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.
Famous quotes containing the words balanced and/or hand:
“Much of the ill-tempered railing against women that has characterized the popular writing of the last two years is a half-hearted attempt to find a way back to a more balanced relationship between our biological selves and the world we have built. So women are scolded both for being mothers and for not being mothers, for wanting to eat their cake and have it too, and for not wanting to eat their cake and have it too.”
—Margaret Mead (1901–1978)
“Hold you there, neither a strange hand nor my own, neither heavy nor light shall touch my bum.”
—Miguel De Cervantes (1547–1616)