[ArtK78]

Playing in a recent ACBL Robot MP Tourney, I got to experience this hand:

My link

The result was not a bad one, but that is not the issue.

It is clear from the auction that the Robot should be able to count 13 tricks assuming that the hearts are good for 5 tricks. The Robot did bid 7♥, and if the Robot assumes that there is no heart trick to be lost, then there must be 13 top tricks with no top losers. So why not bid 7NT?

The only conceivable rationale that I can come up with is that if there is a heart loser, 7♥ will go down only 1 while 7NT could go down more than one. Is that really the reason? This is matchpoints, after all, and going down one in a grand slam is not likely to be a great success. So why not go after the maximum score?

Besides, there is a chance that there might be 13 tricks in notrump even if the hearts don't run. Give opener KQx of diamonds and xx of spades. Or maybe there is a squeeze.

The bottom line is that the Robot should choose 7NT rather than 7♥ as the final contract.

[cloa513]

ArtK78, on 2012-October-26, 13:31, said:

Playing in a recent ACBL Robot MP Tourney, I got to experience this hand:

My link

The result was not a bad one, but that is not the issue.

It is clear from the auction that the Robot should be able to count 13 tricks assuming that the hearts are good for 5 tricks. The Robot did bid 7♥, and if the Robot assumes that there is no heart trick to be lost, then there must be 13 top tricks with no top losers. So why not bid 7NT?

The only conceivable rationale that I can come up with is that if there is a heart loser, 7♥ will go down only 1 while 7NT could go down more than one. Is that really the reason? This is matchpoints, after all, and going down one in a grand slam is not likely to be a great success. So why not go after the maximum score?

Besides, there is a chance that there might be 13 tricks in notrump even if the hearts don't run. Give opener KQx of diamonds and xx of spades. Or maybe there is a squeeze.

The bottom line is that the Robot should choose 7NT rather than 7♥ as the final contract.

It would have to be simulation decided. Do you really want those turned on for high level decision- it will give crazy results as they put junk into the simulation. What if South had a singleton A what does he do then and maybe GIB allows for that possibility(what is his option)?

As aside when are they going to fix that all cues description including 4C- its a carryover from the help slam tries and is totally wrong.

[Bbradley62]

cloa513, on 2012-October-26, 20:51, said:

As aside when are they going to fix that all cues description including 4C- its a carryover from the help slam tries and is totally wrong.

The half of the 4♣ description that we can actually see looks right to me. What would you prefer that it say instead?

[ArtK78]

cloa513, on 2012-October-26, 20:51, said:

It would have to be simulation decided. Do you really want those turned on for high level decision- it will give crazy results as they put junk into the simulation. What if South had a singleton A what does he do then and maybe GIB allows for that possibility(what is his option)?

As aside when are they going to fix that all cues description including 4C- its a carryover from the help slam tries and is totally wrong.

I assume you mean a singleton club ace. That is not possible. My responses to Blackwood guaranteed the A and K of clubs.

[Bbradley62]

cloa513, on 2012-October-26, 20:51, said:

As aside when are they going to fix that all cues description including 4C- its a carryover from the help slam tries and is totally wrong.

Here is the full, accurate description.

---

[cloa513]

ArtK78, on 2012-October-27, 10:20, said:

I assume you mean a singleton club ace. That is not possible. My responses to Blackwood guaranteed the A and K of clubs.

Except the Blackwood was for Hearts so you can't show the K♣ and maybe the description of 5♣ is slightly wrong- meaning second round control in ♣ not K♣ specifically.

[Bbradley62]

cloa513, on 2012-October-27, 18:18, said:

Except the Blackwood was for Hearts so you can't show the K♣ and maybe the description of 5♣ is slightly wrong- meaning second round control in ♣ not K♣ specifically.

No, he means that his response (6♣) to the second round of RKC specifically shows ♣K.

[cloa513]

Bbradley62, on 2012-October-27, 19:46, said:

No, he means that his response (6♣) to the second round of RKC specifically shows ♣K.

Of course its not RKC-I said it supposed show the K♣ but may not.

[ArtK78]

4NT was keycard for hearts. 5♣ showed 0 or 3 key cards. 5NT confirmed all the keycards and the ♥Q and asked for side suit kings. 6♣ showed the ♣K.

Please refer to the link in my original post for the bidding at my table.