smerriman

Just to be clear, even in that case, the double was still for takeout :)

After 1♠ (2♣) 3♣ (pass), GIB shows the same definition for both 3♠ and 4♠: 5+ ♠, 11-21 HCP, 12-22 total points. I've seen GIB make each bid at different times, but there has to a be a much better way to define the bids.

Last set: smerriman 48 - mbodell 19 http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:ef286c86.5e25.11e7.be39.0cc47a39aeb4-1498890267&u=smerriman Crazy finish, took some gambles knowing I needed to catch up and gained 40 IMPs over the last 8 boards, flipping a 23 point match deficit into a 17 point win.

Third set: smerriman 29 - mbodell 24 http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:96ed497d.5c8d.11e7.be39.0cc47a39aeb4-1498714885&u=smerriman

Q2: smerriman 18 - mbodell 16 http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:a0732b8d.5be4.11e7.be39.0cc47a39aeb4-1498642316&u=smerriman Not many points for us at South - tough battle of part scores. I felt I was unfortunate to lose 6 IMPs on the last board, where the bid and play was identical up to the point mbodell played J from QJT and I played T - the whole spade distribution was known at that point, yet it somehow caused the difference between +1 and -1.

Last set: smerriman 43 - bryanyang 6 http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:4ec117ed.5589.11e7.b134.0cc47a39aeb4-1497943387&u=smerriman

3Q: smerriman 18 - bryanyang 16 http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:643c089e.5557.11e7.b134.0cc47a39aeb4-1497921949&u=smerriman

2Q: smerriman 35 - bryanyang 24 http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:23d14a58.54cd.11e7.b134.0cc47a39aeb4-1497862570&u=smerriman For a laugh, check out "advanced" GIB's bidding on board 11 (GIB reaches 4♠ on a 3-3 fit) and board 16 (GIB is ready to pass out 4♣, but after 4♦ competition, launches into Blackwood to reach 6♣.)

Looks like a clearcut bug to me, I can replicate it on a bidding table too. Not sure why GIB wouldn't bid 4♦, as its hand matches that description perfectly.

http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:f9b475dc.548e.11e7.b134.0cc47a39aeb4-1497835870&u=smerriman smerriman 35-19 over bryanyang

[hv=http://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?sn=smerriman&s=SAT42HDAKT85CAQ52&wn=Robot&w=SJ5HAK97542D94CT3&nn=Robot&n=SKQ9HJT6DQJ6CK984&en=Robot&e=S8763HQ83D732CJ76&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=P1D(Minor%20suit%20opening%20--%203+%20%21D%3B%2011-21%20HCP%3B%2012-22%20total%20points)3H(Aggressive%20weak%20jump%20overcall%20--%207+%20%21H%3B%2010-%20HCP%3B%203+%20total%20points)PPD(Takeout%20double%20--%203+%20%21C%3B%203+%20%21D%3B%202-%20%21H%3B%203+%20%21S%3B%2021-%20HCP%3B%2016-22%20total%20points)P4H(10+%20total%20points)P5H(3+%20%21C%3B%203+%20%21D%3B%202-%20%21H%3B%203+%20%21S%3B%2021%20HCP%3B%2022-%20total%20points%3B%20forcing%20to%205N)PPP&p=S3S2SJSQDQD7D5D4C4C7CQC3C2CTCKC6D6D3DKD9S4S5SKS6S9S8SAH5H4HTHQSTH3D8HKH6HAHJH8C5H9C8D2DTH7C9S7DAH2DJCJCA]400|300[/hv] As a human, what would you bid over 4♥? I wasn't really sure, but slam seemed very likely and I thought I'd hedge my bets by allowing GIB to pick a suit. GIBs default is to pass if it doesn't know what to do, despite the description being forcing. Perhaps it should default to something else.

3♥ would show 22-24 and 6 hearts according to GIB, so I'm not sure where you saw 29. The "correct" bidding would be 2NT, rather than showing an unbalanced hand with strong hearts. I can't really see anything wrong with GIB's bidding in your case though - 3♣ is the only possible bid you could make with that hand. As opposed to my original hand :)

On #2:

I know freak hands like these are probably too rare to spend time on fixing, but nonetheless, I wonder exactly what the robot was thinking with a bid of 3NT: [hv=http://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?bbo=y&lin=pn%7Csmerriman%2CRobot%2CRobot%2CRobot%7Cst%7C%7Cmd%7C4SAQJ52HKDKTCQT964%2CSKT8743H87D982CK5%2CSHAQJ9432DAQJ754C%2CS96HT65D63CAJ8732%7Csv%7CE%7Cah%7CBoard%206%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C1S%7Can%7CMajor%20suit%20opening%20--%205%2B%20%21S%3B%2011-21%20HCP%3B%2012-22%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C2H%7Can%7CForcing%20two%20over%20one%20--%205%2B%20%21H%3B%2012%2B%20HCP%3B%2013%2B%20total%20points%3B%20forcing%20to%203N%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C3C%7Can%7CNew%20suit%20--%204%2B%20%21C%3B%205%2B%20%21S%3B%2021-%20HCP%3B%2016-22%20total%20points%3B%20forcing%20to%203N%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C3N%7Can%7C5%2B%20%21H%3B%202-%20%21S%3B%2012-18%20HCP%3B%2013%2B%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CCK%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CH7%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cmc%7C12%7C]400|300[/hv] (Basic bot, and I expect an Advanced bot would find something better, but still.)

The fact it brought up a very interesting discussion makes it a good problem, even if it was unintended :)

For #3, is it possible declarer has no trump losers but a diamond void? I think playing low would gift declarer the only way to make the contract.

The usage is perfectly valid. None can mean 'not one' and take a singular verb; it can also mean 'not any' and take a plural verb. Which one you use is solely down to what you think sounds more natural (and in this case, 'are' sounds much better to me). http://www.onlinegrammar.com.au/top-10-grammar-myths-none-always-takes-a-singular-verb/

You did: http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/news_fetch.php?id=3889

You'll need to post the hand so we can see the rest of the bidding. (While it may be a GIB bug, it could also turn out that you misunderstood GIB's system / what your own bids meant to GIB.)

I'm in.

It's worth pointing out that your 3♠ bid was completely non-forcing, so definitely isn't an option here.

I think GIB and BBO in general would benefit greatly from opening GIB up to the community, or at least a much larger team.

That was my initial thought. However, if South has KJ7, then North has chosen to play 9 from T9, and could have played the T equally often. Doesn't that cancel things out and make it a completely even split again?

They're not real MP if that's what you mean; just used as a way of seeding people for later events.

When announced, the registration thread is usually open for around a week, and will be posted in this board. (Given it's specifically an event for active forum participants, knowing people are checking the forum enough to find the thread is an important first step to allowing participation).