[chasetb]

http://tinyurl.com/84xvmql

I know my bidding isn't the best (especially passing 4♥, but I had hope basic GIB might finally be able to penalty double). I average over +1 IMP/board against the robots anyways. The questions are about the 3♦ bid - shouldn't I promise at least 5 on this sequence? What would 2NT or 3♣ have meant instead of 3♦, let alone 3♥? Thanks for the helpful input.

[barmar]

No, GIB doesn't think the 3♦ bid shows 5-5. It will bid it if it has extra values, but doesn't have both of the other suits stopped (don't forget that the 2♦ bid only showed 3, so North will take preference to ♠ with 2♠ and 4♦). For instance, it will bid like this with ♠AK843 ♥432 ♦KQJ7 ♣A.

North's 4♥ bid is because it has enough for game opposite the 17 points you showed, and there's still a possibility of an 8-card ♥ fit (perhaps you have the above hand); so it bids its suit to show 5 of them, and jumps to show that we belong in game. It's already denied a 6-card suit because it didn't bid it earlier.

If you don't have ♥ tolerance, you're supposed to go back to your known 7-card ♠ fit.

If GIB were in the South seat, it would have bid 1♦ 1♠ 2♦. I personally would probably bid 1♦ 1♠ 2♠; I think GIB used to have a rule that allowed this with this hand, but it was removed. The comment says "partner tends to screw up after you do it, and I've removed the rule (which is a big win)" -- I don't know who wrote that.