Balanced hand

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This article concerns contract bridge and uses terminology associated with the game. See Contract bridge glossary for an explanation of unfamiliar words or phrases.

In the game of bridge a balanced hand (or balanced distribution) denotes a hand containing no singleton or void and at most one doubleton. As a bridgehand contains thirteen cards, only three hand patterns can be classified as balanced: 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 and 5-3-3-2. The hand patterns 5-4-2-2 and 6-3-2-2 that are generally classified as a two suiter and a single suiter respectively, are often also referred to as semi-balanced.

In natural bidding systems, balanced hands are either opened with a notrump bid, or rebid in notrump.

In the Netherlands a bidding system called Saaie klaver ("Boring club") that reserves the 1♣ opening for all balanced hands (boring hands), has gained some popularity.

[edit] See also

• Single suiter
• Two suiter
• Three suiter
• Bridge probabilities
• Boring club
• Kamikaze 1NT

[edit] Literature

• H.G. Francis, A.F. Truscott and D.A. Francis (Eds.): The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge, 5th Edition, ISBN 0-943855-48-9.