What Is Balancing? Balancing is the most subtle and challenging part of competitive bidding. It's unusual at party bridge, but it's the thing that makes competitive bridge so much more exciting.
Balancing is the reason we rarely play any contract at less than Two Spades in duplicate level competition, or even at rubber bridge if all the players are advanced.
When Is There A Balance? A balancing call occurs when the opponents try to stop bidding at a low level - generally lower than 2 Spades or 2NT. An example of balancing:© PN E S W
1§ P 1
2
© P P 2ª . . . A 'balance' call by West.Reasoning. This sequence sounds like North/South have about 13 points by North and 6 or so by South - just about half the HCP's in the deck. East/West also must have about half the points, and they, or at least West, have Spades. West has already passed so he is known not to have an opening hand, but East/West may have the balance of power and a makeable Two Spade contract, or be down only one for minus 50 instead of minus 110 for Two Hearts making by N/S. But, the bidding may not be over yet . . .
P P 3
© . . . South "takes the push" to 3 Hearts.
This is the essence of competitive bidding, typified by West's balancing Two Spade call. N/S must try for three Hearts or chance a bad result on this board. Now they may be scoring -100 rather than +110.
If they make 3© for +140, they were going to make it anyhow playing at 2©.
But West now has a chance to win this hand with his balancing 2ª call.
Just a Couple. If you win just a few hands like this in a round, you'll be a winner at Duplicate.(c) Robert D. McConnell, 1998 All Rights Reserved