[ArtK78]

A simple auction:

(2♥) - P - (P) - ?

What should a balancing 2NT look like? In your opinion, is this your style or is this "standard?"

Does it matter if your "style" in immediate seat over 2♥ is to act only with above-average opening hands or most opening hands?

[phil_20686]

15-18 balanced, Not really any different from direct seat IMO. Not as worried about a heart stop in general perhaps, since partner normally marked with at least a could of hearts if you have Axx or something.

[whereagles]

A queen less than direct

(2x) 2NT

This interpretation may not be standard, though.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

Max Hardy's book says 14 to 20, but 14 seems a little low ( I always wondered if 14 was a typo ) .

What does Mike Lawrence's book on Balancing say ?
Edit: I looked it up. He said the balancing or direct overcall of 2NT over a weak-2 opening ) is " natural with the approximate values of a NT opening " .

This post has been edited by TWO4BRIDGE: 2012-February-13, 11:57

[mikeh]

No respectable bridge player should quote Max Hardy

I like Lawrence's definition. For me, it is about 14+ to 18-. With 18+, just suck it up and either double or bid 3N, depending on what you think your risks are should you double (one of which is that partner may be bidding lebensohl, and now 3N (if bid) is wrong-sided.

I think this treatment is standard in the circles in which I play.

[whereagles]

 mikeh, on 2012-February-13, 10:58, said:

No respectable bridge player should quote Max Hardy

Finally, a quote by michael I can upvote!!!

[mikeh]

 whereagles, on 2012-February-13, 11:14, said:

Finally, a quote by michael I can upvote!!!

Now you've made me rethink!!!!!!

[JLOGIC]

Yes, 14-20 is ridiculous. I agree with mikeh, but I will note that you have the possibility of double then 2N over 2S if partner bid that. With like 18 or 19 if I had reasonable enough spades I would try to do that, depending on my heart stopper (if it's positional I may not want to as I risk partner bidding lebensohl). The general rule is giving partner about 6 or 7 points, so sometimes with 18 or 19 you have to bid game (esp if they opened 2S).

The reason you overcall 2N with 18 but don't necessarily balance is the necessity of balancing with a 14 count sometimes. If you do that, then your range becomes really wide if you have all 18s in your range, I agree the cutoff is somewhere in the 18 range.