Bread and butter hand - butter side down

[1eyedjack]

[hv=pc=n&sn=1eyedjack&wn=Robot&nn=Robot&en=Robot&s=sj98h4daq2cakjt72&w=st643hk73dkt643c6&n=skq75haq65d985c98&e=sa2hjt982dj7cq543&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=ppp1c(Minor%20suit%20opening%20--%203+C%3B%2011-12%20HCP%3B%2012-22%20total%20points)p1h(One%20over%20one%20--%204+%20H%3B%2011-%20HCP%3B%206-12%20total%20points)p2c(Opener%20rebids%20his%20C%20--%203-H%3B%203-S%3B%2011+%20HCP%3B%2012-16%20total%20points)p2d(New%20suit%20--%203+%20D%3B%204+%20H%3B%2011-%20HCP%3B%2012%20total%20points%3B%20forcing%20to%203N)p3c(3-%20H%3B%203-%20S%3B%2011+%20HCP%3B%20twice%20rebiddable%20C)p4c(1+%20C%3B%203+%20D%3B%204+%20H%3B%2011-%20HCP%3B%2012%20total%20points)p4d(3-%20H%3B%203-%20S%3B%2011+%20HCP%3B%20twice%20rebiddable%20C)p4s(1+%20C%3B%203+%20D%3B%204+%20H%3B%204+%20S%3B%2011%20HCP%3B%2012%20total%20points)p5c(3-%20H%3B%203-%20S%3B%2012+%20HCP%3B%20twice%20rebiddable%20C)ppp]399|300|MP, robot tourney, best hand South[/hv]

 

Well, where to begin? A routine bread and butter hand, and not even a contested auction.

 

Technically South has 17 total points if you count the stiff H as 2. So shoot me. I don't see the 2C rebid as the source of the problems.

 

Let's start with the 2D bid. Eh?? 2D?? To be fair, according to the system description he is not promising more than a 3 card D suit. That does not of course make it compulsory for him to bid 2D on every hand that has a 3 card D suit, and it does not make it a good bid on this hand. The system description says that the bid is forcing to 3N. I dislike that requirement but live with it. But if that is the system then North simply lacks the strength to drive to 3N. I would have thought that 2N is the best bid despite the wide open Diamonds. Pass comes a close second, and I would not argue with anyone who puts pass into first place. 3C would be (IMHO) a better bid than 2D.

 

GIB describes North as having 12 total points for the 2D bid. You can only come to that conclusion if you count the doubleton Club as one total point. Counting a doubleton as enhancing the value of a hand makes sense only if you anticipate ruffing the third round of the suit. And on this hand we know that we have no trump fit outside of Clubs. With what suit, pray, does North anticipate ruffing the third round of Clubs?

 

Anyway, seeing that I am forced to 3N anyway, and don't have much in the remaining unbid suit, I bide my time with 3C, which appears to be within parameters per GIB system explanations.

 

Now what's with the 4C bid?? Balanced hand, no ruffing values, good guard in the unbid suit, minimal Club support. Does 3N not rather stand out?

 

4D was probably a waste of time. 4N would have been Bwood for C, so that is out of the picture. Could have just bid 5C, but then that would not have made such a good story, because, wait for it ...

 

4S by North??? Now GIB decides that it would be wise to show a 4 card S suit. And wait for it ... the icing on the cake: I mouse over 4N, desperate to get to play there, and it tells me that it would Blackwood - for SPADES.

 

So I finally rest in 5C that can make double dummy but not by me at the table. Maybe I should.

 

And note that while my 4D bid only promises 11+ HCP, my subsequent 5C bit apparently now shows 12+ HCP. What I am supposed to do over 4S with only 11 HCP is a mystery. Blackwood in Spades, perhaps?

[Lord Molyb]

I think that north should bid 2NT over 2♣.

If you bid 3♣ over 1♥ I wonder if North would then bid 3♠...

and if you had bid 5♣ faster, GIB would bid 6 ;)

[ahydra]

Isn't 2D a classic lead-inhibiting bid? Apart from that I agree, 3NT is clear over 3C, and 4NT being Blackwood for spades over a cuebid is just silly.

 

ahydra

[1eyedjack]

Isn't 2D a classic lead-inhibiting bid?

 

I have no objection to them programming in a varied strategy, baby psychs or whatever, with some documentation, but I think that they have higher priorities to sort out before they attempt that rather complex issue.