#11 Neither Vulnerable
East   South   West   North
1NT     Pass     Pass        ?
 
North
♠ 7 5 4
♥ K 10 9 6 5
♦ A
♣ Q J 4 2
 
As North, with a reasonable five-card major plus an unbalanced hand, do not sell out to 1NT (especially when the notrump bidder is non-vulnerable). When the auction goes 1NT – P – P to you, the points are split between the two sides because the notrump bidder’s partner would respond with 8+ points. North’s balancing bid is “bidding partner’s points.” Being in the dead or balancing seat, 2H is a wide-ranged bid so South needs to be careful not to get too excited with their opening hand!
 
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