[cherdano]

I try not to be overcritical of GIB. (Having worked on a go program for several years, I do have some appreciation how hard it is to ingrain simple-looking game knowledge into a computer!)
But it is still frustrating how often GIB has no understanding of very basic auctions.

Here are examples, all from a recent 12-board robot tourney I played:

Board 1:

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Yes, GIB still does not understand double-and-bid.

Board 5:

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Note that 2H shows 3+ only according to GIB, and as a result there was no slam try in hearts available over 3H.

Board 6:

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One of GIB's questionable penalty passes with 3 trumps.

Board 9:

{comments}

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GIB prefers to show his 3-card heart suit rather than his 5th club. Also note that 2C shows just 4+, 4+ in the minors.

Board 11:

{comments}

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With xx xxx Axxx KJxx, GIB raises my 1C opening to 2C, then somehow thinks he hasn't shown his hand yet and makes one of his weird competitive doubles of their 2S, showing two spades exactly.

I had 62% in the tourney, so this wasn't a terrible outlier either. And I still omitted another hand or two where GIB just used terrible judgment. (Jumping 1C-3N with a hand full of empty aces.)

I think what makes it most frustrating is that there clearly have been quite a few changes recently, but some aren't even clearly good changes (e.g. after 1H-3H, new suits used to be natural slam tries, now they are suddenly meaningless cuebids), and many of the simplest possible auctions are still completely wrong. (Double-and-bid is something one would teach beginners in the 3rd lesson...)

[georgi]

Thanks for reporting.

Re Board 1.
It was something slipped just in auction 1minor - X - p - 1♥- * - 2other minor. Fixed in next (v27). It doesn't happen in cases when partner bids 1♦,1♠ or 1NT.

Re Board 2.
It's a new sequence where after rebidding opening, new suit is 3+. Although seminatural ( only if used after rebidding minor opening and new suit comes at level 2. Level 3 is 4+), GIB raises with 4 cards.
Cuebidding up is not yet described fully, hopefully it will be done in v28.

Re board 3.
v27 carries some fixes about cases like this. GIB won't be passing TOX over preempts raises directly or doubled again.
Similar auctions are:
2♦ - Double - 3♦ - Pass
* - Double - * - ?

2♥ - Pass - 3♥ - Double
* - ?
etc.

Just not to be missed your auctions in time, i've copied then here with not-expiring link.

Re Board 9: 2♣ doesn't promise 5♦ yet as opener could have 2♠3♥4♦4♣ and its forced to bid.
However 3- would be fixed to 2- as 5+ needs 3 cards for fit so opener should deny them.

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Re Board 11:
Fixed in next update (v27).

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[cherdano]

Board 1:
If you have to enter such rules manually auction by auction, then I think this just shows that there is something fundamentally wrong with GIB's approach to bidding knowledge. It makes me think that no matter how much hard work you will put into improving GIB's bidding, the progress will be piece-meal and of minimal overall effect.

Board 2 aka Board 5:
I think standard is that 2H shows 4+, and 3C shows 3+. Anyway, this is not very important, GIB's rules are a bit inferior but still work ok.

Board 3 aka Board 6:
If the fix is that GIB will never pass a takeout double in this position, then the medicine is probably worse than the disease.

Board 9:
I think it's normal to bid 1NT with 2344 on this auction, regardless of stoppers.

[georgi]

cherdano, on 2013-May-20, 05:23, said:

Board 1:
If you have to enter such rules manually auction by auction, then I think this just shows that there is something fundamentally wrong with GIB's approach to bidding knowledge. It makes me think that no matter how much hard work you will put into improving GIB's bidding, the progress will be piece-meal and of minimal overall effect.

Board 2 aka Board 5:
I think standard is that 2H shows 4+, and 3C shows 3+. Anyway, this is not very important, GIB's rules are a bit inferior but still work ok.

Board 3 aka Board 6:
If the fix is that GIB will never pass a takeout double in this position, then the medicine is probably worse than the disease.

Board 9:
I think it's normal to bid 1NT with 2344 on this auction, regardless of stoppers.

TOX as any other rules are not described manually per auction. Used combinations about suit ranks, new suit, passed hands, behavior of opponents and promised lengths by opponents in some suit. In some cases explanations are inherited in some shouldn't be.
Just because there is some globalization for automated logic sometimes some sequence even seems simple could be not captured.

Not passing TOX(once,twice) was meant it won't pass with lack of trumps. Penalty passes are of course kept. But it won't pass with shapes which are rather inappropriate and partner would disagree with it.