Leaderboard

In theory, 3H shows extra values since 2S should be limit or better, and hands that would reject a limit raise cannot bid beyond 3D over our 2S bid. I’d be worried that an intermediate partner might not understand that point nor understand that it makes no sense to look for a 4-4 heart fit after we did not negative double. Having said that, I think we do have to move towards slam because it is demoralizing for partner should we not do so and it turns out that partner made a good bid. As for where the spade ace is: not only did east overcall but west didn’t double 2S. Again one has to bear in mind the calibre of the opps but most would double with Ax or better in spades. As for how to move towards slam…. We could bid 3S, which is initially a try for 3N. Iirc, jb and her partners may not cue first and second round controls equally, which would be problematic for two reasons. One is that we’d be showing a card we don’t have if we bid 3S and pull an unlikely 3N (opener might have bid notrump earlier) and the second is that we’re really hoping for a 4C cuebid, which partner might not do with the king. Again, I’m going to bid as if partner understands that he can and should cue 4C with either first or second round control and that I’m not promising the spade ace with my 3S bid. If the bidding goes 3S 4D, I think slam has become borderline at best. xx AQJx AQxxx Qx is too good to have bid 3D over 2S yet offers no play for slam other than an improbable lead away from the club king. Indeed, I can’t think of many layouts where slam is good after 4D over our 3S…at best it’s on a finesse if partner holds QJ in clubs…a finesse that is very likely to work but QJ or QJ10 are very specific and thus unlikely holdings. We don’t know the form of scoring…imo all bidding problems should specify whether it’s imps or mps. At imps I’m content to play 5D making 5 rather than 3N making 4 if that’s the price of trying for a slam that we may be able to bid and make, but at mps 5D will often be a poor contract even when it makes. xx AQJx AQxxx Qx is making a lot of tricks in 3N and we’re not getting there if I don’t bid it now. On balance, I’m moving towards slam. If partner should bid 4C but doesn’t (over my 3S) then we have a teaching moment. I’m not sure what to do over 4D by partner, since it should deny a club control as well as denying the spade ace (he should bid 3N with most hands holding the spade ace and no club control, since our 3S bid is initially only a try for the right game and is not a slam try until we do something more). I think the right bid is 5D. 4H should confirm a club control in our hand, since opener denied one and we’re still trying for slam but I go back to having trouble figuring out how we should be in slam when he has no club control himself. With either one of my partners, I’d bid 5D.

I was currious if our future overlords could bid those hands better than we mortals, so I let Bard sit south and chatGPT west. I took the North and East seat myself. The auctions proceeded: pass-1♦-pass-1♠ 2♦-3♦-dbl-a.p. Note that it was W who opened 1♦ - the auction would have made a bit more sense if we rotated it 90 degress so that it was South that opened 1♦. At the other table, same setup but now chatGPT South and Bard West, it went 1♥-2♥-2♠-4♠ dbl-a.p. Again, note that it was South who opened 1♥. Their reasoning for their bids was absolutely nonsense, contradicting themselves, thinking that 12 points is more than 14 points etc. chatGPT, in a single paragraph, first recited his hand correctly but then corrected himself by noting that he had been dealt 20 cards, which he apparently found normal as his version of SAYC apparently has systematic bids for hands with 20 cads. Psychedelic stuff like "I have a balanced 15-17 so I open 1♦ which is my longest suit as I have six clubs" (chatGPT on the hand with seven hearts). But at least they didn't make any insufficient bids. I am disappointed with Bard who has demonstrated reasonable knowledge of the SAYC bidding system on other deals. Not this time, although at least Bard bids diamonds when he has diamonds and hearts when he has hearts, while chatGPT bids fairly randomly. chatGPT is still to show any sign of life bridge-wise, as far as I have observed.

[hv=pc=n&s=sk9hk6dkjt86ca432&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1d1s2sp3hp?]133|200[/hv] How do you move forward here?

Thank you, all. My apologies. I was South. I did not catch that the hand viewer reversed the positions. Best regards. Mike