rmcubed56

[hv=pc=n&s=sat32hak82d73ca32&w=s85hq6daj8ckj8764&n=skqj976h9dqt94cqt&e=s4hjt7543dk652c95&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=2sp2np3sppp]399|300[/hv] North is so strong that personally I would open it 1S especially if Drury is available. When opened as a weak two however i responded with 2N force which GIB sees as artificial 15-point+ forcing. GIB then makes a minimum bid of 3S which it says is 7-9 total points. Why? It clearly has a much stronger hand. Maybe it thinks we will end in no trumps and discounts points for doubleton and singleton? But it seems to score nothing for the Q♣ either... anyway game was a sure thing. Next time I shall assume GIB can’t handle 2N with trump support and just jump straight to 4S.

Here GIB manages to play in a 3-2 fit in a suit which opener has bid, despite having 5-4 and 4-2 fits in unbid suits. [hv=pc=n&s=skj632hj4daqjt9c2&w=sq7hqtdk8763cajt4&n=s854ha9865d42c863&e=sat9hk732d5ckq975&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1dppd1s2dp2sp3sp4sdppp]399|300[/hv] The problem is E not showing a decent suit in response to W’s value-showing overcall. E should probably bid 3C not 2S although I guess some people would bid 2H.

Ha ha! I didn’t double because I assumed W would bid the minor.

In this sequence GIB seems to completely misunderstand its own bidding sequence after Michaels. In particular artificial jump overcall of openers suit. 4S by GIB East cannot be to play given that opponents hold at least eight spades. And indeed the bidding explanation just says 11- points. It is clearly intended to prevent South bidding 4S. It looks a decent bid to me. However it must be forcing - GIB West can’t pass this bid, which, however, it does, coming off for 4S-7. GIB west should bid its minor. [hv=pc=n&s=st98732haqjdaq8c8&w=shkt532d75cqj9752&n=skq4h9764djt64ca3&e=saj65h8dk932ckt64&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=ppp1s2s3h4sppp]399|300[/hv] Hand viewer link

Yes but then why 1S? 1N looks more reasonable

[hv=pc=n&s=sk432h9dk3cakqt97&n=st7hjt865da982c32&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1dp1hdr1sp3cp3hp4sppp]266|200[/hv] I can’t understand GIB bidding N here. I don’t think 1S is a reasonable bid under any circumstances and explanation for bid says N has 4+ spades. If I think N may have fewer than 4 spades I rebid clubs. Sure, North is a point off bidding 1N but it is far closer to spec doing that than bidding 1S.

GIB is North. In this bidding sequence knowing that we have 8+ spades and only 7+ hearts should it not correct 2H back to 2S? [hv=pc=n&s=saqt42haj83dcj432&n=sj63h962dkq8cat65&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=1c1sp2cp2hppp]266|200[/hv]

I bid 2C with 23 HCP and a balanced hand. Responder has 1 HCP with a 5-card minor. Auction proceeds ... 2D 2N. Then responder bids 3N, which according to its description 3-8 HCP which is what I would expect. Actually I would hope for a bit more than 3 as one-sided 3N contracts on minimum points are often tricky. However very surprised to see robot has only 1 HCP and no easy entries. Contract goes down 2. Robot must pass 2N surely? [hv=pc=n&s=saqthaqj7daqtca96&n=s842h3dj8653c7432&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=p2cp2dp2np3nppp]266|200|3NT explanation says "2-5C; 2-5D; 2-4H; 2-4S; 3-8 HCP"[/hv] Big image follows....

Just wanted to thank everyone for the high quality contributions. TBH although Jacoby 2NT is theoretically in my armoury I tend to forget about it maybe because it doesn't come up all that often. Great to have an example I definitely will remember to prompt me to make use of it!

Suppose under SAYC partner bids 1S in first seat. I am in the unusual but happy position of having AKJxxx support, plus AKx clubs, xxx H, QD. What do I bid? Clearly there is slam potential; clearly partner has points outside S. However the fear if I go straight to 4N is that partner also has xxx H. If we were playing splinters the best bid would be 3D. However we weren't. I bid 3S in the end. What would the best response be without the aid of a splinter bid? (Happy ending: Partner showed an A in RKCB and I took the risk and bid 6S. Partner did have xxx H but luckily opponents did not lead S, so contract was made thanks to partner having AKx D. In retrospect cue bidding would have been better than RKCB but then I would have stopped at 5.)

Unusual pass after 1NT pass 2C pass 2D Dbl PASS I don't think GIB should pass after initiating Stayman. Admittedly a hand a human might struggle with too. The bid should probably be 3C. Here is a straight link to the image as it doesn't seem to be showing up otherwise The image of the hand

Thanks to both respondents for their thoughtful - and relaxed - responses...

Thank you to both respondents for their thoughtful - and relaxed - response :->

I was hoping for somewhere people would be less rude, and where one could, if one wished, play at a slightly slower pace, but an opponent recently chastised me for not playing fast enough (10 seconds to make a bid) and referred me to the BBO help saying "relaxed doesn't mean slow". I did have a look at help and couldn't find anything describing what the difference is, so I thought I would ask here...