• the LTC is a method of hand evaluation applicable to suit contracts only

 
• the number of losers in a hand is determined by the length of each suit combined with the number of top-3 cards (A, K, Q) as follows:
• the number of losers in a suit is initially taken to be equal to the number of cards in that suit with a maximum of 3
• subtract one loser for each A, each K in a doubleton or longer and each Q in a 3-card or longer

 
• if there is a fit, calculate the potential number of tricks by subtracting the number of losers in both hands from the maximum of 24 (for instance: with 7 losers in each of the combined hands and a fit in /, 4/ should be the end bid)

Refinement:

• count the combination Qxx as 2 losers only if:
• it is a proposed trump suit, or
• the Q is supported by the J, or
• it is compensated for by an A in another suit (Axx or AHx)

 
• count the combination AJT as 1 loser

 
• a 5-card or longer without an A or a K increases the number of losers by at least one half

 
• a total number of more than 8 trump cards tends to diminish the number of losers: a minimal correction would be to subtract one loser if the total number of trump cards is at least 10

Opening bids:

• if we have less than 13 high card points, we still have an opening bid of one of a suit  if the following  requirements are met:
• 7 losers at most, and
• at least 2 certain tricks (like an A or KQ), and
• a solid rebid (a 6-card, two 5-cards, or a 5-card with a lower 4-card)

 
• preemptive bids require (apart from the prescribed lenght) exactly 7 losers; if there are more: pass; if here are less: open one of a suit (this advice applies only to situations of equal vulnerability: "love all" or "game all"). If only the opponents are vulnerable, the requirement of 7 losers may be relaxed to 8. If only we are vulnerable, we may consider not to launch a preemptive opening at all (these are my suggestions; LTC guru Ron Klinger has a somewhat different approach)

 
• a semi-forcing opening bid requires a maximum of 4 losers (4-5 according to Ron Klinger)

From the Nations Cup tournament (The Hague, The Netherlands, 1999):

South/game all

North (Gabriel Chagas)
    QJ75
    AKQJ
    KJ3
    43


:

South (Zia Mahmood):
    2
    T86542
    AQ95
    A2

Zia opened a (constructive) weak 2 and Chagas raised to the end bid of 4.

At the other table they reached 6, which is practically a lay-down.

Applying the LTC we get the following losers:

North
            2
           -1')
            2
            2
Total       5
' )     subtract one loser with more than 9 trump cards in both hands

South
            1
            4")
            1
            1
Total       7
" )    add one loser with a 5-card or longer without an A or a K

The total number of losers is: 5+7=12
The number of potental tricks is: 24-12=12
As the quality of the trump cards is excellent and there are sufficient controls,
6 should be the end bid.

Practice your LTC skills with MegaBridge software!

For more information about the LTC see:
Ron Klinger: The Modern Losing Trick Count, Victor Gollancz