adds to our trick count. So our spade suit counts 2, 1.5 for the real honors and 0.5 for the ghost. In hearts, the opponents have 2.5 Honor count, but take just 2 tricks. Thus the heart suit counts 0.5 for the real Queen and 0.5 for the Ghost. In diamonds, the opponents' King should take a trick(no discard available) so there is no Ghost honor. In Clubs, the opponents' Queen is a Ghost. Your combined hands count 2 in spades, 1 in hearts, 2 in diamonds, and 3 in clubs, or 8 in all. Add one to get 9 tricks.

 

I expect aggressive point counters would bid to 4 spades, with 12 opposite 11 and three doubletons. and go down against best defence.

 

In general it is best for the holder of a singleton or void to try to show it with a splinter bid, rather than use the estimates of singleton = 1.5 and void = 2. When partner learns about your singleton, and when you have enough trumps, partner can count 2 for the entire suit when she lacks the Ace, and 3 for the entire suit when she has the Ace. When you have shown a void, and sufficient trumps, partner can count 3 for the entire suit, and ignore any honors she may have in it.

 

Although I don't use the Italian Systems, which seem to first show a point count range, then distribution, and finally specific high cards, it would seem to me that they would benefit by specifying the initial high card range in my 1.5/1/0/5 system, in order to avoid the pitfall of counting four Jacks the same as one Ace.

 

Finally, remember my evaluation system applies to Suit contracts, not NT contracts.

 

I generally open at the 1-level with any 3.5 Honor Count hand that contains at least a doubleton. For example, A, A, Q and a doubleton adds up to 4.

[hotShot]

If i multiply your 1.5/1/0.5 System with 4 i get:

6/4/2( /1) which is a base of many existing hand evaluation systems.

[ochinko]

If i multiply your 1.5/1/0.5 System with 4 i get:

6/4/2( /1) which is a base of many existing hand evaluation systems.

Quite true. It just adds the high card controls to the HCP (A - 2; K - 1). And it's a good way of evaluation but only for trump contracts. At NT Milton Work does better if you also add some points for suits long enough to provide extra tricks.