Editing Losing-Trick Count (section)

===Methodology===
The basic LTC methodology consists of three steps:
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|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).
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| '''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).
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| '''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.
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