At IMP scoring, there are two key considerations when deciding whether to reopen after partner passes either your opener, or left-hand opponent’s opener:

1.         Allowing the opponents to bid a makeable game.

2.          Protect partner on hands where he either doesn’t have the right hand type to enter the auction directly, or he is awaiting a reopening double that he can convert to penalties.

Here it doesn’t seem likely partner has a hand in which he is waiting to penalize spades. The clues are West should have a good suit and you are staring at the xSxAK! He may have a hand with long clubs that he was too light to bid 2xCx.

So what does he have? He likely has some spade length. He DOES NOT have four hearts with 6+ points or he would have made a negative double.

So we know that the opponents have an almost guaranteed heart fit and partner is likely weak.

The question that you need to ask yourself then is, ‘Can we beat 4xHx?

The answer is no. In addition to having 5+ hearts and some values, East is a strong favourite to have spade shortness since he did not raise.

So even though you may give up a part score where you can make 3xDx, you are not giving up game. In the 2014 CNTC playoffs South did balance with 2xDx and the opponents quickly bid up to the cold 4xHx game (two hearts by West, three hearts by East, four hearts by West).

The full deal (hands rotated):

Lessons to Learn

1)    Make sure you consider whether the opponents can make game, usually in an unbid major, when balancing after opening.

2)    An overcaller will often have a very good hand but cannot describe it with one bid. The theory is ‘If I can get by this round of bidding, I am in great shape to describe my hand.’ As such, he is vulnerable to the bidding going all pass.

3)    Notice East did not bid when he had a chance. That is because it is unwise to compete when you have a misfit for partner’s primary suit.

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