[benellis58]

The NS result on this board was fine: 95.38 % For making 4NT with 2 overtricks. I mention this only to remind Huibertus (and probably some others) that, as I have OFTEN mentioned, the purpose of my "moaning about bots" is not and never has been about bragging about a result or complaining about a result, and that the "moaning about bots" is actually intended CONSTRUCTIVELY in order to alert the powers that be of the many problems that need to be fixed. If the robots were better, it would enhance the BBO site for the benefit of all players, observers, and BBO itself...and in order to FIX a problem, someone with the power and ability to do so (such as a technological wizard like Lorserker) must first be made AWARE of the problem. Consequently, I will now expose another weakness of the GIB system.

The basic issue here is GIB's bad response system to a 2C opening bid. 2NT is described as "Positive no trump - 2-5 clubs; 2-5 diamonds; 2-4 hearts; 2-4 spades, 8+ HCP", which is pretty useless. It's too vague in terms of shape and suit length, and it has NO upper limit on HCP. Worse, it has many huge detriments: It wastes the entire two-level of bidding. It reduces the possibility of the BIG hand (the 2C opener) being "captain" and controlling the auction. It very likely wrongsides the contract, as there is now a strong possibility that the BIG hand will be exposed AND led through. It makes it harder to find a 4-4 major fit (or, for that matter, ANY fit). I have seen the robots COMMIT this silly 2NT response even with two unstopped suits...very possibly leading to situations where a hand has no play from the WEAK side (the 2NT bidder) yet would have been ice cold from the STRONG side (the 2C bidder).

ALL those deficiencies, and WHAT, pray tell, is the advantage? Answer: There is NO advantage. If the 2NT bidder were a human rather than a robot, I would say that his only reason for bidding like this would be to hog the hand from his partner!

With the South hand, the BIG hand, the 2C opener, I now checked the GIB definitions for what both 3NT and 4NT by me would show over the robot North's 2NT. Here's what I saw:

3NT: "2-5 clubs; 2-5 diamonds; 2-4 hearts; 2-4 spades; 22 HCP". 4NT: "Quantitative invite to 6NT; 23-24 HCP". Notice that just as North really told South NOTHING other than that he had a flattish hand with 8 or more (unlimited at the top!) HCP, South is now telling NORTH...NOTHING other than that HE has a flattish hand with a certain number (either exactly 22 for 3NT, or 23-24 for 4NT) HCP. Whatever decision is made, the partnership is doing it PURELY based on HCP. Perhaps a suit fit would be superior, or perhaps a better knowledge of shapes would aid in evaluation of prospects, but with this poor structure, NS will never be able to find out. It is just a VERY bad way of playing responses to a 2C opener.

Anyway, on the actual random hand (as ALL bridge hands are random), I decided to be a good boy and follow the system that we were stuck with. I bid the correct (as per the GIB system) 4NT, quantitative, and North, with a mere 8 HCP (and not a GREAT 8 at that) and his pancake flat hand, made the quite reasonable decision to pass. I happened to play the heart suit the winning way on THIS random layout (although had the EW hands been reversed, it would of course NOT have been the winning way). But whether we reached a great spot or a horrible spot, whether our result was a top or bottom, is NOT the point. If that was ALL this was about, I wouldn't have written the post! What the post IS about is that the 2C system requires improvement, and if and when it IS improved, the bridge experience will be much better for players and BBO will become a much more attractive site for people to visit, to join, or to remain loyal to. In other words, it will be better for EVERYONE if the GIB system is improved! Now if Huibertus (or others of his ilk) wants to call that "moaning about bots", he's more than welcome to...but I STRONGLY disagree, and since this thread has already received well over 110,000 views since Diana created it a mere four and a half months ago, I suspect that some people might see the merits of what I am addressing in this post.

https://www.bridgeba...S8%7Cmc%7C12%7C