fuburules3

I think someone wrote in the bridge bulletin that "only perverts (voluntarily) rebid five card suits"--what does this make N?

What about 1C followed by a jump to 3NT?

All white at IMPS. You are playing a basic 2/1 card and deal yourself S: Qx H: Qx D: KQx C: AKQJxx What's your plan?

I'm looking for someone to play with in Philadelphia on July 14-15. I'm fairly young/have few masterpoints so the partnership desk does not always work too well. I am not an expert, but believe I am fairly solid (e.g. on an average day four copies of me could win a flight C event and on a good day compete for a win in a flight B event). I don't really care too much about the skill level of my partner as long as you are reasonable (e.g. we will bid our 26 HCP 3NT games) and not a jerk. If you're interested, let me know and we can practice online (or live if you're in NYC area). I prefer 2/1, but could possibly play precision with a little practice.

http://tinyurl.com/6mgknbc It seems that 4NT is an overbid (I don't think GIB has the total points to bid 4NT using its evaluation methods).

http://tinyurl.com/86vyq6w This could just be my not knowing how to bid, but how should this hand be bid (is 2H not forcing?)? I guess I haven't discussed this auction, but usually I would play that 2C is non-forcing and would assume without discussion that 2H is forcing.

In this case I think it would raise to 4. In any event, IMO there should be a way to distinguish between a hand that is strong and balanced and one that has a source of tricks.

http://tinyurl.com/7h67fga I know I deserve what I got for bidding 3NT given its description, but it would be nice if an overcall of 3NT did not have to be 25+ HCP and instead could be a hand with a source of tricks.

What exactly did you do?

http://tinyurl.com/77l8qy8 I don't think it makes much sense for 3S to show 18-21 here and 2S doesn't really seem like right bid for GIB.

I'm curious to see the hands it dealt that suggested 7D would make :rolleyes:

I don't think reopening necessarily shows extras in this auction. For instance, there are some pairs who have an agreement to never let opponents play at the one level undoubled. I don't really like that agreement, but the point that it is rarely right to let opponents play at one level is a good one (that I don't think GIB really gets). Also, playing negative doubles, I think there should be some attempt by opener to reopen with hands that would pass a penalty double.

Even the best pairs in the world have bidding mix ups that they discuss afterwards and fix. This isn't really any different. In any event, seems besides the point as I don't think anyone has ever claimed GIB plays perfectly.

The entire point of this forum is to report bidding bugs so they can be fixed . . .

GIB does this all of the time (makes a game try and bids anyway when you reject). If you make a game try, it also doesn't seem to base whether or not it accepts on which game try you make (e.g. you make a diamond game try and it accepts with xxx of diamonds). It doesn't seem like GIB can "think like a human" in these sorts of auctions. That is, maybe it makes a game try with a game force because that is the most descriptive bid and it knows it can just bid game later. I'm not necessarily convinced 3H should be limited to 12-13. In real life I would accept or reject based on my diamond holding (with some regard to the overall strength of my hand). I guess since GIB insists on bidding a game with 25 total points, maybe making 3H be 12-13 instead of 12-15 is a good patch to get GIB to pass more often.

On the bright side, at least E led a club.

http://tinyurl.com/6nqxyq4 How should this be bid in GIB? Over 2C, it doesn't appear there is a system bid; 2D promises 5, 2 of a major extras, and 2NT 14HCP. Does GIB view 3D over 2NT as a signoff? What about 3C? EDIT: To preempt others, I do realize that over 3D I should anticipate a likely 4-3 fit and (maybe?) bid 3NT

I'm not a particularly high level player (which I only add since I know the first two posters are), but I have noticed this in both bridge and poker and to some degree chalk it up to variance. Certainly there are times I am playing better than other times, but there are times everything I do works out perfectly and I feel like a bridge god and there are times where nothing works and I think I am absolutely miserable at bridge. I don't think this type of variance can be attributed entirely to how I am playing and think that I tend to be more critical of my mistakes when they work out poorly. So this is just a long winded way of saying what JLogic said in one sentence, keep on playing and I think eventually you will get your normal results.

I didn't look at 3NT, if it unusual, then I guess that would be a disaster too . . . I've noticed that GIB has become a bit frisky and likes to bid a forcing NT with 3 card support and a weak hand. I'd be interested to know if this is systemic or if GIB has somehow decided through simulations to bid like this. I'm not necessarily against GIB bidding like this, but it sometimes screws up the auction later when GIB doesn't know how to show its hand (e.g http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/53305-bidding-a-non-constructive-major-raise-over-jump-shift/).

http://tinyurl.com/cp3g3gb I guess my first instinct to blast 3NT over 1NT might have worked better. In any event, I don't think 4D should show 25+ total points and even if it did, I think bidding slam is a bit much. I didn't trust GIB enough to show my true number of keycards over 4NT, but in hindsight, I think 5C was the right bid opposite GIB.

I liked this post (and a good plug for the Washington standard book as the Hardy bidding books I have don't have too much discussion on bidding after jump shifts). I would be interested in hearing more thoughts on the jump to seven diamonds. I can certainly imagine there being a trump loser, but my thought was opposite 4 diamonds, at a minimum if diamonds split 2-2 7 ought to be very good (and with a black king, cold). The question is what is 5NT probing for? It specifically states that it does not promise extras, but will GIB always bid 5NT with all the keycards? If GIB will always bid 5NT with all the keycards, signing off looks much better, but if 5NT is an invitation to seven, then the very good heart suit seems like a very good feature.

http://tinyurl.com/6me4w8w I'm willing to be convinced that 4D is not the right bid, but if 4D (presumably) is designed to help find a slam, it seems like GIB has about as good of a hand as I can imagine for a 2S bid and should cooperate.

http://tinyurl.com/d29uj3a As it is, there is no making game here, but seems bad to bid 3NT with no stopper without even looking for a spade fit.

http://tinyurl.com/boftgh6 I have trouble bidding over jump shifts in real life, so I don't know the best way for GIB to bid his hand. I think that 3D should not necessarily show a real diamond suit since opener may have to manufacture a jump shift with a good hand and that GIB should be hesitant to shade his suit length here. In theory we could have ended up playing slam in a 3-3 fit (although I think with a manufactured jump shift opener could correct to 6NT). Open to suggestions as to how this hand should be bid.

Ok, shaded a lot. I've started experimenting a bit with bidding more aggressively in these situations than I ever would in real life playing with GIB.