Posted 2014-April-21, 09:55
Yes I posted some threads a few months back where GIB accepted its own game tries. Sad to see it is still with us.
The second hand is pretty unforgivable, but I rate the first as a bit of a problem. In my view North is only worth a game try, as disclosed. Despite the good trump fit South is otherwise v min, and yet while things could go badly it is I think a game to be in. After all, you are making 11 on a Spade guess, despite Ace of Spades offside. Maybe South should appreciate that the value of the 9 card trump fit is worth more than the significance of min v max HCP in a range of 3. Indeed I find that when you have a distributional invite then in decreasing order of priority the factors affecting the merits of game are (1) size of trump fit (and other shape) (2) location of honours and (3) a distant third, whether min v max HCP in a 3 point range. As well as having a magic 9 card trump fit, South happens to have no wastage in Clubs opposite the void, and AKQ of diamonds opposite xxx is working rather harder than you have reason to expect.
So there are occasions when with a distributional invite I might upgrade to GF when a good trump fit is established, but this is not one of them. It only really applies when I am the sole member of the partnership privy to the knowledge of the fit. On this hand, for one thing, the 3H bid does not promise 4 trumps. 3 would be sufficient for the bid. For another, North has little by way of concealed shape, and South is in as good a position as North to take advantage of the knowledge of the disclosed fit, which is not always the case in other situations. Well, actually North's concealed minor suit shape is relevant, but neither party can know of its value.
Usually if you accept your own game try you are showing a slam try, but that can hardly apply when you have previously limited your hand to deny slam try values. it is possible that you might have less than slam try if concerned about choice of games. On the second example, the 2S raise might be on 3 card suit and North may wish to investigate 3N in preference to 4S. Only, he would need to be stronger than the hand shown for North in the OP.
EDIT: - crossed in post with Georgi. Good to see it is fixed. Hope that the fix applies so that ALL rejected game tries are respected.
Psych (pron. saik): A gross and deliberate misstatement of honour strength and/or suit length. Expressly permitted under Law 73E but forbidden contrary to that law by Acol club tourneys.
Psyche (pron. sahy-kee): The human soul, spirit or mind (derived, personification thereof, beloved of Eros, Greek myth).
Masterminding (pron. m
s
t
r-m
nd
ing) tr. v. - Any bid made by bridge player with which partner disagrees.
"Gentlemen, when the barrage lifts." 9th battalion, King's own Yorkshire light infantry,
2000 years earlier: "morituri te salutant"
"I will be with you, whatever". Blair to Bush, precursor to invasion of Iraq