In the game of bridge

Contract bridge

Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...

 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

Two suiter

In contract bridge, a two suiter is a hand containing cards mostly from two of the four suits. Traditionally a hand is considered a two suiter if it contains at least ten cards in two suits, with the two suits not differing in length by more than one card. Depending on suit quality and partnership...

 and a single suiter

Single suiter

In contract bridge, a single suiter is a hand containing at least six cards in one suit and with all other suits being at least two cards shorter than this longest suit. Many hand patterns can be classified as single suiters. Typical examples are 6-3-2-2, 6-3-3-1 and 7-3-2-1...

 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

Boring club

The Boring Club is a bidding system in contract bridge designed by Lucas Smid of the Netherlands. In this system all balanced hands, that in most natural systems would be opened 1NT or would be opened in a suit at one level with the plan to rebid 1NT or 2NT, must be opened with 1...

") that reserves the 1 opening for all balanced hands (boring hands), has gained some popularity.

See also

• Single suiter
  Single suiter
  In contract bridge, a single suiter is a hand containing at least six cards in one suit and with all other suits being at least two cards shorter than this longest suit. Many hand patterns can be classified as single suiters. Typical examples are 6-3-2-2, 6-3-3-1 and 7-3-2-1...
  
  
• Two suiter
  Two suiter
  In contract bridge, a two suiter is a hand containing cards mostly from two of the four suits. Traditionally a hand is considered a two suiter if it contains at least ten cards in two suits, with the two suits not differing in length by more than one card. Depending on suit quality and partnership...
  
  
• Three suiter
  Three suiter
  In the game of Contract bridge a three suiter denotes a hand containing at least four cards in three of the four suits. As a bridge hand contains thirteen cards, only two hand patterns can be classified as three suiters: 4-4-4-1 and 5-4-4-0.In natural bidding systems, strong three suiters are...
  
  
• Bridge probabilities
  Bridge probabilities
  In the game of bridge mathematical probabilities play a significant role. Different declarer play strategies lead to success depending on the distribution of opponent's cards. To decide which strategy has highest likelihood of success, the declarer needs to have at least an elementary knowledge of...
  
  
• Boring club
  Boring club
  The Boring Club is a bidding system in contract bridge designed by Lucas Smid of the Netherlands. In this system all balanced hands, that in most natural systems would be opened 1NT or would be opened in a suit at one level with the plan to rebid 1NT or 2NT, must be opened with 1...
  
  
• Kamikaze 1NT
  Kamikaze 1NT
  Kamikaze 1NT is a preemptive 1NT opening in the game of contract bridge and in common practice shows a balanced hand with 10-12 high-card points...
  
  

Literature

• H.G. Francis, A.F. Truscott and D.A. Francis (Eds.): The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge
  The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge
  The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge presents comprehensive information on the card game contract bridge with limited information on related games and on playing cards...
  
  , 5th Edition, ISBN 0-943855-48-9.