[pescetom]

This last board almost cost me the tournament, following some other robot errors.
I hovered (illegally) over 2♦ and 2NT and concluded reluctantly that 2♠ was my best prospect, but partner was not impressed.

Did I do something wrong, at least in GiB's eye?

[johnu]

You really stuck your neck out with your passed hand 2♠ bid (that only promised 4 spades). With 5-5 in the suits that partner promised, I don't think you can possibly risk bidding again.

[msheald]

I think that robot east should have bid 3 spades. 2 spades after double promises 9 to 11 points and 4+ spades, so I think the 2 spades a reasonable bid given both partners are short in diamonds. IMO. However, as has been noted in numerous posts, robots do not play doubles well, so that needs to be taken into account with the bidding sequence.

You could have bid 3 hearts after partner passed 3 diamonds and give partner choice of hearts or spades since not vulnerable, but again, given the questionable doubles bid play of robots, there would be a good chance of ending up in game and going down.

An alternative would have been to bid 1 spades and then 2 hearts over a 2 diamond bid by north if partner failed to support spades. This would give the most options and keep the bidding at the lowest level. No telling how robot would respond to this sequence, since its bidding sequence in doubles is poor. Very possible it would end up in major game and go down.

However, 2 spades is certainly fine, IMO. Best regards.

Mike

[pescetom]

Where is the resident GiB apologist when needed ?

johnu, on 2025-July-13, 17:34, said:

You really stuck your neck out with your passed hand 2♠ bid (that only promised 4 spades). With 5-5 in the suits that partner promised, I don't think you can possibly risk bidding again.

I appreciate your usual irony, but this could be intrepreted both ways - are you suggesting I should in any case rebid hearts? I gave him his chance. My thought is always that if partner's bidding makes no sense it is better to pass rather than to mastermind.

[smerriman]

Not really sure what to say here; in the old version of GIB, the jump to 2♠ showed some values (10-12). But then in 2015, BBO changed this:

Quote

When a passed hand makes a takeout double, GIB will jump in response much less frequently.

Exactly when GIB does jump I don't know; the description of 2♠ is now useless.

Either way, they haven't changed the fact that double and then act further after partner responds shows extra HCP, which you must surely be familiar with already, and it's impossible for GIB to have extras as a passed hand. So it was fully up to you to decide whether you wanted to compete higher or not (seems pretty clear to me with a double fit).