In BBO robot games using Basic American Standard, the robot plays a simple 5-card major system, as described below.
You can click on any of the robot bids for an explanation, and pause your mouse over a bid you plan on making to see how your robot partner will understand it.
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Overview
American Standard with 5 card majors, 15-17 NT, strong jump-shifts, strong artificial 2♣, weak 2♦/2♥/2♠. Standard leads and discards (3rd/5th leads in a suit contract, 4th best in notrump, direct discards).
Opening bids
1st level opening bids
Open longest major suit if 5 cards or longer 1♥/1♠
Open best minor suit if no 5+ card major: 1♣/1♦.
Minimum number of HCP for a 1-level opening bid
11 HCP.
Point range for 1NT opening bid
15-17 HCP, balanced, can have 5-card major.
2nd level opening bids
Weak 2♦/2♥/2♠
Natural, weak, 5-10 HCP and 6 good cards in the suit bid. Disciplined, with honors in the suit.
2♣ opening bid
Strong, artificial, forcing to game.
2NT opening bid
20-21 HCP, balanced, no 5-card major.
3♣/3♦/3♥/3♠
Preemptive, 7 cards in the suit.
3NT 25-27
3NT opener is strong, 25-27 HCP, balanced.
4♣/4♦/4♥/4♠
Preemptive.
4NT both minors
Preemptive, two suiter with at least 5-5 in ♣/♦.
Responses to opening bid
1NT over 1♣/1♦/1♥/1♠
5-10 HCP, no fit, non forcing.
Simple raise
5-10 HCP, fit, non forcing.
Two over one responses
10+ HCP, natural, forcing one round.
Jump-shifts
Jump-shifts over a 1st level opener show a strong hand (16+ HCP) and a good 6+ card suit, game forcing.
2NT responses
Over 1♣/1♦
2NT is 13-15 HCP, balanced, no 4-card major, invitational.
Over 1♥/♠
2NT is 10+ HCP with 4-card support, forcing to game.
Jump responses
Jumps in opener’s suit are invitational, 9-11 HCP, showing 4+ card fit (5 cards if ♣ ) and a game invitational hand.
3NT responses
3NT shows 15-17 HCP, balanced, no fit.
Responses to the 1NT opening bid
2♣ Stayman
Promises at least one 4-card major and an invitational hand.
Transfers
2♦ is transfer to hearts.
2♥ is transfer to spades.
2♠ is transfer to either clubs, or diamonds. Opener bids 3♣ relay, which responder corrects if necessary.
3♣/3♦
Natural, 6+ cards in the suit, 7-8 HCP, invitational.
3♥/3♠
Natural, 6+ cards in the suit, 12+ HCP, game forcing.
4♣ gerber
4♣ is artificial, asking for Aces. Opener responds 04 123 (4♦ shows 0 or 4 Aces, 4♥ is 1 Ace, 4♠ is 2 Aces, 4NT is 3 Aces).
4♥/4♠ to play
4♥/4♠ is natural, 6+ cards in the suit, to play.
Responses to the strong 2♣ opening bid
2♦ relay, with natural follow-ups.
2♥/2♠ natural, 5+ cards in the suit, 8+ HCP.
2NT shows 8+ HCP, balanced.
All else natural, constructive.
Responses to the 2NT opening bid
3♣ Stayman
Promises at least one 4-card major, forcing to game.
Transfers to majors
3♦ is transfer to hearts.
3♥ is transfer to spades.
4♣ Gerber
4♣ is artificial, asking for Aces. Opener responds 04 123 (4♦ shows 0 or 4 Aces, 4♥ is 1 Ace, 4♠ is 2 Aces, 4NT is 3 Aces).
4♥/4♠ to play
4♥/4♠ are natural, 6+ cards in the suit, to play.
Conventions for constructive bidding
3rd/4th suit forcing
If opener has repeated his opening bid as second bid after a response and responder bids a new suit (a 3rd suit), this bid shows nothing about the suit named but makes the auction forcing.
If the first 3 bids have been made in 3 different suits, naming the 4th suit will be artificial. It makes the auction forcing and simply asks the opener to describe his hand.
Simple Blackwood 04 123
The 4NT bid is used to ask partner to reveal how many Aces they hold.
Responses are:
5♣ = 0 or 4 Aces.
5♦ = 1 Ace.
5♥= 2 Aces.
5♠= 3 Aces.
A continuation of 5NT asks for Kings.
Responses are:
6♣ = 0 or 4 Kings.
6♦ = 1 King.
6♥= 2 Kings.
6♠= 3 Kings.
Responses after an overcall
Double after a 1♦ or 1♥ overcall at the 1st level
After opponents’ overcall at the 1-level (1♦ or 1♥), doubling shows 4 hearts or 4 spades over 1♦ and exactly 4♠ over 1♥.
Truscott
After a takeout double, the fit at the 3 level becomes very weak and the invitational bid becomes 2NT.
Defense after overcalls at the 2 level over 1NT
Systems on after double.
All natural after overcalls.
Overcalls and responses to overcalls
Michaels/Unusual NT
2NT jump overcall always shows 5-5 distribution or better in the two lowest ranking suits.
Over a major suit opening bid, the cuebid of that suit shows 5 of the other major and and 5+ clubs.
4NT over a minor suit opening shows a 2 suiter with the other minor and a major.
Over opponents’ 1NT opener
Double of opponents’ 1NT is penalty oriented, showing 12-25 HCP and a strong hand.
2♣/2♦/2♥/2♠ are natural with 10+ HCP and 5+ cards in the suit, for major overcalls, 6+ cards in the suit for minor suit overcalls.
2NT overcall over opponents’ 1NT shows 5+ in both minors.
Gambling cue bid
Over a minor suit opening, a cuebid of that minor at the 3 level shows a long running suit in the other minor and requests partner to bid 3NT with a stopper in opener’s minor
Preemptive overcalls
Other jump overcalls are preemptive.
Leads and Carding
3rd/5th leads in a suit contract, 4th best in notrump.
Direct attitude signal, with high encouraging and low discouraging.
On the first suit played by declarer, robot gives “count” (if it holds at least 2 small cards).
On the first round of a suit (by following suit or discarding), robot gives count in the suit if they cannot play higher, there is no case of unblocking and they hold at least 2 small cards.
In notrump, with an honour-third, robot leads the second card.
In a suit contract, robot gives upside-down count in the trump suit.
In a suit contract, with 4 small cards, robot leads the second one and the third one with an honour.