ScanSuit
Analysis of the hands
ScanSuit offers two sets of functions that allow the program to analyse all positions in all game contexts and thus to be totally adapted to the analysis of real games.
  • ScanSuit allows the entries available to North-South to be limited by fixing them to a desired number. It also allows previous discards by any player in the suit concerned to be taken into account. It allows East and West to be allocated either specific cards or a known number of cards in the suit under consideration. It allows East or West to be allocated cards in other suits, which modifies the number of places available in the suit under consideration. ScanSuit allows the user to determine that East and West have an odd or an even number of cards in the suit under consideration, or to designate one of those two players as being strong or long in that suit.


  • ScanSuit provides an analysis of possible treatments for pairs tournaments or four-handed matches. In the former case it is necessary, for each deal, to try to do better than the other tables (the field) but the difference in the number of points is unimportant. In the latter, it is necessary to do better than the other table but also to take account of the difference in points which are converted into IMP. It happens quite regularly in such contests that the play giving the best overall yield of tricks (the maximum play) is not to be recommended (see the details with the button PRESENTATION in the program).
Technical points
  • The software runs under Windows. Like for any downloading or execution action, you must have the corresponding administrator rights if you are using a computer in a network or shared by several users. Despite the apparent simplicity of suit treatment problem, the program uses in fact an algorithm much more complex than that which analyses entire game at open cards (double dummy) and which is in all programs playing bridge. This combinatorial algorithm determines all treatments and makes only restricted pruning on the game tree. Moreover, it works on all possible worlds, whereas the resolution of entire game with opened cards has complete information and works on a single world.


  • When downloaded, the software works on a demonstration mode, and on the full mode if you purchase the unlocking key. Demonstration version doesn't give access to the functions allowing to fix a number of entries or to fix a strong or long opponent. It doesn't allow to analyse hands having more than three differents cards (with ex-aequo). You can, for example, analyse AJ54-K932 because the opponents possess QT876, i.e. QT888; but you cannot analyse KJ98-432 because the opponents possess AQT765, i.e. AQT777, i.e. four different cards.