[pescetom]

The GiB System Notes say that GiB does not like to use Gerber, but will respond appropriately - so I was surprised when it pulled 4♣ on me here.

In a typically pointless Gerber situation too, unless there is something about the strength of opener's jump rebid 2NT that I am missing (I would expect 18-19 HCP, but the automatic explanation does not mention strength, only suit lengths, unless this is a handviewer truncation error). GiB holds a 5M332 of 15 HCP spread mainly in the side suits, so 6NT looks an automatic response to me.

Was it really worried about number of Aces like a beginner, or is there some US tradition of fudging 2NT with low or wide range, or what?

[smerriman]

Oh weird, I was sure I had seen in the database that responding 4♣ was disabled, just that it interprets the responses.. but reading again, that's only in response to NT openers. Seems it is told that if it has the points for 6NT in the rare other circumstances where Gerber applies, it should always use Gerber first..

.. and then bid 6NT no matter *what* you respond, even if you show 0.

(And yes, all of your descriptions are cut off.)

[pescetom]

smerriman, on 2023-June-04, 14:31, said:

Oh weird, I was sure I had seen in the database that responding 4♣ was disabled, just that it interprets the responses.. but reading again, that's only in response to NT openers. Seems it is told that if it has the points for 6NT in the rare other circumstances where Gerber applies, it should always use Gerber first..

.. and then bid 6NT no matter *what* you respond, even if you show 0.

So basically using it as a psychological crutch, almost human

Makes no sense but does no damage unless they get to cue the lead... but now I'm getting curious and worried: what happens after 2NT if it has an invite to 6NT, or an invite to 7NT, or a lesser hand where it really needs to know about 3-card support for the 5cM?

[smerriman]

(Sorry, I was wrong, it does sign off in 4N if you show 0 aces, not that that's possible, so I guess that part is OK)

A jack less and it'll bid 3♣ as NMF, or invite with 4N if it didn't have 5 hearts. A couple of points more and it'll ask for kings after 4♠ and then presumably make a decision on grand after that.

So generally its logic seems OK here, except for the pointless Gerber ask on this hand, but I guess for a robot, it's probably better to err on the side of gathering more information to help with simulating the final contract than blasting, which unfortunately it doesn't do often enough in suit contracts..