Balanced Hand – ideal for No Trump auctions

• A balance hand will have at least 2 cards in every suit. You may have a balanced hand with following configurations: 4 3 3 3 or 4 4 3 2 or 5 3 3 2 etc. 

• The balance hand can have only one suit with 2 cards and will never have a Void or a Singleton in any suit.

!sAK56	!hA863	!dJ97	!cKJ	Balanced hand with 16 HCP
!sQ	!hAJ76	!dKQT5	!cKT65	Not a balanced hand with 15 HCP
!sAK5	!hQJ4	!dKT7	!cKJ65	Balanced hand with 17 HCP
!sAT	!hKJ987	!dAQ54	!cQ97	Balanced hand with 16 HCP
!sKJ876	!hAQ53	!dQ9	!cAJ	Not a balanced hand with 17 HCP

When you qualify your hand to be holding a balanced configuration, Standard American expects you to make opening bids as per following rules.

No Trump Opening Bids-1st bid

15-17 HCP opener may bid 1NT. Responding partner can opt for JACOBY Transfer, Texas transfers, Stayman or Stayman Minor.

20-22 HCP opener may bid 2NT. Responding partner can opt for JACOBY Transfer, Stayman or Stayman Minor by halving the minimum points requirement 

22-24 HCP first bid 2C for strong hand, relay by responder 2D if less than 8 hand. 2^nd bid of opener is 2NT when he has a balanced hand. Responding partner can opt for JACOBY Transfer, Stayman or Stayman Minor. 2C bid is forcing.

25+ HCP first bid 2C, relay by responder 2D. 2^nd bid For a Balanced hand 3NT. 

Opener’s 2^nd bid as No Trump when holding a balanced hand

12-14 HCP opener will bid a suit as 1^st  bid at level 1. His 2^nd bid will be 1NT

18-19 HCP opener will bid a suit contract even when balanced. The opener has 1^st bid at level 1 and then 2^nd bid will be 2NT only when responder bids a suit at level 1 or Negative Double after 1 Level over call.

Important Note: BBO robots treat 5 Major suit in a balanced hand with 17 HCP as 18+ points hand and hence open 1!H OR 1!S instead of 1NT, in such hands.

Actions over NT opening

BBO robots use GIB convention card. It is derived from Standard American but has some deviations. In GIB, No Trump opening bids receive all further actions (responses and overcalls) are via conventions.

Double over 1NT opening is when overcaller has 16+ points. It is mostly, penalty double.

Overcalls use Cappellette convention-Click the link to read its line of action

Responses to No Trump opening use transfer gadgets that are designed to shift the winning bid to the opener.

Under routine circumstances, if the responding partner wins the bid, the 1NT hand will be dummy and open to everyone to see. A disadvantage for the team as most trick taking potential lies in this high strength hand.

So the strategy is to make 1NT side win the bid by transferring into a suit. Conventions used to accomplish this task are :

• Jacoby Transfer for 5+ MAJOR suit cards and 0+ HCP.
• Texas Transfer for 6+ MAJOR suits and game forcing 10+ HCP. Game forcing
• Stayman with 8+ HCP for 4+ cards Major. Invitational
• Minor Stayman with 10+ HCP for 4+ cards Minor. Game forcing
• Minor Transfer for 6+ MINOR suit cards and 0+ HCP

Important Notes:

• All transfers can be used even when opponent interferes with Double. However, only invitational hands should initiate transfer in conventions like Jacoby or Minor transfers.
• Opponent’s Double over all artificial conventions like Stayman or Jacoby transfer etc.., are Lead Directing. Opponent, here is requesting his partner to move opening lead in this suit.

Response bids go as follows. Click respective link to read details.

• 2!c – Stayman
• 2!d – Jacoby Transfer to !h
• 2!h – Jacoby Transfer to !s
• 2!s – Minor Stayman
• 2NT – Minor Transfer to !c
• 3!c – Minor Transfer to !d
• 4!d-Texas transfer to !h
• 4!h-Texas transfer to !s

Additional Notes

• Overcalls can also be 1NT over a suit opening. Overcaller can bid 1NT with 15-18 HCP hand. Such bids require that the overcaller has a stopper in opener’s bid suit. All conventions are also available, here,that means advancing partner can opt for JACOBY Transfer, Stayman or Stayman Minor. Advancer bids use same gadgets.
• As over caller if you have a 2NT worthy hand, bid double first.

• Responder’s NT bids over suit openings may not be strictly,  balanced.
• 1NT response over a Major suit opening with 6-11 HCP. It is one round forcing.
• 1NT response over a Minor suit opening with 6-9 HCP. Can be passed.

• 2NT response when 12-14 HCP on any opening strain. Provided you are not playing Jacoby 2NT game forcing for Majors

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