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Balancing -
Facts sheet
Whenever possible don't let the
Opponents get away with an easy part score contract at the 1- or
2-level. (It will give them a good score and your side a poor one
!)
In such cases both sides have probably around 20 points (give or
take a few points).
After LH Opponent's Opening bid and 2 passes, the next Defender is
in the "Balancing seat".
Likewise after Opponent's suit raise
to the 2-level, followed by 2 passes, the next Defender in line is
in the Balancing seat.
1
| West
| North
| East
| South |
| 1♦
| Pass 1
| Pass 2
| ?
|
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2
| West
| North
| East
| South |
| 1♥
| Pass
| 2♥
| Pass 1
|
| Pass 2
| ?
|
|
|
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3
| West
| North
| East
| South |
| 1♣
| Pass
| 1♥
| Pass
|
| 2♥
| Pass 1
| Pass 2
| ?
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In each case the "Pass 1" is the Direct seat, while the "?"
is the Balancing seat.
The Balancing seat player add 3 pts to the value of his
hand, while his Direct seat Partner subtracts 3 points from his
total when making his response.
The adjusted bidding
ranges are shown in the Table below.
(The Direct seat's hand is limited to 15 pts, for with 16+ pts he would have bid already.)
Balancing
The Defender who is to bid after 2 consecutive passes is in the Balancing seat.
His Partner is in the Direct seat.
Bidding
| Balancing seat
| Direct seat |
|---|
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7-12 pts = Overcall, any 5+card suit
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0-11 pts = Pass
12-15 pts = Raise Partner's suit, 3+card support
12-15 pts = bid NT or new 5+card suit, no support
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9+ pts = Take-out Double
9-12 = with shape, 13+ = any shape
| 0-8 pts = Pass if RHO bids, otherwise
0-12 pts = bid 4+card suit, prefer unbid major
9-12 pts = bid NT
13-15 pts = jump bid 4+card suit, or jump bid NT
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11-15 pts = bid NT
| 0-10 pts = Pass, or bid longest suit when unbal.
11-15 pts = bid Crowhurst 2♣
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Responses of Balancing seat after Crowhurst 2♣ :
11-12 = bid suit at 2-level 13 pts = 2NT 14-15 pts = bid suit at 3-level
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Besides being more competitive, the Balancing approach also protects Direct seat's hand.
For it allows the Directs seat to pass when he has 12-15 points but not the right shape to make a proper Overcall or Take-out Double.
© 2015 Michael Furstner
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