[masonbarge]

mr1303, on 2015-January-22, 08:50, said:

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This was a bad slam that got worse when the defense cashed the first two clubs.

Who is to blame here? North was a JPB robot.

GIB has done a lot worse to me! I played seven spades yesterday on a 5-1 spade suit.

I think the best action for South would be 4NT, which GIB will hopefully interpret as Blackwood. The interface will tell you (with about 80% accuracy) how GIB will read a bid. And actually, I would myself treat it as Blackwood, since spades has been settled, but opinions on that might vary.

[mgoetze]

cherdano, on 2015-January-22, 16:08, said:

Didn't GIB use to play natural slam tries in such auctions after 3♠, and then later one of the "improvements" changed it to cuebids?

Yes, then they added GIB subs to their new instant tournaments or whatever, and at first people couldn't see what their bids meant (and later when they did they never bothered looking), so instead of fixing that they just jerry-rigged GIB's system to be something they thought people would understand.

[iandayre]

fourdad, on 2015-January-23, 06:59, said:

Why play w/ Bots EVER!! This is a prime example proving that you cannot program advanced actions.

This is a great question which deserves its own topic. I am a Gold LM and played my last hand of live bridge in February of 2008. I didn't touch a card until Dec. 2013 when I tried playing the ACBL robot tournaments on BBO. Now I am playing the game regularly again, reading old Bridge World copies and have renewed my ACBL membership.

I could go on for quite some time. Rest assured though, despite the robots' flaws, it is an enjoyable form of the game to play. But only play with the Advanced bots, the basic ones ARE truly hopeless.

[mm84963]

I would think that North is to blame. Once South denies the club Ace with the 5D bid, North cannot insist on slam. South, knowing that partner had slam interest, can bid 6S if he/she has the club K.

David

[Trump Echo]

Assign the blame?

That's easy. It's my partner's fault!

[spkcp111]

Clearly the BOT--even more so in IMPS. South limited his point values to a balanced 20-21. He has 10 hcps--an IFFY slam at best. You should really have 33 or more.

I play the robots a lot and I'm continually amazed at how the bidding falls apart in slam bidding.

Most often--they leap past it right to 6--no ace asking, no RKC, nothing...

[victorhugo]

I am sorry to be in disagreement with such an esteemed panel, but for my money, when my partner, who I know cues Aces first bids 4♥ with 5-4 in the majors, I sure am NOT playing him for a stiff ♣ when I have 5 ♦ and they didn't preempts in ♣. 100% South.

[redbird97]

South for the 5D bid.

[rmnka447]

South's 5 ♦ bid just isn't right.

One thing I harp about when a player is considering slam is for each player to ask "What do I need to know to insure slam has a reasonable play?". Here, South's answer to that question is simple -- "I need to know at a minimum that we don't have two ♣ losers." By bidding 5 ♦, South makes it impossible for North to show a 2nd round ♣ control below slam.

Indeed, a case could be made that 5 ♦ shows a ♣ control along with the ♦ A. I think that's what the robot took the bid as meaning.

If 4 NT wouldn't be taken as a form of Blackwood, then that would be the best bid. Years back we called it DI (Declarative Interogatory) 4 NT. It shows interest in slam and asks if partner has anything else to show. In this case, it denies the ♣ A. With that card, South could simply continue cueing by bidding 5 ♣.

If 4 NT would be a form of a Blackwood, then South is constrained to bidding some number of ♠s. In any case, South can't use Blackwood with the actual hand because it doesn't get the right info from North. 4 ♠ can't completely be a signoff. From what North can see, even if South held ♥ KQJ and ♦ AKQJ, a black suit A must be held to get to the normal 20-21 for the 2 NT bid. If South bids 5 ♠ would North necessarily recognize that it asks about a ♣ control? Even North if does, could North's hand be something like ♠ J109xx ♥ AQxx ♦ x ♣ QJx where 5 ♠ isn't completely assured. 4 ♠ also might let North use Blackwood when its right to do so.

One little wrinkle might be considered once ♠s are set by the 3 ♠ call after Smolen. 3 NT shouldn't be a logical contract anymore. So 3 NT could be used to begin cueing and deny a ♣ 1st round control. Continuing with 4 ♦ (1st in ♦, no 1st in ♣), 4 ♥ (1st in ♥), the ♣ control issue comes more clearly into view while saving some bidding space.