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Vu-Bridge | Play like a Champion!

The Balancing position by Paul Bowyer

In this series we are looking at Balancing. Here, the auction is about to die (at a low level), and you have to decide whether to allow the opposition to buy the hand cheaply or whether you should bid something in an attempt to steal the deal. You have a whole new set of decisions to make about whether to bid and what to bid.

First, some general concepts. When the auction grinds to a halt at a low level, it usually means that the points are reasonably evenly distributed around the table. That means you and your partner have as much right to this contract as the Bad Guys.

In other parts of the world, by the way, the balancing seat is called the "Protective position," which makes a lot of sense. You are protecting your partner's and your points. For some reason your partner hasn't bid, and it is probably because of his shape or because the opponents have bid his best suit.

These quiz questions may help guide your decisions in balancing.
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Question 1

  South
♠ 10 8 7 5 3
♥ A 7 6
♦ A 10 6 3
♣ J 		 
Q: 1 - Here the bidding is dying very young. What should we do?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥PP
?


 Your choice:
A: 1♠. You wouldn't dream of overcalling 1♠ if the hand on your RIGHT had opened 1♥ and you had this muck. However, it's a very different story after the hand on your right has admitted to holding trash. Now you want to try either to grab the auction at the one-level or to force the opponents up a level or two. In this position (the balancing seat) you are entitled to bid on seaweed.

Your result so far:
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Question 2

  South
♠ J 9 7
♥ 9 3
♦ A 10 8 6
♣ A J 9 3 		 
Q: 2 - Again the bidding is dying very young. What should we do?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥PP
?


 Your choice:
A: Double. Once again you wouldn't contemplate bidding if the hand on your right had opened 1♥ and you had this piece of cheese. Allowing the opponents to buy the hand in 1♥, though, is unlikely to be in your interests and you should strain to bid in the balancing seat. With Heart shortage the right call is Double. True, you don't have four Spades but that's just tough. Partner should not expect the Earth - he should just expect that you do your best to bid something.

Your result so far:
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Question 3

  South
♠ J 9 7
♥ K 9 8
♦ A J 6
♣ Q J 9 3 		 
Q: 3 - Again the bidding is dying very young. What should we do?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥PP
?


 Your choice:
A: 1NT. Don't let them play in 1♥ - try either to outbid them or to force them up a level. 1NT in the balancing seat shows about 12-14 points. This hand is an interloper from a previous quiz.

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Question 4

  South
♠ Q 9
♥ K 9
♦ A J 6 5
♣ Q J 9 3 2 		 
Q: 4 - Again the bidding is dying very young. What should we do?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♣PP
?


 Your choice:
A: Pass. Who has the majors? Partner had the chance to bid either 1♥ or 1♠ over 1♣ and yet chose to keep his mouth shut. It is possible (we might say likely) that East-West have a fit in a major and we mustn't put a stick into this particular hornet's nest. 1♣ looks to be a bad contract for them - let them stew.

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Question 5

  South
♠ 9 7 6 4 3
♥ 7 6
♦ A Q 7 5
♣ K 3 		 
Q: 5 - You are South. Do you leave the opponents alone here or do you come into the auction at a late stage?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥
P2♥PP
?


 Your choice:
A: 2♠. This is a different situation. With a Spade suit that wretched, you didn't want to overcall 1♠ in the direct seat. Now, though, East-West have found their Heart fit at the two-level - and if they have a fit, you have a fit. They've probably got 20ish points between them, which means North's got 11ish of his own. You need to protect those points. By bidding 2♠ you may snatch the hand or you may push them one level too high if they now bid 3♥.

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Question 6

  South
♠ J 9 7 6
♥ 9 7
♦ K J 10 7
♣ A 7 4 		 
Q: 6 - Again, you have to choose whether to go quietly or whether to fight for the contract
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥
P2♥PP
?


 Your choice:
A: Double. Your certainly didn't have the values to do this in the direct seat (over 1♥), but you must protect your partner's 11ish points, plus your own. You've got the right shape to compete (four Spades and shortage in Hearts). North will know you are light (you didn't bid at your first turn) and should act accordingly. As in Q5 the most likely outcome of bidding now is that you will force the opponents to 3♥, where they might go down.

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Question 7

  South
♠ J 4
♥ A 3
♦ Q 8 5
♣ Q 10 8 7 6 4 		 
Q: 7 - Do you want to enter the water here or is it a little too dangerous?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥
P2♥PP
?


 Your choice:
A: 3♣. It is risky (and maybe scary) to enter the auction at the three-level with this hand, but it is up to you to act. It is usually wrong to sell out to the opponents when they have found a fit at the two-level. Since the opponents have a Heart fit you and your partner are likely to have some sort of a Club fit. We hope.

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Question 8

  South
♠ 6
♥ K 10 7 2
♦ K 8 4
♣ J 9 7 5 4 		 
Q: 8 - Once again the auction dies young. Do you want to let it go or are you in for recussitation?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♠
P2♠PP
?


 Your choice:
A: Double. This is hair-raising to be sure, but with that Spade shortness, we ought to take action. Think about like this: The less we have, the more partner is likely to have, and the more he is depending on us to "protect" him. You might buy the hand at the three-level, the opponents might go overboard in 3♠. Who knows?

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Question 9

  South
♠ J 8
♥ Q 9 8
♦ Q 10 8 6
♣ A J 9 3 		 
Q: 9 - This time we have a couple of rounds of bidding before the auction reaches us. Do you let the auction die or not?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♠
P1NTP2♥
p2♠PP
?


 Your choice:
A: Pass. This is NOT a "fit" auction. West's preference to 2♠ does not promise support for Spades - it is an attempt to kill the auction. You should balance on these hands when the opponents' bidding has petered out with a fit. When the auction has died on a possible misfit you should keep schtum. Very schtum.

Your result so far:
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Question 10

  South
♠ Q 8
♥ K J 6
♦ J 9 7 4
♣ Q 10 7 6 		 
Q: 10 - Again the opponents have a "fit" auction. Should we back in to the bidding?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥
P2♥PP
?


 Your choice:
A: Pass. Maybe with reluctance but Pass nonetheless. With no Heart shortage and no support for Spades you can hardly Double and the overall hand structure is too weak to risk playing at the three-level in a minor. Sometimes discretion just IS the better part of valor.

Your result so far:
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Overall Results

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What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
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Rate yourself:

0 - 40% Maybe this quiz is on a lesson you didn't take yet!
41 - 50% If you have covered this in a lesson discuss the questions with your teacher.
51 - 60% Not bad, but you should re-read the lesson to build a stronger foundation.
61 - 75% Well done: You have a good base, although not yet perfect.
Perhaps review the difficult questions with your teacher or fellow sudents.
Over 75% You are a 1st class player! You really learn well. Kudos to you and your teacher!
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