Rule 1. Do it. Rule 2. Do it especially when you are White vs. Red, meaning Not Vulnerable vs. Vulnerable, as this increases your score for beating them, and you are at less risk of opponents doubling and setting you for a big score. Rule 3. Don't do it when the opponents are in a bad contract:
¨ P 2¨ PN E S W
1
2ª P P
???Opponents have bid poorly - a reverse is left in. Pass.
1
¨ P P ???Pass with a real minimum. Nobody wins any matchpoints bidding 1
¨ . If you bid with a minimum, North will bid 1NT and beat you 9 times out of 10. Rule 4. Know the scoring alternatives. When you balance, you are inviting a penalty double. Don't be scared, but don't hand your opponents a sure top by going down the "Death Number" -- minus 200. This is a sure bottom because it is larger than any partial your opponents could make-- 120 to 140 is the normal partial score. You lose to everyone if you go down 200. Rule 5. When your partner balances, don't punish him for doing it; pass. Let your opponents make the mistakes:© P 1NT PN E S W
1
P 2§ 2NT 3§
Rule 6. Balancing calls are not the starting point for bidding exchanges; they are one-shot deals for competing, based on what the opponents have not bid. They are finesse bids, not strength bids. With any real strength, you would have bid earlier. Rule 7. You must always be aware of the bidding so far in the hand: if your partner passed the first time around, he doesn't have a lot. He will not suddenly find an Ace hiding somewhere. Rule 8. Count all the points you know about; the rest of them are in your partner's hand. Don't mentally place them in the opponents' hands. They would have bid more if they had more -- they're good players, too.Terrible bid, West! You have now let your side in for a loud double by South and you have nowhere to hide. East got N/S to take the push to 2NT and then West turned a possible good score into a big minus.
(c) Robert D. McConnell, 1998 All Rights Reserved