Bridge Notes

Hi guys,

From time to time, i will post some bridge notes. These are the works of previous NTU batch seniors (special credit to yonghao) and are NOT MY WORK. Please do not reproduce any of these material without the permission of NTU bridge club. Hope u guys enjoy these.

Ivan

Balancing

A balancing bid is made in the pass-out seat after an opponent has opened the bidding i.e. 1 of a suit-pass-pass. It’s often good to keep the auction alive as your partner and you may actually have a contract. There are several guidelines in deciding whether to make a balancing bid.

 You have length and/or high card strength in the other three suits
 You are not vulnerable
 You are short in opponent’s suit. This will mean that partner is not likely to be short in opponent’s suit. Hence he will not have a hand that will allow him to overcall even if he has opening values.

Strength of Partner’s hand
One reason for balancing is to protect partner when he has good values, but did not have a descriptive bid available in the direct seat. In some of these cases, he may have had a "trap pass"-a strong hand that could not call because of length in opener's suit. When opponents pass out a one-level bid, you can usually assume that:
 On average, your side will have about 20-22 pts and the opponents will have 18-20 pts. (14-16 for opener, 4 for his partner). Subtract your HCP's from your side's 20-22 to determine partner's point-count.
 Your side will have an average of 6 cards in opener's suit. Subtract the number of cards you have from 6 to determine partner's length in that suit.

A. Balancing after a 1-level opening
On the balancing seat, the options are as follows:
1. Double
2. 1NT
3. 1 of a new suit
4. 2 of a lower ranking suit

Double

 On the balancing seat, you can make a takeout double with less points as you “borrow” 3 points from partner’s hand
 As taught in takeout doubles, better shape will make up for less points and vice versa

Examples

J 8 7 6 Q 9 6 4 Q 4 3 2 K 1C-pass-pass-pass (no useful values i.e. club king)
Q 8 7 6 K 5 4 3 A 10 8 6 5 1D-pass-pass-double (good shape)
J 2 9 7 5 K 10 6 5 A 5 4 2 1S-pass-pass-pass (hand is minimal and partner
will have to bid at the second level)
8 2 9 7 6 A J 5 4 A 10 9 3 1S-pass-pass-double

1NT

 Over a 1 minor opening, you may bid 1NT with 15-18 points and stoppers in the suit
 Over a 1 major opening, you bid 1NT with 15-18 points and stoppers in the suit because if you double, partner will probably bid two of some suit and you may end up bidding 2NT if you do not have support

Examples

K 8 10 6 5 K J 8 7 A J 5 4 1C-pass-pass-1NT
K 7 6 A Q 2 K J 4 Q J 8 3 1C-pass-pass-double

1 of a new suit

 Good 4-carded major suit or 5-carded major suit
 No wasted values
 May overcall with 6-7 points with favourable vulnerability i.e. 6-7 points
Examples

A 2 Q J 10 7 8 6 5 4 A 9 7 1D-pass-pass-1H
K J 8 7 5 3 Q 5 4 2 10 6 5 1C-pass-pass-1S
A Q J 8 7 10 6 5 4 8 6 3 2 1C-pass-pass-1S
K Q J 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 Q 4 2 1C-pass-pass-1S
A K 10 7 4 2 7 3 Q 8 7 6 3 1D-pass-pass-1S

2 of a lower ranking suit

 5-carded suit and at least 10 points

Example

4 2 8 6 5 A Q A K J 8 7 6 1S-pass-pass-2C
K Q 8 7 4 2 A 2 10 7 6 5 4 1H-pass-pass-1S

B. Balancing over 1NT opening

 Double when you have at least 15 points and a balanced hand
 A 6-carded suit with at least a 1st level responder hand. The suit should preferably be solid

C. Balancing at second level

 At least 6 cards in that suit and a good opening hand

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