smerriman

Are you sure you have the auction right? At a practice table, GIB is saying 3♣ at that point shows 4+ ♥, 4+ ♣, 9+ total points, which seems to describe your hand. (Though I agree GIB assumes a cue bid shows support far too often).

That was nearly an incredible comeback. Thanks gwnn for video coverage for those of us asleep at the time :)

Why is that a problem? Can you name a *single* example where your 1♠ bid would get passed out, but you can make game?

[hv=http://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?sn=smerriman&s=SKJT954HADJT76CK6&wn=Robot&w=S6HK962D98543CJT4&nn=Robot&n=SAQ7HQJT85DAKCA97&en=Robot&e=S832H743DQ2CQ8532&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1S(Major%20suit%20opening%20--%205+%20%21S%3B%2011-21%20HCP%3B)P3H!(Soloway%20jump%20shift%20--%20rebiddable%20%21H%3B%2017+%20total%20points)P3S(6+%20%21S%3B%2011-21%20HCP%3B%2012-22%20total%20points)P4H(Solid%20H%3B%20maximum%20--%202-%20%21S%3B%20solid%206-card%20%21H%3B%20%21HAKQ%2Cno%20%21H%3B%2017+%20total%20points)P4N(Blackwood%20%5BH%5D%20--%206+%20%21S%3B%2021-%20HCP%3B%2015-22%20t)P5C(Zero%20or%20three%20key%20cards%20--%202-%20%21S%3B%20solid%206-card%20%21H%3B%20%21HAKQ%2Cno%20%21H%3B%2017+%20total%20points)P6H(6+%20%21S%3B%2021-%20HCP%3B%2015-22%20total%20points)PPP&p=DQD6D3DAH5H4HAH6C6C4CAC8HQH7S4HKD8DKD2D7HJH3S5H9HTS2DTH2S7S3SJS6STD9SQS8C9C5CKCTDJD4C7C2SKD5SAC3H8CQS9CJ]400|300[/hv] GIB's bid of 4♥ shows 2 or less spades, and a solid 6 card heart suit. Luckily enough, 6♥ made..

Yes, Blackwood is for clubs, but GIB really doesn't know how to play Blackwood in clubs. After 5NT, 6♣ is always defined as 'No king (below C)', which is meaningless, but that's what it always bids.. it doesn't know how to handle other responses.

It looks like over the double, GIB plays pass as showing "Some clubs - 4♣, forcing to 2NT" and redouble as "Long clubs - rebiddable ♣, forcing to 2NT". Second turn to bid, 2NT is just "Balanced - 4♣" without any mention of points, 3NT is "Cheaper minor - 4♣, 4- total points", while every other bid shows 5+ points, including 3♣: "4♣, 5+ total points, forcing to 3NT". If that's how you're going to define pass/redouble, then it looks like it's just a case of swapping around some of the latter definitions.

I always find it strange how despite this, red and green are universally important opposites, such as on traffic lights..

Yes. Ouch. Not much more to say :huh:

Two matches, two ties: smerriman 50% - 50% barmar http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:5b71f498.e7e9.11e7.a200.0cc47a39aeb4-1514037510&u=smerriman Somehow I couldn't figure out how to count to 13 on board 14 :)

smerriman 50% - 50% broze http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:999c2b52.e731.11e7.a200.0cc47a39aeb4-1513958587&u=smerriman I've been playing too much IMPs, 3 lost boards due to stretching to poor games :(

Oops, I should have mentioned I did that myself too :) https://bridgewinners.com/article/view/bidding-problem-2-ct9lspptpc/

To all group 5 members - I have 'followed' all of you. Whenever you're available to play, 'follow' me, and then you can challenge me and play your 16 boards instantly. (You can then unfollow me if you like :P) I'm ready to play whenever so will let you decide what best fits your Christmas schedule.

The "usual" reason for this is when something unusual happens in the bidding (where humans don't have what they promised). If assumptions based on the bidding make the actual layout impossible, GIB may well have determined that ruffing was no worse than any other play. GIB has an annoying habit of taking bidding too literally - especially when there are other 100% lines that don't rely on bidding - but at the same time, that leads to good plays in other situations. For example, if you've promised an extra spade that East actually has, then it makes no difference whether GIB ruffs or not. You'd need to show the full hand to be sure (should be available after logging in via My BBO - Hands and results).

[hv=http://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?sn=smerriman&s=ST52HAT5432DA6CA5&wn=Robot&w=SK63HQ9DQ7CKT9863&nn=Robot&n=S84HKJ87DK832CQJ2&en=Robot&e=SAQJ97H6DJT954C74&d=n&v=o&b=1&a=PP1H(Major%20suit%20opening%20--%205+%20%21H%3B%2011-21%20HCP%3B%2012-22%20total%20points)P2C!(Drury%20--%203+%20%21H%3B%2011-%20HCP%3B%2010-12%20total%20points)2H!(Michaels%20--%205+%20%21S%3B%2011-%20HCP%3B%209-12%20total%20points%3B%20forcing)4H(Preemptive%20raise%20--%205+%20%21H%3B%209-%20HCP%3B%2011+%20total%20points)PPP&p=DQD2D4DAHAH9H7H6H2HQHKS7S4S9S2S3C7C5CKC2S6S8SAS5C4CAC8CJ&c=10]400|300[/hv] Weirdness happens to the descriptions when East interferes with a Drury sequence - responder and opener's roles seem to get mixed up. 2♠: Limit raise or better in H - 5+ ♥ 11-21 HCP, 12-22 total points 2NT: Invitational to 3NT game - 5+ ♥, 16- HCP, 13+ total points 3♣: Natural, not forcing - 3+ ♣, 5+ ♥, Q+ in ♣, 13-14 total points; forcing to 3♥ 3♦: Natural, not forcing - 3+ ♦, 5+ ♥, Q+ in ♦, 13-14 total points; forcing to 3♥ 3♥: Competitive raise - 5+ ♥, 9+ HCP, 9- total points 3♠: Limit raise or better in H - 5+ ♥ 11-21 HCP, 12-22 total points 3NT: 5-6 ♥, 5- ♠, 17-21 HCP, 22- total points, likely stop in ♠ 4♥: Preemptive raise - 5+ ♥, 9- HCP, 11+ total points

Thanks all for the replies - seems a very tricky situation. Walsh-style, 3NT looks like it's only going to work if partner has a double stopper in spades (without a lucky lead), while if I bid 2♥ and partner happened to raise, it's going to be hard to avoid a slam in a 4-2 fit (unless 1♣ - 1♦ - 2♥ - 3♥ - 6♦ is a thing?) So my current position is probably forgetting about no trumps and bidding 4♦. Up-the-line, I'd probably go with 2NT. Phil, you may want to read https://www.larryco.com/bridge-learning-center/detail/879 , among others. Edit - actually, I'm wrong, all partner needs is the Ace of clubs, 5 diamonds, and a spade stopper for 3NT.. but then 5♦ is likely still making.

FYI, I reported this a couple of days back (it's being generated by handviewer URLs). They've been looking into it but it's almost certainly a false positive.

Doesn't this now make it impossible to proceed when holding a 10 card trump fit when you don't care about the queen? Maybe it works for you, but seems much more complicated than RKCB for me compared to the rare occasion of double ambiguity.

Here you go: [hv=http://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?sn=smerriman&s=SAKT8HKQJ74D62CK5&w=SQH52DAJ43CAQT962&nn=Robot&n=SJ765H63DKQT95CJ4&e=S9432HAT98D87C873&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=1H(Major%20suit%20opening%20--%205+%20%21H%3B%2011-21%20HCP%3B%2012-22%20total%20points)2CD(Negative%20double%20--%204+%20%21S%3B%207+%20HCP%3B%208+%20total%20points)P3S(5+%20%21H%3B%204+%20%21S%3B%2016-21%20HCP%3B%2017-22%20total%20points%3B%20forcing)P4S(4+%20%21S%3B%207+%20HCP%3B%208-10%20total%20points)PPP]400|300[/hv]

It would be very interesting to see what some of the reasons were for the other exceptions I listed in the thread I linked to, like when it led low from a 64 doubleton once.

[hv=http://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?sn=smerriman&s=S52HAKDAKQ9CKT432&d=e&v=b&b=7&a=P1CP1DP]200|300[/hv] I temporarily considered opening 2NT before deciding on 1♣, planning to reverse into diamonds - only to suddenly find that was no longer possible. What now - or would you have opened something else? Playing 2/1 or SAYC, if the answer differs.

Sorry, meant 2, not 1. But same idea applies :)

I find it hard to imagine a hand where you believe it's possible for you to only hold 1 keycard between the two of you, yet at the same time also believe it's possible you have enough combined strength for a grand slam. But surely the 04/15/2/3 approach is going to cause much more regular problems when you have no space to explore after a 3 keycard response.

That doesn't make sense to me - if 3 keycards aren't enough for slam, what were they going to do if you showed 2?

Isn't it standard that if you are in any doubt as to the response, you sign off - and partner raises to slam with 3 or 4 keycards? So it seems very unlikely you'd ever run into any difficulties.