iandayre

All other players had the same auction through the double. (with the exception of one I didn't mention before, who passed the forcing 2S) Of course that one also beat me in MP score, adding to the frustration. 2S already showed 10+, 3H was a game force. Also, I have not seen any GIB auctions where pass shows extras. Sometimes direct action shows extras, sometimes it does not.

GIB ACBL Robot Tournament you hold xx, xx, AKTxx, AQxx You open 1D in first seat, 1D, 2H, 2S, P --- 3C, P, 3H, Double. What now? Pass seemed obvious, but I was the only one in the small tourney to choose that option. Others? 1 bid 3S (shows 3), GIB bid 4S. 2 bid a strange 3NT, GIB bid 4S. 1 bid 4D, GIB bid 4S. At my table after my pass GIB bid 3S and I bid 4S. Now GIB bid again! 5D cue bid, 5S, down one. Pass would seem to be the weakest action, but was the only one that somehow made GIB think it should bid above game. Hard to understand. GIB held AKJ98xx, Jx, Void, KT9x

Agree with all suggested answers. Nice set.

That hand supports my position. 2C is clearly stated to be forcing to 3NT. That did not used to be part of the definition. The fact that GIB passed 3C is a separate issue. 2C is forcing to game. Regarding opener's major suit rebid after 1D-2C. In the Max Hardy version of 2/1 that I learned many years ago, 2M simply showed a suit. He recommended that 2M DENIED a good 5 card or longer D suit, in effect an anti-reverse. GIB's 2/1 is very similar to Max's methods in many ways. Now that 1D/2C is forcing to 3NT, I believe I have recently seen the 2M rebid described as above, at least about not promising extras. Someone should post the hand with description the next time that auction comes up.

OK you may be right. But one thing I am sure of. GIB does NOT play equals randomly. It will throw away the higher ones to keep the lower 100% of the time. Seems like there could be a connection.

I suppose you are right about priority JDonn, but Stefan is right about this auction. What is sad is that I am going on 3 years playing regularly in GIB tournaments, and BBO has owned GIB for years before that, but such minimal progress has been made. I do thank you for your recent regular responses to posts here.

Probably so, but this is a normal negative double. Partner showed H, it has a raise to 3H at most. Even that is an overbid since partner passed 2D. Why is it introducing Spades? I would like an explanation, if possible, of how the existing programming leads GIB to the 2S call.

OK, let me ask you this. It seems GIB invariably makes the "dramatic" play in these situations. If it believes neither play can cost, I doesn't take the play that can't possibly cost, but prefers the play that could be wrong if its assumption about declarer's hand is incorrect. I have a hard time believing that this preference has not been programmed in.

It used to be true that 1D-2C was not a game force, but I believe that has been changed. Which would mean that since game is already forced, 2S could be natural. Also, 2H is no longer a reverse, just a natural bid. It's true that under the old way, 2H was a GF reverse, so 2S again could be natural.

Can't argue with you there. It should be noted that GIB plays Soloway-style Strong Jump Shifts. I personally love this treatment at the 2 level, don't play it at 3 level. But GIB does, and it will never believe you have this hand if you don't make one.

Agreed, 4D is terrible. But you can't be greedy with GIB. It is a complex auction that doesn't come up every day. Often when that happens, and you find a double out of left field, it's going to be confused. Take your plus until the day when they make some real changes.

If you are going to open 1S with a weak 5-6 in the majors - not a terrible idea - then you should have the agreement that, if partner bids 2 of a minor, 4H guarantees 6 of that suit, with either 5 or 6 Spades. And of course, minimum high card strength.

Obviously not something the most novice human would ever do. Part of the problem is defining the XX by point count. Of course it means I think we will make! But it is still hard to imagine why GIB does anything but pass.

Not saying that is wrong, just wonder if that is better than what I did. With partner overcalling H and both opponents bidding C, seems like if partner has one Ace it is odds on to be H. Thank you for your comment Jdonn, I accept it. To me, biggest BW problem is that GIB can make the 5NT King ask, but doesn't know how to use this information. There have been several hands where GIB could easily count 13 tricks after a side king is shown, but still signs off at 6. In fact, at one time I posted that I have never seen GIB bid a grand after using 5NT. Asked for examples from others and got nothing.

Before I look, I won't be surprised at anything given the horrible methods. They could be cold with us on for a slam. OK, now I looked. Or tried to. Got to the main site, but when I clicked on the hand link I got a blank screen except for 1 in the top left corner.

With that explanation it hardly seems possible to do anything but pass. No guarantee partner has Spades and certainly no safety at the 5 level.

Yes you stay out with the actual hand, but miss the good/cold grand with Axxxx or better. Seems like that is more likely than partner having the wrong Ace, but I don't know how to compute the odds.

I just held this remarkable hand on the last board of an ACBL Robot IMP Tournament: AKQJxxx Kxxxx A Void And the auction went 1C on my left, 1H by my partner and 2C on my right. Given that GIB does not play Exclusion, and I would have undoubtedly been left to play there had I bid 5C, I saw little alternative to 4NT. Partner had an Ace, I bid the grand, and naturally partner held the Ace of Clubs. Oh well. I know Exclusion doesn't come up that often, but it doesn't seem like a difficult convention to program for limited use. It should also be used after Texas Transfers.

Agreed there is no reason that 2D should deny 4 Spades after the 2C interference. I suspect you would have done better to bid 2S - certainly natural and forcing - yourself next. If GIB doesn't support Spades after that, we have a bigger problem.

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Glad to see no one passes. That would be bizarre. Prefer 2H then double next round to the immediate double. 4H on 5-3 could be the only game that makes.

Cannot imagine passing here. 5H comes with no guarantees, but if its is best and I don't bid it, I have let down my partner big time.

Here is another hand where the unfortunate South was passed in a high level cue bid by GIB. This is from an ACBL Robot Tournament. I just successfully bid my longest suit at the 6 level in the same position, but 5S wasn't so bad in my opinion. http://tinyurl.com/zeeswmr

I would suggest that jumps to 5 of a major over partner's takeout doubles be defined as natural and slam invitational - not forcing. This may not be ideal but I would give much better results than the ill-defined cue bids which GIB partners are unable to interpret. At least you would usually be in the right strain. This hand should fit within that description I believe.

I don't know any more about the specifics of the interface between description and programming than any non-programmer. My experience does say that, in general, the programming is intended to reasonably match the descriptions. Even poor descriptions such as some of the ones where high-level cue bids are described as 27+ or whatever. GIB does indeed play you for that strength.