Editing Losing-Trick Count (section)

==The original LTC==
The underlying premise of LTC is that if a suit is evenly distributed, i.e. three players hold three cards in the suit and one player holds four, a maximum of three losers can be assumed in any one suit held by the partnership and, in turn, the maximum number of losers held by the partnership in all four suits is 24 (three in each of the four suits in each of two hands, i.e. 3 x 4 x 2 = 24). The LTC method estimates the total number of losers held by the partnership and deducts that total from either 24 to estimate the number of tricks which the partnership may expect to win or 18 to estimate the bidding level the partnership may expect to make their contract. Using either of the LTC method options thus provides guidance as to how high to bid in the auction.

===Methodology===
The basic LTC methodology consists of three steps:
{| style="border: none;"
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|style="width:60px"|'''Step 1:''' || '''Count losers in one's own hand'''<br>The estimated number of losing tricks (LTC) in one's hand is determined by examining each suit and assuming that an ace will never be a loser, nor will a king in a 2+ card suit, nor a queen in a 3+ card suit; accordingly
* a void = 0 losing tricks.
* a singleton other than an A = 1 losing trick.
* a doubleton AK = 0; Ax or Kx = 1; Qx or xx = 2 losing tricks.
* a three card suit AKQ = 0; AKx, AQx or KQx = 1 losing trick.
* a three card suit Axx, Kxx or Qxx = 2; xxx = 3 losing tricks.

It follows that hands without an A, K or Q have a maximum of 12 losers but may have fewer depending on shape, e.g. {{BridgeHandInline|Jxxx|Jxx|Jxx|Jxx}} has 12 losers (3 in each suit), whereas {{BridgeHandInline|xxxxx|&mdash;|xxxx|xxxx}} has only 9 losers (3 in all suits except the void which counts no losers).
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| '''Step 2:''' || '''Estimate losers in partner's hand'''<br>Until further information is derived from the bidding, assume that a typical opening hand by partner contains 7 losers, e.g. {{BridgeHandInline|AKxxx|Axxx|Qx|xx}}, has 7 losers (1 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 7).
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| '''Step 3:'''|| '''Deduct the total from 24 or 18'''<br>The total number of losers in the partnership is determined by adding the numerical results of the previous two steps. Deducting this result from 24, gives an estimate of the total number of tricks that the partnership should win and therefore how high to bid. Deducting this result from 18, gives a  direct estimate of the bidding level the partnership can bid to and expect to make.
|}

===Example===
You hold {{BridgeHandInline|AQxx|Qxx|Kxxx|Qx}} and partner opens 1{{hearts}}. If playing [[five-card majors]], you know you have at least an 8 card heart fit.
{| style="border: none;"
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|style="width:60px"|'''Step 1:''' || '''Count losers in one's own hand'''
{{spades}} AQxx counts as 1 loser<br>
{{hearts}} Qxx counts as 2 losers<br>
{{diamonds}} Kxxx counts as 2 losers<br>
{{clubs}} Qx counts as 2 losers<br>
This is a total of 7 losers.
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| '''Step 2:''' || '''Estimate losers in partner's hand'''<br>Opening partner is assumed to have 7 losers.
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| '''Step 3:'''|| '''Deduct the total from 24 or 18'''<br>The total number of losers held by the partnership is 7 + 7 = 14. Consequently the total number of tricks expected to be won are 24 - 14 = 10 and the expected bidding level may be subsequently worked out to be 10 - 6 = 4, or alternatively the expected bidding level can be calculated directly 18 - 14 = 4,
|}
At this stage in the bidding, one estimates that the partnership can take at least 10 tricks and bid to the 4 level.