[iandayre]

I just started playing Robot tournaments a few days ago. I am a Gold LM but I have not played for more than 5 years. I am enjoying playing this style very much. Here are two main problems I see with GIB bidding. One, they get way too excited when partner balances. I had a 2353 shape, 11 HCP, weak D and passed a 1S opener on my right. After 2S, P, P back to me, I doubled. GIB had a 3442 10 count and felt the need to cuebid! I bid 4D and GIB was still not satisfied, corrected to 4H. Down a few of course. Fortunately I had some company. I have seen two other similar examples.

The other problem is choice of suits in slam bidding. It certainly can't handle any type of advance cue bid. It will take any cuebid as support for its last bid suit. No matter how many times or at what level you later correct to the best fit, it will keep "correcting" to the wrong suit. Even worse, I had a huge 3631 hand, 2 losers, opened 2C it continued 2D, 2H, 3D. Explained as 5+ HCP. I bid 3H, it bid 4H and I felt justified continuing with 4S. It bid 4N, I assumed RKC for H I bid 5D and we were off the rails. It bid 5S, I bid 6H. It bid 6S I bid 7H. It bid 7S! I decided it must have 5S and 6D, so I passed. It was 3244 with only honors AJTx of C. Makes 7H or 7N if you find the CQ. How the program played me for S length here is beyond my comprehension.

All this said they bid pretty well most of the time and again, I enjoy the format.

[sdwcheney]

I totally agree with what is being said. My thought is that robots should pass all non-forcing bids above the five level, unless the robot is the RKC bidder
and know that all control cards are accounted for. Robots seem to have no feature to take into account voids, or strong distribution.

[steve2005]

Balancing, yes ugh.
hover over bid your thinking of making it will give explanation of the bid as 16+ pts or 20+ pts
but you didn't notice at your first turn you had a good hand so you passed lol

[banrock]

Totally agree. Though GIB gets better at each upgrade, and I speak as someone who for the best part of 5 years now has seen the best (and probably worst) of GIB, it still can't support minor suits. It will show preference for a major with 2 cards despite having 5 card support for a minor you've bid.

---

GIB was N, why not pass at 3rd turn ?
This hand was played just now in an instant tourney (Great invention by the way, saves waiting around when you just want to sit and play). 3♣ was making a couple of times and 3♣+1 though bid differently for a higher score than 4♠ down 1. Thankfully E was over bidding too or 3♥X would have been carnage !

[1eyedjack]

Out of interest, what strength does GIB say you have with the 3C bid?

I have to say, incidentally that (perhaps coloured by the fact that there are 3 robots at the table) I would have opened 1N at South. Prob would not help you find Clubs on this occasion.

[banrock]

14-16 5 ♥ 4 ♣

[1eyedjack]

banrock, on 2014-March-02, 07:38, said:

14-16 5 ♥ 4 ♣

That being the case I totally agree with you. Furthermore, in cases like this GIB tends to quote total points rather than HCP, so the HCP could be quite a bit lower. So GIB North should be giving up on game, which would be the only justification for 3H (if any just.)