BALANCING

This is the procedure where the opponents will re-open the auction with a bid or a double when the opposing bidding has stopped at a low level.

After A Suit Opening

West	North	East	South
1	pass	pass	?

East's hand is known to be extremely weak, otherwise East would have responded. Therefore, South can balance with a hand of medium strength on the assumption that his partner has unrevealed strength.

The normal range for a simple suit bid by South in this situation would be from a minimum of 8 HCPs to a maximum of 13 HCPs. The spade suit is particularly significant. Possession of Spades favors balancing action, and lack of Spades suggests against it.

In more general terms, a shortage in an unbid suit, especially a Major, militates against balancing, and a shortage in the suit of the opponents favors balancing.

West	North	East	South
1	pass	pass	?
			3 AJ6432 KJ5 J64

South has sufficient strength to bid 1 Heart, but that would be dangerous and risky. The opponents almost certainly have a Spade Fit, which they are likely to discover if given the opportunity. It is perhaps better policy to allow them to play 1 Diamond which will more than likely be a poor contract for them, especially by unfavorable vulnerability. Realizing that West has a very strong hand, close to half the values in the deck, the tendency is to pass.

West	North	East	South
1	pass	pass	?
			3 AQ64 KJ53 Q642

But if the opening bid is 1 Spade, a balancing action would be considered just about automatic. A double would indicate 4 Hearts and at least 3-card support in the other two unbid Minors. It is now probable that:

1.		East-West are in their best denomination
2.		that North and South have a fit somewhere
3.		and that North has some strength
4.		West has an Opening / South has 12HCPs; where are the other HCPs?

North will frequently pass a strong hand with length and strength in the suit of the opponents. West has 5 Spades / South has 1 Spade / East is unable to respond. There are 7 Spades not accounted for, and this means that if South doubles, North may pass if he holds 5/6 good Spades.

But, in this situation, if South holds length and strength in suit of West, which is Spades, then he should pass. A double would invoke a forced response by his partner, which would be an undesired effect.

The Balancing Action takes some logical thinking and math.

West	North	East	South
1	pass	pass	?
			3 AQ6 KQ9853 Q64

If South jumps in a new suit, he shows a hand too good for a simple balancing bid, in general a six-card suit or longer and about 12-16 HCPs. Therefore, in the example above, South would a) count his high card points, 13, and b) count the length of his longest suit, 6, and c) make a jump bid of 3 Diamonds to inform his partner that he has a holding with the required length and strength in the suit bid. South is also communicating the fact that his holding is much too strong for a simple balancing bid.

The fact that North has already passed in the above example does not mean that the partnership should not reach a game contract. The fact that East has passed and not supported his partner's opening may strongly indicate that North may hold several stoppers and sufficient high card points to bid a game contract in No Trump, providing that North holds sufficient entries to the long Diamond suit held by his partner, South. This is a matter for the partnership agreement since the range shown by South is between 12 and 16 high card points, but the distribution should also be seriously considered.

After A Suit Opening And Response

The most important consideration is whether the opening side seems to have a fit. If the opening bid is raised to the Two Level and the opener then passes, balancing action is strongly indicated, especially if the opening bid was in a Minor suit.

West	North	East	South
1	pass	2	?
			AJ53 KJ42 J53 64

In this situation North should almost invariably balance. Holding the above hand, North should double, showing:

1.		at least 8+HCPs and
2.		at least 3 card support in the unbid suits

The double by South also strongly indicates that the holding contains both 4-card Majors. Modern bidding practices allow, however, that one Major suit may contain only a 3-card suit, but that the values held should be mainly in the Major suits.

In the above example, an affordable risk, even if partner responds in the unbid Minor. If South does bid 2 Diamonds, then North:

1.		passes or
2.		perhaps corrects to 2 Hearts

leaving South the option of continuing with 2 Spades.

When one side has a fit, their opponents are almost sure to have a fit also. If the opening bid was 1 Diamond, and was raised to 2 Diamonds, balancing action is called for. For this reason many players, after opening, continue to three of the Minor suit as a preemptive maneuver to forestall any balancing action.

1.		Balancing action is desirable in theory but more difficult in practice if a Major suit has been opened and raised.
2.		The player who balances must be prepared for his side to land at the Three Level.
3.		Partner of a balancing action will suspect a four-card suit because of the failure to make an immediate overcall.

After A One No Trump Opening
(Review also the conventions to Defense to a No Trump Opening)

A 1 No Trump bid passed by the partner of the opener produces a situation in which balancing action is expedient. The probabilities are that the opening side has no good fit, and therefore that the defending side also has no good fit. The best policy, therefore, generally is to pass.

If the range for a 1 No Trump by the opponents is a strong 15-18 high card points and you hold approximately the same amount of high card points or more, then a balancing action could bring you some points, but, on the other hand, it might be better to pass and try to set the contract, bringing you more points. It is the same difference between an offensive and defensive hand.

If you follow these guidelines with your partner, then your partner will almost always understand the line of communication, and will be able to respond accurately, without taking you to any unfavorable bidding level, trying to find that fit, and discovering that you have exceeded your bidding level.

If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.