[barmar]

In game forcing auctions, sometimes side suit bids are cue bids, sometimes they're help suit slam tries. I haven't figured out when GIB uses one versus the other.

Furthermore, it doesn't always use them the way it claims. "Help suit" is described as "3+ cards, 2-11 8421 points". But a couple of days ago it bid it with doubleton AK; had I known it was cue bidding rather than bidding help suit, I probably would have bid the slam.

I wish it would just cue bid all the time. Help suit is fine for game tries, but slams require controls.

[arigreen]

Thanks for bringing this up. GIB currently is configured to use help-suit slam tries when the following conditions have been met:

- We have an agreed fit in a major suit
- We bid a suit above 3M, or below 3M if we are in a known Game Force. (e.g. 1S-P-2N-P-3C-P-3D)
- The suit bid is not a jump
- The suit bid is not above 4M.
- We are not in a slam force
- The opponents have not bid the suit naturally.

In addition, there can be at most one help-suit slam try in an auction. New suits after the HSST are defined as cue-bids.

GIB "promises" at least Qxx of the HSST and at most AQJ(xx). In a pinch, GIB may make a HSST on a doubleton or with AK (or both. )

Here are some example HSST auctions and the hands GIB held for them:

1S-(3C)-4C-4D AQJxx.Ax.ATxx.KJ
1D-1H-3H-3S AQT.AJxx.Jxxx.Qx
1S-3N-4C (3N = 4333 Choice of games) AQTxx.AJx.KQ.Qxx
1S-2D-2N-3S-4C AKQxx.Ax.Txx.AJ9


I agree with you that cuebids may be more effective slam-bidding tools than these help-suit slam tries, but I hope this post gives you a better understanding of what to expect when GIB makes one.