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Balance or not to balance


whereagles

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I would have bid 1S (3-4 spades w/5 hearts, precisely with the aim of blitzing their chances of finding a spade fit. I could bid 2D as well with a weak 2 in hearts or spades, but the suit quality is to bad) or 1H (4+ overcall structure style, while I don't want a heart lead, partner will make a support double with 3 and tell me if 3H is going to be a LoTT bid) the previous round in my regular partnerships. I think the decision to balance depends in part on if they are going to raise on 3 cards. If they do that, I am going to pass. If they don't, I still think I am going to pass but I will be less happy about it.

 

I am not sure if these are *good* bids, but it is what I would do.

 

Thought i was north per the original diagram

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Bidding 1S over 1S is a tough call

 

I'm sitting North - so I could have bid 1S over 1D no problems :D

 

I'm playing canape overcalls, so let's do it?

 

Edit: Oh wait the hand diagram is probably supposed to be 'south' which would make a ton more sense.

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The hand shown is designated as the North hand, but from the auction it would seem to be the South hand in reopening position. That's what I'll assume is the case.

 

At your first opportunity to intervene in the auction, both opponents have bid and neither has limited their hand as yet. You have some points, but they are not in your 6 card suit which is headed by the 10. If you intervene now, especially vulnerable, you want to have reasonably solid values, else you risk yielding some spectacular phone numbers to the opponents. So it just doesn't seem right to jump in at this point.

 

In the reopening position, your second chance to enter the auction, the opponents have a fit, yet they don't have enough to try for game. Give them maybe 22 or 23, so your side does have some values. Those are positives for reopening. But again vulnerability, your poor suit, and especially the location of your hand and the values in your hand aren't good. The bulk of your HC values are in the opponent's suits. Even worse, the opening hand (West) sits behind you and has bid both of those suits. So those points need to be devalued some.

 

If you intervene, it will have to be at the 3 level. Down 2 or off 1 doubled vulnerable (- 200) is a terrible result versus a part score. So you need some reasonable prospect of making to come in with a bid. You're looking at least an 8 loser hand. So partner needs to have something like a 7 loser hand (which is normally about an opener) to make. That just doesn't seem very likely.

 

So, logically, the prudent action is to pass!!

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3. Opponents don't play 2-of-a-fit at MPs.

 

My concern, however, is that partner passed. That means (in my philosophy) that she didn't have a call, or she thought I would know what to do better. So spades are probably 4333 around the table, and if so, she may have the same hand I have with the round suits switched. That will be...poor.

 

Ah well, "rather be -1100 than -110" -- LC.

 

Oh, if I'm playing with a BBO random, then auto-pass. If it's wrong, I'm still going 1100; if it's right, I'm going -200 into -110, or -100 (or -200, doubled) into -100 or more; in 4, of course.

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