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High Card Points (HCP)
Counting up the High Card Points in your hand is the first step towards knowing whether your hand is strong enough to bid.
How can I count my points?
To play Bridge you must evaluate the value and strength of your hand. In valuing your own hand there are three factors to consider; high card points (HCP), distributional points (DP) and total points(TP). In this lesson we will calculate the HCP.
This is a ‘lite’ version of the lessons available to members. Our full interactive lessons include in inbuilt Bridge term glossary, instant quiz to test your knowledge and multiple practice hands to play on each subject. Our members area also delivers a new Hand of the Day lesson each day, daily Bridge competitions and unlimited random practice hands to play.
Today’s Hand of the Day
Bidding and Playing Slams 1/7
When 4C is not Gerber and Jump Shift bids
Bidding
Using the Rule of Twenty you can open this hand 10 points + 6 clubs + 6 diamonds = 22: An opening hand – 1D
West overcalls 1S
North makes a Jump Shift bid 3H showing 16+ points and a five(or plus) Heart suit
East bids 3S – THIS IS GETTING REALLY ANNOYING from the opposition
Show your six card club suit and bid it at the lowest level – 4C (if you were Ace asking for a suit contract you should bid 4NT)…PLAY NOW
High Card Points
Look at the honor cards (the Ace (A) the King (K) the Queen (Q) the Jack (J) and the Ten (10) in each suit, each of these cards is has a different points value called HCP = High Card Points. There are a total of 40 points in the entire pack of cards (10 per suit), therefore an average hand will contain 10 points.
Card Values
Ace (A) = 4 HCP
King (K) = 3 HCP
Queen (Q) = 2 HCP
Jack (J) = 1 HCP
Ten (“T” or 10) = 0 HCP
The 10 and 9 card in any suit are known as Intermediate Cards and have value in a game but not High Card Point values, some players give the 10 and the 9 a half point each if they are in conjunction with the Jack. The 8 down to 2 the cards are known as Low Cards or sometimes called “rags” and often written as an “X”.
Instant Progress Quiz
Check the correct answer/s
| What is the high card point count for AS + KS + QS + 10S + 9S =? 3 HCP 11 HCP 10 HCP 4 HCP 9 HCP |
HCP Counting – Practice Game
When you first start learning Bridge, counting HCPs can really slow down your bidding so use our HCP Practice Game to practice HCP counting until it becomes effortless.
Exercise: Add the HCP in the hand below – how many can you count?
- ♠ A K 9 8 7
- ♥ A K 10 8 6
- ♦ 4 2
- ♣4
Answer: This is how bridge hands are written and how you will see them in books and newspapers. The hand on the left is exactly the same hand as the one above.Answer = 14 HCP. Remember the 10 is worth zero HCP’s.
