The 4-3-2-1 honor point count, popularized by Charles Goren in the mid-20th century, became universal because of its simplicity. But simplicity comes at a cost. Several specific flaws have been identified through statistical research, most notably by French statistician J-R. Vernes, whose findings form the scientific foundation of the Optimal Point Count method developed by Patrick Darricades.
The core problems with standard HCP:
Statistically, an Ace is worth closer to 4½ points than 4. A hand with no Ace, no King, or no Queen should each be penalized by 1 point. Aces in particular serve critical functions — they prevent opponents from running suits and provide entries that small cards cannot.
A Queen or Jack not supported by other honors in the same suit contributes less than the 2 and 1 points Goren assigns. An isolated Jack is worth only ½ point; a Jack in a doubleton without another honor is worth nothing. Queens and Jacks in short suits — singletons or doubletons — are similarly discounted, as they lose their promoting and controlling functions.
Two Tens together, particularly at No Trump, are worth approximately ½ point combined — a small but real contribution that standard HCP discards entirely. A Jack-Ten combination is worth 2 points.
Goren's 3-2-1 distribution count for void, singleton, and doubleton is also substantially wrong. Statistical analysis shows that a single doubleton has no distributional value (0 points, not 1), a 4-3-3-3 hand should be penalized by 1 point for its flatness, and a singleton is always a liability in No Trump.
The Optimal Point Count separates hand strength into three independently counted components:
H — Honor points, recalibrated as described above. Kings retain their value of 3 points. Queens and Jacks receive variable values depending on whether they are isolated, in combination with other honors, or located in short suits.
L — Length points, counted separately: 1 point for a 5-card suit headed by at least QJ or K, 2 points for a qualifying 6-card suit, and 2 additional points for each card beyond the 6th. Length points are added in addition to distribution points, not as an alternative.
D — Distribution points for short suits, recalibrated to: 4 points for a void, 2 for a singleton, 1 for two doubletons, 0 for a single doubleton, and −1 for a 4-3-3-3 hand.
Opening hands are evaluated using all three components (HLD). Responding hands initially count only HL points (with a maximum of 2 length points), and add distribution points only once a fit has been established.
Standard HCP evaluates each hand in isolation. The Optimal Point Count goes further by accounting for how two hands interact.
Fit points are added when a trump fit is found: +1 for an 8-card fit, +2 for a 9-card fit, +3 for a 10+ card fit. These apply to all suits and all contracts, including No Trump.
Misfit points are deducted when you cannot adequately support partner's long suit: −1 for a doubleton without an honor, −2 for a singleton, −3 for a void opposite partner's 5+ card suit.
Wasted honor points account for honors that lose their value opposite partner's shortness. Non-Ace honors opposite a singleton are worth −2 points; opposite a void −3 points. Holding no honor at all opposite partner's singleton is worth +2 points, and opposite a void +3 points. A special case: a lone Ace without any other honor in the same suit, opposite partner's singleton, gains +1 point — it retains its control value without wasting promoting power.
The combined HLD point count of both hands translates directly into expected tricks. The key reference points for an optimal chance of success are 26 combined points for game in No Trump (3NT), 27 for game in a major, and 33–34 for a small slam. These thresholds apply to the total of both hands evaluated using the Optimal Point Count — not standard HCP.
Based on Patrick Darricades, Optimal Hand Evaluation (2019), with statistical foundations from J-R. Vernes, Bridge Moderne de la Défense (1966).