Bewitched, bothered and bewildered

[uva72uva72]

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Matchpoints, ACBL robot individual

 

North's actions on this hand are perplexing in several ways:

 

1. Why no responsive double from North over West's 3♣ bid? North has length in the unbids, tolerance for my suit and some values. This seems to follow a pattern I've observed in some competitive situations where North fails to bid when it could/should at its first opportunity, then returns with a vengeance later.

 

2. Why does the programming provide for North to bid 3♥ on a 4-card suit? I can't possibly have 4 ♥ at this juncture, since I've already bid ♠s and ♦s and didn't make a take-out double at either of my opportunities. Shouldn't 3♥ be based on a 6-card suit at this point in the auction?

 

3. What in the world does North think I bid at my second turn? It can't be excited about the ♦ fit because it retreated to the likely 5-2 ♠ fit when doubled instead of the known 5-4 (and possibly 5-5) fit; and my hand is overall limited by my original overcall. I recently reported an instance in which North started bidding other suits despite having 4-card support for my freely-bid suit, but it was suggested that I brought the problem on myself by backing in with the suit after having opened with 1NT. More recently, I opened 1♦ and rebid 2♣ then 3♣, and North, having responded 1 ♠ initially and rebid 2NT (!) holding 5-4-4-0 pattern and what most would consider an opening bid (certainly in support of partner's known 5-card diamond suit) left me to play the 6-0 ♣ fit.

 

The new version looks to include a very helpful improvements, but there still seem to be some poltergeister lurking.

[1eyedjack]

North has acceptable shape to double 3C, but there is an argument that it lacks the required strength.

The 3H is poor, but bear in mind that it is in response to a system departure. For better or worse, your 3D showed 18-19 TP

[1eyedjack]

Duplicate

[uva72uva72]

Yes, I don't have the values called for in the system notes. However, North doesn't know that (or isn't supposed to), and the robot's 3♥ bid makes no sense even if I have the goods. What's also puzzling is how the robot knew to run from 3♥ doubled. It seems to trust the opponents more than its own programming.

[iandayre]

Obviously, based on its expectations of your strength, GIB should raise Diamonds here. If not that, it should pass. The problem, as in so many other areas, is the description of 3H that allows it to be bid on a 4 card suit, which is clearly ridiculous. Partner would have reopened with a double with as many as 3 Hearts. I would agree that no fewer than 6 of them would be required to bid the suit in this sequence.

[1eyedjack]

Also, is the description of the reopening 3D consistent with the original 1S overcall? It is something that I might do but I thought that GIB was more point - bound.

[Bbradley62]

Also, is the description of the reopening 3D consistent with the original 1S overcall? It is something that I might do but I thought that GIB was more point - bound.

1♠ shows 8-17HCP; 9-19 total points. 3♦ shows a max for that bid: 18- 19 total points. No inconsistency. Yes, the latter definition should include a lower limit of HCP, but GIB needs 12 HCP to have 18 total anyway...