Friday, December 05, 2003 12:17 AM

Hand Evaluation - Balancing 3NT Bids

PITBULLS:

The opponents open a pre-empt at the 3 level so it goes pass around to you in the balancing chair. Balancing is an art form but there are guidelines . If you are long in their suit , have an opening bid , you should just pass & not disturb things. Partner is short in their suit & took no action , so passing is an easy decision . What if you have a strong NT with a stopper in there suit ? Should you balance with 3NT ? Well yes & no . If they pre-empt in spades , a double will get you past 3NT , so I would balance 3NT with those hands. The bully suit does influence your biding style. Over a 3♥ pre-empt , a 3NT balance depends on my spade holding . When I have good spades, I double , otherwise I balance 3NT.

When they pre-empt in a minor , a 3NT balance is based on playability . This is normally a long other minor with a stopper in their suit. On rare occasions , you could have a stack in their suit but are just too strong to pass. A balanced 22 count , you are vul & they are not will bring out a 3NT bid . The more cards you have in their suit means you are not balancing but just bidding your own strength. When they are vul & I am not , I probably will let them play it there & collect +400 the easy way. Partner will always rescue them if I double. Over a minor pre-empt , I usually double with a flat standard no trump opener with a stopper rather than bid 3NT in the balancing seat. This double over a minor pre-empt assumes I have appropriate cards in the majors.

O.K. with understandings on what constitutes a 3NT balance , suit balances are clarified . You always have the inference that partner did not balance 3NT. It goes 3♣ , all pass with partner balances 3♦ vul . So you hold ♠Axxx ♥AJ98xx ♦10x ♣x & bid 3♥ , partner bids 3NT what next ? O.K. if partner has good long diamonds with a club stopper, she would have balanced 3NT originally based on “playability” so you throw that hand out . Partner is likely to only have one club stopper with a missing diamond card so 3NT is shaky with a club lead. You gave partner an opportunity to bid spades , she failed to do so. Based on these inferences you should retreat to 4♥ as the percentage contract . On this hand it turns out you make +650 despite losing 2 heart tricks & 3NT goes one down.

There are quantitative balances ( HCP’s) , but they should always start out with a double. 3♠-P-P-? , you double so partner bids 4 of a minor . 4NT is to play showing points in the 20 + range & too strong to balance 3NT. What if you have a flat 24 HCP in the balancing spot ? The pre-empt gets around to you so you double . Partner bids something at the 3 level so you jump to 4NT . This is not Blackwood . A general rule is that you must Q bid their suit to clue partner in on the suit fit before 4NT can be Blackwood. In fact , in balancing auctions , especially when minors are bid , a good generalization is 4NT can never be Blackwood !!

Always double with huge balanced hands after pre-empts as you have more options. As Klimo says , all strong hands in the HCP sense start with a double. When you have a distributional demand two , make a Goren style Q bid. 4-4-4-1 hands are balanced per se , so avoid a Q bid with these very strong hands. A double will do nicely.

Balancing 3NT is also predicated on whether partner is a “trapped” hand or a passed hand initially. 3NT ends all contracts when partner has passed originally before the pre-empt. When partner has trapped , she can use your systemic toy ( 4♣ is mine ) to ask you to further describe your balance. As 3NT overcalls & balances can have so many hand types & ranges , a systemic bid sorts things out nicely.