[uva72uva72]

My link

Matchpoints, ACBL robot individual

It's been my observation that the robots invoke Stayman whenever they hold a 4-card major and have invitational or better values facing South's NT openings. To a fault. As when North holds 4-3-3-3 distribution and/or well more than enough for game but not enough to invite slam. Sometimes the result is the nightmare scenario - down in the major suit game due to a bad trump split when 3NT rolls.

This is the first instance I've observed when North failed to use Stayman when it might have done so. Here it has minimum values and does not have flat distribution. I'm curious as to why it would pick this hand to bypass Stayman.

Please note that I am not concerned with the result, since 4♥ generally failed by 2 tricks. I'm just curious as to why North chose this hand to abandon its established practice of using Stayman when it has a 4-card major.

[iandayre]

Good question. Doesn't seem to matter much here, 3NT looks like -2 as well. I assume it responded 1H when the opening bid was 1C?

[Bbradley62]

iandayre, on 2015-March-04, 15:44, said:

Good question. Doesn't seem to matter much here, 3NT looks like -2 as well. I assume it responded 1H when the opening bid was 1C?

Not over West's 1♦.

[iandayre]

Bbradley62, on 2015-March-04, 16:25, said:

Not over West's 1♦.

True enough. So presumably a pass to the reopening double, then 1H? Should not reach game on that auction do you think?

[Bbradley62]

The hand was played 40+ times, with many variations on the auction. When South made a reopening double, West bid 1♠, in which case the auction generally ended either there or in 2♠ when they get pushed by South reopening again. West also bid a frisky 2♠ when South balanced with 1N rather than double, ending the auction.