[mikl_plkcc]

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After 3NT, I had slam interest but didn't know what to bid, and I lied a ♣ to bid 4♣. 4♥ would be a sign off, 4♠ also, and 4NT would show 19-20 HCP, so I couldn't find a bid to describe my hand. The robot raised with 2 card only, which would imply he thought that I had 6-6 as I opened 1♠!

If the robot bid 3♥ instead of 3NT in the second round I would have bid RKCB 4NT to seek a ♥ slam.

Of course our 5♣ was doomed. A lot of tables did make 6♥ or 6NT, but none involved a 3♣ rebid by South. Some lied a 2NT opening which was followed by a Texas transfer, others started with 1♠ and followed by either a lie of 2NT or 3NT (which denied 4 ♣) where the robot removed to ♥, but it didn't attempt to rebid ♥ if the opener rebid 3♣?

https://www.bridgeba...name=mikl_plkcc

What was wrong with my auction that resulted in total disaster?

[awm]

While I don't like either of the robot's 2nd or 3rd calls, there's not much you can do about that.

The 4♣ bid is not a very good choice. It should show more distribution, 5-5 or 6-5 in the black suits. With a relatively balanced hand, 4nt would be a better choice. It sounds like there is no fit (partner could not raise either of your suits and did not rebid 3♥) so the hand is mostly about whether you can make 6nt. You have a very prime 18 (aces, kings, tens) so I think it's worth the try.

[mikl_plkcc]

awm, on 2025-March-09, 16:11, said:

While I don't like either of the robot's 2nd or 3rd calls, there's not much you can do about that.

The 4♣ bid is not a very good choice. It should show more distribution, 5-5 or 6-5 in the black suits. With a relatively balanced hand, 4nt would be a better choice. It sounds like there is no fit (partner could not raise either of your suits and did not rebid 3♥) so the hand is mostly about whether you can make 6nt. You have a very prime 18 (aces, kings, tens) so I think it's worth the try.

Thanks. My judgement was wrong, the hand was actually worth 19 but I forgot to apply my usual upgrade.

The tables bidding 4NT with the same starting sequence 1♠ - 2♥ - 3♣ - 3NT ended up playing it as the robot didn't raise to 6.

[smerriman]

Pretty much everything seems messed up here for GIB.

I was going to say I would have been tempted by 2NT initially given the semi-balanced nature, to allow more space to explore.. but GIB thinks that's 11-14 HCP In fact, to GIB a rebid of 2NT after a 2/1 is totally non-existent.

And after 3♣ and GIB is not even close to having a reasonable way of handling high reverses. Though I suspect a decent number of club players wouldn't have good agreements of how to squeeze everything you need to communicate in either. I'm somewhat surprised it didn't bid 3♦; it plays that as natural, and that's what a much older version of GIB chooses. I guess they changed that at some point to prefer showing the stopper, at the cost of never rebidding its major..

Perhaps given the limitations of GIB, a leap to 3NT would have worked out best after all, since it will always correct to 4♥ with a 6 card suit after which you can take control, and given it's described as 17-20 it may bid on otherwise with extras, at the cost of never finding a possible club slam.

[johnu]

Good bidding by GIB to get to game. Unlucky that game doesn't make due to the bad club split.