[mikl_plkcc]

---

Why does the robot think it is a good idea to pass my 1♠ bid, which nearly always shows only 4 (because I didn't open it), with a singleton?!

[smerriman]

A better question is why you did you bid 1♠ with this hand?!

[hrothgar]

I think that folks have tried to explain this before, but the robots are bad
They are very very bad

However, even for the robots, passing 1♠ is an atrocious bid

FWIW, I think that you'll find life much easier if you rebid 2NT with that sort of hand rather than 1♠

[smerriman]

If you want an actual answer to your question, it passed because:

a) you're using the free version, which has half of the important bidding logic disabled

b) like you personally, the free version considers HCP and total points of the utmost importance, and will never change its rules. It requires 6 HCP to bid 1NT, and 4 clubs to bid 2♣, and its system for responding to 1 level bids is broken so it doesn't realise this is unplayable until it's too late. No matter how many times people have said this is unplayable, it continues to play it anyway

But 1♠ seems very odd to me, and if you were using the full version, GIB will probably correct you to a 3-3 club fit expecting you to have longer clubs.

[mikl_plkcc]

 smerriman, on 2025-April-29, 17:28, said:

A better question is why you did you bid 1♠ with this hand?!

Because I have 4 ♠ and the robot hasn't denied a ♠ fit yet.

I don't skip major suits before rebidding NT.

[mikl_plkcc]

 smerriman, on 2025-April-29, 17:45, said:

If you want an actual answer to your question, it passed because:

a) you're using the free version, which has half of the important bidding logic disabled

b) like you personally, the free version considers HCP and total points of the utmost importance, and will never change its rules. It requires 6 HCP to bid 1NT, and 4 clubs to bid 2♣, and its system for responding to 1 level bids is broken so it doesn't realise this is unplayable until it's too late. No matter how many times people have said this is unplayable, it continues to play it anyway

But 1♠ seems very odd to me, and if you were using the full version, GIB will probably correct you to a 3-3 club fit expecting you to have longer clubs.

Why didn't the robot bid 1♦?

[shyams]

mikl_plkcc, on 2025-April-30, 05:20, said:

Because I have 4 ♠ and the robot hasn't denied a ♠ fit yet.

I don't skip major suits before rebidding NT.

[smerriman]

 mikl_plkcc, on 2025-April-30, 05:20, said:

Because I have 4 ♠ and the robot hasn't denied a ♠ fit yet.

I don't skip major suits before rebidding NT.

Players are divided as to whether to skip spades when making a 1nt rebid.

I challenge you to find a *single* reference which agrees with you when it comes to a 2nt rebid. Continue to have bad rules, continue to get bad scores.

As for not bidding 1♦, I said this earlier - GIB follows rules blindly, and skips diamonds to show a 4 card heart suit. A very common agreement, but it hasn't been programmed to follow up appropriately.

[hrothgar]

mikl_plkcc, on 2025-April-30, 05:21, said:

Why didn't the robot bid 1♦?

The hand is sufficiently weak that the bit doesn't expect to be able to show both suits.

Its is prioritizing showing the more useful one

[jillybean]

mikl_plkcc, on 2025-April-30, 05:20, said:

Because I have 4 ♠ and the robot hasn't denied a ♠ fit yet.

I don't skip major suits before rebidding NT.

You have 18hcp - this is a 2nt rebid

[mikl_plkcc]

 hrothgar, on 2025-April-30, 06:13, said:

The hand is sufficiently weak that the bit doesn't expect to be able to show both suits.

Its is prioritizing showing the more useful one

If the opener has 4 ♥ he will of course rebid 1♥ after responding 1♦ and the fit can be found. So now the ♦ fit has been buried permanently by skipping it and no amount of rebidding ♦ can convince me that the responder doesn't have longer ♥.

[harikannan]

 mikl_plkcc, on 2025-May-01, 02:18, said:

If the opener has 4 ♥ he will of course rebid 1♥ after responding 1♦ and the fit can be found. So now the ♦ fit has been buried permanently by skipping it and no amount of rebidding ♦ can convince me that the responder doesn't have longer ♥.

Many respond with a five-card minor instead of four-card major only on game-forcing hands. When playing robot bridge, it is expected that one studies the gib-system and adopts it -- whether or not one agrees with it. TINA.

[harikannan]

 mikl_plkcc, on 2025-April-30, 05:20, said:

Because I have 4 ♠ and the robot hasn't denied a ♠ fit yet.

I don't skip major suits before rebidding NT.

Your proper rebid was 2nt showing 18-19 pts and a balanced hand -- does not deny a 4-card major. If your robot partner had a 4-card major, it would then bid 3C stayman. So you won't miss a major fit.

[hrothgar]

mikl_plkcc, on 2025-May-01, 02:18, said:

If the opener has 4 ♥ he will of course rebid 1♥ after responding 1♦ and the fit can be found.

Care to reconsider this claim? (Because it is an interesting one)

[hrothgar]

mikl_plkcc, on 2025-May-01, 02:18, said:

no amount of rebidding ♦ can convince me that the responder doesn't have longer ♥.

Your problem, not mine

[shyams]

mikl_plkcc, on 2025-May-01, 02:18, said:

If the opener has 4 ♥ he will of course rebid 1♥ after responding 1♦ and the fit can be found. So now the ♦ fit has been buried permanently by skipping it and no amount of rebidding ♦ can convince me that the responder doesn't have longer ♥.

All this handwringing may be a self-serving distraction from the core issue here
...that you thought (and possibly still think) that 1♠ is the correct rebid with that South hand.

[mikl_plkcc]

 harikannan, on 2025-May-01, 02:30, said:

Many respond with a five-card minor instead of four-card major only on game-forcing hands. When playing robot bridge, it is expected that one studies the gib-system and adopts it -- whether or not one agrees with it. TINA.

I honestly don't know how we can find fits if my partner refuses to bid his suit. This applies to both humans and robots.

[hrothgar]

mikl_plkcc, on 2025-May-02, 05:09, said:

I honestly don't know how we can find fits if my partner refuses to bid his suit. This applies to both humans and robots.

You seem to be assuming that increasing one's odds of finding a fit in Diamonds is worth decreasing the likelihood that you find a fit in Hearts

You can't always do everything.
This hand is only worth a single bid. (By which I mean, unless partner is making forcing bids, you aren't going to be able to show Hearts and Diamonds)

This style of bidding, which was originally popularized as "Walsh" here in the US is quite popular
You need to understand it, especially if you're playing with the robots