(1) When you open or overcall, partner will know you actually have what you bid, leading to better contracts when it is your way. (2) When you don’t overcall with bad suits, opponents won’t know where the missing HCP and distribution are. The key phrase is Bids”. Listen for opponents to “Limited limit their hands. (A Limited Bid shows a maximum upper HCP range). They are inviting you into the auction, as they admit to a limit of 7 or 8 tricks their way. Examples of balancing auctions. KJ6 KJ6 ♠ ♠ AQ64 ♥ ♥ KJ6 76 ♦ ♦ 976 AQ9 ♣ ♣ West East West East Q95 ♠ ♠ AT742 Q953 972 J8 ♠ ♠ ♥ ♥ 92 J87 K8 AJT932 ♥ ♥ ♦ ♦ T87 A93 743 K8 ♦ ♦ ♣ ♣ AQ3 K84 83 ♣ ♣ ♠ 8 KT5 ♠ ♥ KT53 Q45 South ♥ ♦ Q452 South ♦ ♣ JT52 ♣ N E S W N E S W 1 P 1 P 1 P 2 P 2 P P 2 P 3 ??? ??? A balancing call at the 3-level. A balancing 2 bid by West. A63 North KJ6 North ♠ ♠ A6 AQ643 ♥ ♥ Q962 76 ♦ ♦ KJ89 AQ9 ♣ ♣ West East West East KT J975 AT74 Q952 ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ 932 J874 9752 J8 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ T8 543 K8 AJT9 ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ AQT632 74 743 K86 ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ Q842 83 ♠ ♠ KQT5 KT ♥ ♥ AKJ7 South South ♦ ♦ 5 JT52 ♣ ♣
(1) When you open or overcall, partner will know you actually have what you bid, leading to better contracts when it is your way. (2) When you don’t overcall with bad suits, opponents won’t know where the missing HCP and distribution are. The key phrase is “Limited Bids”. Listen for opponents to limit their hands. (A Limited Bid shows a maximum upper HCP range). They are inviting you into the auction, as they admit to a limit of 7 or 8 tricks their way. Examples of balancing auctions. ♠ KJ6 ♥ AQ64 ♦ KJ6 ♣ 976 West East ♠ AT742 ♠ Q953 ♥ 92 ♥ J87 ♦ T87 ♦ A93 ♣ AQ3 ♣ K84 ♠ 8 ♥ KT53 ♦ Q452 South ♣ JT52 ♠ KJ6 ♥ ♦ 76 ♣ AQ9 West East ♠ ♠ Q95 ♥ 972 ♥ J8 ♦ K8 ♦ AJT932 ♣ 743 ♣ K8 ♠ 83 ♥ KT5 ♦ Q45 South ♣ N E S W 1 P 1 P 2 P P 2 ??? A balancing 2 bid by West. N E S W 1 P 2 P P 3 ??? A balancing call at the 3-level. ♠ A63 North ♥ A6 ♦ Q962 ♣ KJ89 West East ♠ KT ♠ J975 ♥ 932 ♥ J874 ♦ T8 ♦ 543 ♣ AQT632 ♣ 74 ♠ Q842 ♥ KQT5 ♦ AKJ7 South ♣ 5 ♠ KJ6 North ♥ AQ643 ♦ 76 ♣ AQ9 West East ♠ AT74 ♠ Q952 ♥ 9752 ♥ J8 ♦ K8 ♦ AJT9 ♣ 743 ♣ K86 ♠ 83 ♥ KT ♦ South ♣ JT52