LESSON 1.11: TYPES OF HANDS AND SUITS

a) A balanced hand is any hand with no void, no singleton and no more than one doubleton

      4-3-3-3           K 9 7       A 5 6       A 10 7 4       Q J 3

      4-4-3-2           K 9 7 3       A 5 6       A 10 7 4       Q V

      5-3-3-2           K 9 7       A 5       A 10 7 6 4       Q J 3

b) A distributional hand is any unbalanced hand

      6-5-1-1           K Q J 9 7 5       A 10 6 4 2       8       3

      5-5-3-0           K Q 9 7 5       -       A 10 6       J 8 4 3 2

      6-4-2-1           K       Q J 9 8 7 5       A 10 6 4       3 2

      5-4-2-2           K Q 9 7       5 2       A 10 6 4 3       J 8

c) Classification of suits based on length and strength

    Four-card or more suit (4+ c.).......5 4 3 2
        
    Five-card or more suit (5+ c.).......6 5 4 3 2
        
    Solid four-card or more suit.........Q J 3 2
        
    Solid four-card or more suit.........Q J 10 3 2

    Very solid suit......................K Q J 10 2
        
    Self-sufficient suit.................A K Q 10 4 3 2
        
    Long suit (5 cards or more)..........6 5 4 3 2
        
    Short suit (2 cards or less).........3 2
        
    Doubleton (exactly 2 cards)..........3 2
        
    Singleton (exactly 1 card)...........2
        
    Void (no card in a suit).............-
        
    Stopped..............................A  or  K Q
        
    Semi-stopped.........................K 2 or Q 3 2 or J 4 3 2