Balancing by Paul Bowyer

This is a quiz on balancing.

The opponent on your left opens the bidding and this is followed by two Passes. Should you bid?

This is an area of the game that needs some understanding.

You don't want to allow the opposition to steal the deal at the one-level. In general, you should strain to bid, sometimes just to make the opener bid to an uncomfortable level.

However, there are risks involved with bidding - one being that you may allow the opposition to find a better spot.

You are relatively safe if you do overcall, though. You know that your right-hand opponent has seaweed, so you cannot be sandwiched between two good hands and thus can't be socked for zillions.

Note that a 1NT overcall is now much weaker than an opening bid (or a direct overcall); 11 to 14 being about right here.

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ K 9 8
♥ Q 4
♦ A 10 8 7 4 2
♣ J 4

Q: 1 - Your left-hand opponent opens the bidding and this is followed by two Passes.
Do you balance, Yes or No?
If so, with what?

South	West	North	East
-	1♥	Pass	Pass
?

A: 2♦. Yes, you should balance with this hand.

You wouldn't (or at least, shouldn't) overcall 2♦ with this tat had East opened 1♥ on your right. Direct two-level overcalls show decent hands.

Here, though, you are balancing - so you can bid on seaweed just to prevent the enemy from winning the auction far too cheaply.

Partner should know that you are not showing a particularly good hand.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ K J 8
♥ Q 4
♦ 10 8 7 4
♣ A Q 7 2

Q: 2 - Your left-hand opponent opens the bidding and this is followed by two Passes.
Do you balance, Yes or No?
If so, with what?

South	West	North	East
-	1♥	Pass	Pass
?

A: Dble. Yes, you should balance with this hand.

You wouldn't Double a 1♥ opening bid (well, we wouldn't, without four Spades and with only a tatty 12 points) but this is a perfectly acceptable balancing Double.

Partner is marked with something after East's Pass, so this allows him a chance to contest the auction.

North shouldn't take you too seriously here - you are, after all, only balancing. Certainly, you are not guaranteeing four Spades.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ K J 8
♥ Q 4
♦ 10 8 7 4
♣ A Q 7 2

Q: 3 - Your left-hand opponent opens the bidding and this is followed by two Passes.
Do you balance, Yes or No?
If so, with what?

South	West	North	East
-	1♠	Pass	Pass
?

A: 1NT. Yes, you should balance with this hand.

You might Pass, but that would be hoisting the white flag by allowing West to steal the deal at the one-level.

1NT shows 11 to 14 points or so, and is designed merely to prevent East-West from winning the auction too cheaply.

You do expect North to have something good over there...

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ K J 8 6
♥ A J 10
♦ A 10 8
♣ A Q 3

Q: 4 - Your left-hand opponent opens the bidding and this is followed by two Passes.
Do you balance, Yes or No?
If so, with what?

South	West	North	East
-	1♣	Pass	Pass
?

A: 2NT. Yes, you should (obviously!) balance with this hand.

In the balancing seat a 2NT bid shows a strong balanced hand. How strong? Well, many play it as 19 to 21 points. However, as in many of these matters it is best discussed by the partnership.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ Q
♥ A 5
♦ Q 9 8
♣ A K Q J 10 7 6

Q: 5 - Your left-hand opponent opens the bidding and this is followed by two Passes.
Do you balance, Yes or No?
If so, with what?

South	West	North	East
-	1♥	Pass	Pass
?

A: 3NT. Yes, you should (obviously!) balance with this hand.

You have eight sure tricks (seven Clubs and the ♥A). It's not asking that much for partner to produce a trick, is it? (You may have to hope that the enemy cannot run off five Spade tricks, but why should they be able to do so? East has nothing).

So 3NT becomes the right call. Sure, it's a gamble. What else is new?

Your result so far:

Open Question

Play this Hand

Now that you've bid five hands, let's see how your play goes.

Overall Results

Your results: out of Average:

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
More informations on our website: www.VuBridge.com

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