[xeno123]

So playing in robot tournament (so 2/1 GF), the following hand came up:

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So first question is whether to immediately support spades (I assume via a ♦ splinter), or instead to bid the 2♥ I chose. My thought was it's better to show the hearts now - if I splinter the hearts will never come up at all. I figured it's not going to be hard to support spades on my next bid.

As it happened, West intervened, partner supported my hearts, and I couldn't figure a way to find out if we were off two clubs or not, and so I simply chickened out. GIB seemed to think any further spade bid was a cue bid, and so I reckoned we were stuck in hearts rather than spades.

Any thoughts on how to approach hands like these? Both when bidding with GIB and also with a competent (but not expert) partner.

[Cyberyeti]

I don't understand why N passed over 3♣ rather than bid 3♥ but I don't 2/1 or play with robots.

The problem is using Blackwood when you don't know what to do over the response.

If you can start with 1♠-3♥ to show this sort of thing it helps, but if not, the key is to show that you have a diamond control and not a club control, and partner to show the club control and K♥.

1♠-2♥-(3♣)-3♥-3♠-4♣-4♦-4♥-4N-5♥-6♥ would do the job in reasonably simple fashion (auction depends whether you're playing serious or frivolous 3N or neither).

In your auction I'd bid 5♦ rather than 4N, but I could entirely understand partner being worried about his spades and signing off.

[Antrax]

Playing with GIB it's rare you'll want to describe your hand, because GIB has lousy "judgment". You want to mastermind the auction. So, 2NT (since the 5-4 fit isn't likely to play worse than the 6-2 or 6-3 heart fit, and if GIB raises hearts you're locked into hearts forever as you've discovered).
In this case GIB would show club shortness and then you can keycard with confidence.

With a human partner, of course the descriptive 2♥ is best IMO. In my partnership it would go 1♠-2♥, 3♥-3♠, 4♣ and you're off. GIB requires extras to raise partner's 2/1 response, so it can't have this auction.

[Zelandakh]

Antrax, on 2014-July-03, 03:43, said:

GIB requires extras to raise partner's 2/1 response, so it can't have this auction.

Does ♠JT9xx ♥KJT ♦AQJT ♣x not count as extras against, say, ♠Jxxxx ♥xxx ♦AQJ ♣KJ?

[Antrax]

12 HCP + 2 shortness < 15 -> not extras. GIB is a bean counter.

[gwnn]

Extras does not mean 'I can think of another hand that is (marginally) worse than this one.' Extras means (for example) that your hand is a K away from a minimum opening. For what it's worth, I like raising 2H with all hands with a fit, with or without extras, but if we agreed that 3h shows extras than I don't think this hand qualifies with such an anemic suit (yes, I can see that there is a singleton).

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I have no exp. playing with GIB, hence I dont comment, on how to aproach
this kind of hand, when playing with GIB.

Assuming a regular life partner, ... North should show the fit immeditately,
and the best way is via a splinter.
It is all fairly ok, to req. 4+ trumps for the splinter, but with 2H we are
already reached the 2 level, and if dont make the splinter now, we may never
be able to make the splinter below 4H /4S.

Finally, if you decided to use RKCB, and if you find out, you are missing only
1 KC, bid the slam, you already decided not to worry about 2 possible club
loosers when you pulled out 4NT, so why worry now, and for all you know, partner
may have the club Ace instead of the diamond Ace - The diamond Ace is more likely,
but you never know, how crappy the suits are.

With kind regards
Marlowe