How good is your hand?

[Winstonm]

Honestly it wouldn't occur to me that I should double first in passout seat with 14-15 hcp and the "wrong" shape for a takeout double, just to show strength.

 

How light do people balance? My expectation is that when the auction goes 1m-pass-pass to me and my hand isn't particularly good, partner usually has something like 11-14 balanced. This is the main "opening strength" hand that can't find a call over 1m. Of course it's possible partner has a long club suit with poor spots and didn't want to bid over 1♦, or that partner has freak length in opener's minor, but "weak notrump" openings are probably a lot more common than these.

 

If I don't think we are likely to have the majority of the strength if partner holds 11-14 flat, then I'm passing (unless maybe I hold a really good long suit, which I much prefer to bid at the two level!). I see no need to balance with 6-7 points and a flattish hand. Maybe other people do -- I remember my partner declaring 1♥ in a pairs event and my RHO (with a 4441 19-count) being furious that his partner didn't balance with 1♠ on AQxx of spade and out.

 

Anyways, taking this approach, while my balancing doubles may be a bit light with "perfect" shape (I would double 1♦ with a 4414 8-count in balancing seat), my "power" doubles are not much different than they would be in direct seat. I'm happy to balance at the one-level with hands worth something like 8-16 hcp (obviously shape comes into this too).

 

So most of these example hands like AKJTxx Axx Qxx x and the like are 1♠ bids for me. I can rebid 3♠ later (although I believe a 2♠ rebid should show values -- something like 11-14 since I didn't balance with a preempt). I'd much rather preempt when it seems likely opener has the values for another bid; this puts a lot of pressure on especially when opener has 18-19 balanced, since passing could sell to 2♠ making when they have the majority of the strength, and bidding could go for a number if responder has nothing.

I agree with a lot of what you say. The balance should be much like the reason for overcalling - to compete for the partscore or bid game of your own. With weak hands you can pass so there is little reason to get involved with weakish hands. I would have to hold a pretty solid 9-count and 4441 pattern to double but when singlesuited it pays to be able to limit my strength so partner can have a better idea of how to act. A non-jump, non-double rebid to me is in the range of 10-12. If I have better than this - a full opener and not just a balancer - then it seems right to me to let partner in on this fact so I double and bid to show solid opening values. It is hard enough to bid well when the opponents have struck the first blow, so anytime we can add some type of limit to the bids we have helped clarify our hands. A jump rebid as a picture bid not only sells that hand but more importantly takes it out of the double and bid mix - it is a hand partner cannot hold for his bidding.

 

Winston