An Example of Hand Evaluation 

By Mark Lincoln

This Monday at Spoons,I held the following hand: (where x denotes a small insignificant card):

♠ A Q J x x x   ♥ x x x  ♦ Q J ♣ Jx

This hand is valued at 11 points and has a good 6 card spade suit.

Let’s change the hand slightly to:

♠ A Q J x x x   ♥ x x x ♦ Ax ♣ xx

This hand is also valued at 11 points and has the same good 6 card spade suit. But, the first hand has little chance of establishing​ a trick outside the spade suit, unless partner has strength in the minor suits.

Whereas on the second hand, you can make an additional trick with the ♦ A 

The second hand is worth a whole trick more than the first.

Even though both hands have the same point count, the second hand is worth more in playing strength. 

But, by using the high card point count method, both hands have equal value. – this is clearly nonsense.

Experts look at many aspects (including point count) to determine a hand’s real value. 

One adjustment that is made is not to count 2 points for a Queen and one for a Jack unless they are backed up by either length in the suit, or by having higher honour card in the same suit

On the first hand, I discounted the ♦ Q J and the ♣  J and gave these zero value.

I would have no problems in opening the second hand with 1♠ 

However, I reduced the value of the first hand from its 11 points and I opened a weak 2♠  ostensibly showing 6-10 points and a 6 card suit. Please note that there is nothing wrong with adjusting the value of your hand, it is something that experts often do according to shape and location of honour cards. This often results in the strong players getting to contracts that the rest of the room fail to reach.

There are a lot of other times one can adjust the value of a hand and the principals of hand evaluation are not rocket science, and should be understandable by most players.

A good reference is this little book: 

Pocket Posh Tips for Bridge Players – author Marty Bergen

 ( unfortunately this is  out of print, although can be found second hand on eBay. Also kindle. Points Schmoints by Bergen is similar)