Thanksgiving weekend is over and I didn’t balance the amount on my plate very well. We were blessed to share thanksgiving dinner with family on Sunday and close friends on Monday so “balancing” came to mind this morning. I will go nowhere near a scale this week for sure.
I DECIDED I needed a nice clean work area and while my tea was steeping, I started my bridge lesson on -you guessed it –
“Balancing in Bridge”!
Have you ever heard that word before in reference to bridge? If not you’re in for a pleasant surprise!
You sit down at the bridge table and dealer (N) opens 1 diamond, E passes, (S) your right-hand opponent passes —you are now in 3rd seat after two passes with fewer than 12 high-card points —I bet if you have never heard of “Balancing” – you would automatically pass and comment “I’ve got nothing.”
After today you will have a new strategy—
Get ready to balance!
Opening light in 3rd seat after two passes, with fewer than 12 high-card points, is common practice.
As noted above,
N opens 1 diamond
E passes
S passes
You 
are in the passout seat: – if you pass North is playing 1 diamond
So this is what to do:
(1) add the value of a KING (3 points) to your hand
(2). Now, with THIS NEW HAND VALUE what would you do if in the direct seat over North’s opening bid with this new hand value?
YOU WOULD USE the USUAL options after an opponent on your right OPENS THE BIDDING which are to:
—double FOR TAKEOUT BY YOUR PARTNER
—overcall with a good 5 card or longer suit
—bid no trump as a balancing no trump (a balanced hand and stoppers in opener’s suit – not necessarily the usual 15-18 as we have added the value of a king to get to that point count) HERE COMES THE TRICKY PART —
JUST SAYING —It didn’t take long for my work area to lose it’s symmetry-
WHAT DOES YOUR PARTNER DO??
PARTNER OF BALANCER:
1. DEDUCT 3 POINTS FROM THE VALUE OF THEIR HAND AND BIDS AS FOLLOWS:
0-10 POINTS MAKES THE CHEAPEST BID AVAILABLE
11-14 JUMPS A LEVEL
15+ POINTS —CUEBIDS THE OPPONENTS OPENING SUIT (IN THIS CASE DIAMONDS) – TO SHOW A GAME GOING HAND
that’s it on Balancing — now are you wondering what to do in 4th seat after two passes—
4th SEAT OPENINGS
USE THE RULE OF 15
ADD YOUR HIGH-CARD POINTS TO THE NUMBER OF SPADES YOU HOLD AND IF It COMES TO 15 OR MORE BID – IF NOT, PASS —
IT’S REALLY JUST THAT SIMPLE ..
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Cheers
