Balancing openings
Balancing refers to making a non-pass call to prevent passing out. For an opening, this means opener is at the 4th seat.
Since there is no more opponent to preempt, aggressive preempts are pointless. Wbridge5 drops the gambling 3NT and Namyats in this seat. Probing Wbridge5 5.12 shows these openings from 3NT on.
| P P P - | |
|---|---|
| 4♣♦ | 8+#, 9–13 HCP |
| 4♥♠ | 7+# |
| 4NT | UNT, 6+♦, 6+♣ |
| 5♣♦ | 8+#, 10–12 HCP |
A hand that opens 3NT in the first three seats opens 1♣ or 4♣ instead, and a Namyats hand opens 4 of its major. The 4NT opening is unchanged: all 150 probed 6-6 minor hands opened it, with 2–14 HCP.
- ♠63 ♥97 ♦9 ♣AKQJ10974: 1♣, though 3NT in 1st seat.
- ♠K5 ♥Q ♦72 ♣AK765432: 4♣, though 5♣ in 1st seat.
- ♠J ♥KQJ108732 ♦102 ♣A5: 4♥, though 4♣ in 1st seat.
- ♠KQJ10943 ♥- ♦KQ642 ♣5: 4♠, though 4♦ in 1st seat.
One-of-a-suit openings
A light opening in the 4th seat follows the rule of 15: open if HCP plus spades reach 15.
Weak 2s
The weak 2s are still preemptive, which shows < 12 HCP and 6+ cards. However, a balancing weak 2 shows more offensive values than other seats.
Probing Wbridge5 5.12 shows that vulnerability barely moves this floor. With 6 hearts, a balancing 2♥ came from 7 HCP up, mostly 9–10 HCP, at none vulnerable (23 boards) and at unfavorable (28 boards). At unfavorable vulnerability, 2 hands with 7 HCP passed instead, and 7 hands with 10–11 HCP bid 2♥ instead of 1♥, e.g. ♠KQ10 ♥KQJ753 ♦87 ♣32. On 300 boards with 5–7 hearts and 7–13 HCP, 12 calls changed. Favorable and both vulnerable were only probed on 40 boards each, and no call changed.
Why not play strong 2s for the balancing seat? Weak 2s greatly avoid shitty auctions like 1♥ - 1NT - 2♥ - 3♥ passed out.
Preemptive 3s
Opening 3 of a suit shows 7+ cards and requires opening offensive values (13+ points) but no opening defensive values (< 12 HCP). With a 7-card minor and 10+ HCP, open 1 of the minor instead.
Signoff 4♥ & 4♠
These two stay in the 4th seat because major games are so profitable. They now stand for 4♥ and 4♠ openings with 8–13 HCP, so opening values are allowed.
Not probed
- The balancing 2♠ with 6 spades: the targeted spade hands held 7+, and 4 of 600 random hands opened 2♠.
- Vulnerability: the hands with 5–7 hearts had 300 boards at unfavorable and 40 each at favorable and both vulnerable. The other 4th-seat openings were probed at none vulnerable only.