iandayre

That is one of the most bizarre descriptions I have yet seen from GIB.

I see Art has the same problem I do LOL. The actual contract was 6♣. You would think this would be a good hand for GIB's oddball form of Lebensohl. Playing that way it could bid 3♣, then Spades later. But it still cuebids. Clearly the programmers need to scrap their version of Leb over Weak 2's for a more standard version. Hey what do you know, I finally noticed the suit symbols!

Thanks to those who voted. 1S, as BB correctly guessed, was passed out. Those who chose option #3, including myself, were greeted with Blackwood. Given the double negative, I suspected what was going on and deducted an Ace, staying in 5S which was down one - all the others reached 6. Only one player - JMunday - chose option 2 and got to play in 4S. The lesson - which GIB veterans like myself should have known - it that it is so often deadly to overbid, or even bid what with a human partner would be normal aggressive bidding.

Hard to tell the difference between Clubs and Spades sometimes in these diagrams. And yes Jack, very valid point. Especially after Georgi's notorious "fix" which was that GIB would not MAKE slam level cue bids any more, not that it would stop passing them!

Here is a hand link. Hope this works! http://tinyurl.com/l293dy9 When S opened 1NT (15-17)and super-accepted with 3H over the transfer, GIB Blackwooded into slam. But when the opening bid was was 1C and the 1H response was raised to 4H - showing a balanced 18-19 - it passed. It also Blackwooded over a 3H invitational raise. It moved to slam on the weaker auctions, staying in game only on the strongest one.

Utterly bizarre. A simple hand with an obvious 3D advance over the double. No wonder the programmers are avoiding us.

Sad, the damn things are so obsessed with point count that it can't see that it can make 5D in its own hand.

I completely agree with the double. I suspect that GIB would play 4C as denying 4 Spades. And I think that 5S was quite aggressive. But once it did that, you should try for the grand by bidding 6H, since you have shown no more than a minimum double up to that point.

BBradley is correct. There is no opponents bidding. And yes 3C is an artificial double negative. BBradley's point about rebids after a 1S opener and 1NT response is valid but 3C seems to stand out to the point where I wouldn't consider it much of a problem.

Perhaps GIB is constrained by some foolish point count requirement from bidding 3C. I have to wonder how that call would be described. I had a similar hand recently where I was the beneficiary of GIB's poor bidding. GIB W had 5215 shape, 1S by N, 2S by E, Dbl by S (me) West bid 2NT similarly to this hand, it went P, 3D (what else), Double by me, PASS. It wouldn't even prefer to 3H. 3DX went for 1400. 3H will also be doubled and defeated but will do 2-3 tricks better. We haven't heard from Georgi for a while. I can't wait to hear his explanation as to why GIB E bid 2NT rather than 3C.

Your hand is AKQJTx, xx, A, AJTx

Good question. Better question, why is it doubling at all with such a weak hand?

Playing with a GIB partner against human opponents? You have a stronger constitution than I do LOL.

Right, 3NT could be superior to the 5-3 H fit. The way to explore that is to bid 2C, and if partner bids 3H showing a max with 3, to then offer 3NT as an alternative. If pard has a minimum with 3 Hearts you are happy to stop in 2H.

I would prefer 2C also. The basic bridge concept of length preference is very difficult for GIB for some reason. Often it passes a second suit with the same or even fewer cards than in the first suit. Or a hand I was the beneficiary of in a tournament recently. W was 5215 and passed, 1S by N, 2S by E, double by me as S. W somewhat strangely bid 2NT asking for the minor. When E bid 3D, I doubled and W passed! Plus 1400 for me, the hand plays much better in Hearts, not surprisingly although I was doubling that as well.

I think 3H is more than a bit much. 2H is fine. I would not pass at the one level, I expect to make 2H and with them NV I have to beat it two to score well.

1. Yes. NMF is invitational or better. There is no reason to bid 2NT with 5 Hearts 2. 3H is an unusual call over 2NT, given the above. I would have a maximum, probably 2344 or 2353 with a weakish doubleton in S. 3. Certainly 1NT should deny 5 clubs. 5-5 is crazy and with 2245 you would open 1c if intending to bid 1NT over a major. Might bid 4 card D before 5 card C with singleton in a major.

This is the first I have heard of a BBO skill rating. How does one look it up and what is an "average" rating?

I don't mean to put anyone down but I can't help but wonder, as bad as the advanced GIBs are why does anyone bother play with the basic ones?

Presumably its simulation was your hand with the black suits reversed.

I see no fault with your bidding. GIB takes reverses VERY seriously - you will get in trouble if you stretch for them. You had a complete maximum this time, but many would bid the same if the DK were a small card.

E has a tricky hand, hard to say what it should actually do. Perhaps just double Stayman and then subside. This is a problem above GIB's pay grade. From W point of view NS could be on a 44 fit, and N showed only an invitation. I'd be tempted to treat the double as penalty as W did.

I have never known GIB not to transfer with a weak hand and a 5 card major. Surely you should correct 2H to 2S and not give W the chance to pass 2H out.

Isn't this just awful? Double is so bad. BBO should be embarrassed to promote a program that bids this poorly. Pass 10, 3S 7, Double MINUS INFINITY.