[shyams]

This is from the ongoing Weekly Free Instant (the one in the "Solitaire" section that you can play as often as you wish)

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MPs, you are South.

1. What do you do? I ask because I took what (to me) looked like a normal action. However, in my set of 16 tables, I was the only one who made that call (I scored almost average due to bots being bots)

2. For the GIB robot afficionados, would your choice above be different knowing that the other three players are robots?

[smerriman]

I invoke(d) Hamman's rule for both 1 + 2.

(Whether right or wrong, the results for board 8 prove beyond doubt the other tables aren't exactly strong bidders).

[mw64ahw]

4♦ was my first thought, but those ♠ led me to Pass

[pilowsky]

Well, it's free, so I'm bidding 3NT.

[Cyberyeti]

 mw64ahw, on 2024-August-25, 02:42, said:

4♦ was my first thought, but those ♠ led me to Pass

4♦ not even in the frame, this is a decision between P and 3N

[shyams]

 Cyberyeti, on 2024-August-25, 03:48, said:

4♦ not even in the frame, this is a decision between P and 3N

Agree about the 4♦.

So, which of the two is it for you?

[P_Marlowe]

3NT

[Cyberyeti]

 shyams, on 2024-August-25, 04:20, said:

Agree about the 4♦.

So, which of the two is it for you?

3N

[mw64ahw]

With 15hcp this leaves other players with just over 8hcp on average. This doesn't bode well for 3N in the long run especially when you have 2 weak doubletons.

[jillybean]

 mw64ahw, on 2024-August-25, 08:31, said:

With 15hcp this leaves other players with just over 8hcp on average. This doesn't bode well for 3N in the long run especially when you have 2 weak doubletons.

You may only need one trick from partner.
3nt

[mw64ahw]

 jillybean, on 2024-August-25, 08:56, said:

You may only need one trick from partner.
3nt

Yes 2 Aces would be very nice, but with AQ♠ opener should have outside values at this vulnerability so do you gamble or not? I chose not to which turned out to be the correct decision 78%. Next time it may be the wrong one, but over the long term I end up positive. No-one was in 3N and I played the hand twice.

[shyams]

I bid 3NT as well. I thought it was nearly automatic.

I was surprised to find that I was the only one from my set of 16 to bid 3NT. Some passed 3♠ for a very good score; the remaining bid & declared in 4♦.

 mw64ahw, on 2024-August-25, 09:30, said:

No-one was in 3N and I played the hand twice.

... this is so because the North bot decided to "correct" to 4H on a 7 HCP, 2-5-1-5 shape hand. Partner's heart suit was ♥KJ9xx.

[mw64ahw]

 jillybean, on 2024-August-25, 08:56, said:

You may only need one trick from partner.
3nt

In fact you are likely to need 2 tricks in 4th with only one of AQ making

[bluenikki]

 mw64ahw, on 2024-August-25, 08:31, said:

With 15hcp this leaves other players with just over 8hcp on average. This doesn't bode well for 3N in the long run especially when you have 2 weak doubletons.

Life's too short to worry about unbid suits.

[smerriman]

 shyams, on 2024-August-25, 09:59, said:

I was surprised to find that I was the only one from my set of 16 to bid 3NT.

 mw64ahw, on 2024-August-25, 09:30, said:

No-one was in 3N and I played the hand twice.

We all get the same set of 16 every time. (That's why I pointed out board 8.)

[P_Marlowe]

 shyams, on 2024-August-25, 09:59, said:

I bid 3NT as well. I thought it was nearly automatic.

I was surprised to find that I was the only one from my set of 16 to bid 3NT. Some passed 3♠ for a very good score; the remaining bid & declared in 4♦.


... this is so because the North bot decided to "correct" to 4H on a 7 HCP, 2-5-1-5 shape hand. Partner's heart suit was ♥KJ9xx.

Yes, and claimed that the 4H bid showed a 6 card suit.

[akwoo]

What changes the odds here is not that all 3 other players are robots, but rather than you know that West bid 3♠ at EVERY table.

In a real game, you have extra incentive to bid here, because you know that some Wests might have passed, and almost certainly you're going to lose the board against those tables if you pass, whereas you have a chance if you bid.

So, even if bidding is 45%, you might want to bid, because you're baking in a 40% average by passing.

[johnu]

3NT, WTP?