[Bbradley62]

I just like to be able to refer back to these after they've disappeared from "BBO Today", so I'm copying it to here...

A new version of GIB was released on Oct 18, 2011. Please go to BBO Discussion Forum to discuss the robots. We call this GIB version 19.
Tweaks:

GIB's 1 Minor openings and continuations has been improved.
Filled in the gaps in New Minor Forcing continuations.
Improved Inverted Minor sequences.
Improved GIB's Texas Transfer logic.
GIB's Long Suit Game Try sequence is now more logical.
Improved Minor Stayman logic and subsequent sequence.
GIB will now pass a 6NT decision after a suit RKC instead of insisting on bidding the suit in a grand slam.
Improved GIB's logic after his partner makes an overcall.
Some other bug fixes and changes.

We hope you enjoy the new improved robot. This is the 6th upgrade for GIB we've pushed out in 2011 and we'll continue to strive for excellence in our robot. Every robot report you send in is read, so please keep sending in bug reports or tweak suggestions. To participate in discussions with us, please visit BBO's GIB forum.

To play with the GIB, either

Rent them at $1/week (Basic Robot) or $1/day (Advanced Robot) or
Join a robot tourney or
Wait for the 1st of November where all BBOers will be able to play with robot free.

[Rain]

Thanks B, forgot about posting here. Please discuss specific release 19 stuff here, if any.

[stribor]

Thanks for improving GIB. Are you going to push this update to GIB website (www.gibware.com)?

Stribor

[Rain]

Main Changes:
Added/improved many rules for takeout doubles and continuations.
Improved GIB's ability to choose between minor or major suits after a 2 level opening or overcall, including unusual NT.
Improved rules on penalty and support redoubles.
After partner gives a limit raise, GIB will now refrain from bidding to an illogical level.
Made GIB smarter after the 1NT - Stayman - 2 Major - 3 Other Major sequence. GIB should now differentiate better between game and slam interest hand types.
Improved GIB's weak 2 opening bids.
GIB will now bid unusual 1NT more often.
GIB will now bid according to the LAW (of total tricks, by LC) more often.
Some alerts were buggy. For instance, sometimes gives wrong explanation of suit lengths. These are now fixed.
Added some rules to help GIB bid when his opponent overcall competitively.
Fixed a bug where GIB was not recalculating points after a passed hand doubles, then bids a suit. GIB now knows about this trick, so watch out tourney players!
Improved the Lebensohl 2NT sequence.
Fixed a bug where after 1 Major - 1NT - 2 Major, if a takeout X was made, GIB raised with an inappropriate hand.
After a 1NT rebid by partner, if GIB holds 7+ in major and max invite values (ie, unbalanced hand), it will now bid game instead of only invite.
Adjusted GIB's hand evaluation and bidding after a strong 3NT opening.
Adjusted GIB's hand evaluation for quantitative 4NT invite.
Improved 1NT - Minor stayman points/hand evaluation and continuations.
Added new rules to handle minor suit opening followed by a reverse. GIB now uses Lebensohl to show a weak responding hand.
Improved the Fourth suit forcing auction rules.
Improved GIB's cuebidding logic.
Improved GIB's 1NT - 3NT raise bidding logic.
Improved GIB's Cappelletti bidding logic.
Some other bug fixes and tweaks.

The changes listed above take effect immediately for all tournament robots and for GIB rentals used with the new BBO version. If you are still using the old downloadable client version of BBO, your GIB rental upgrade will happen in a few weeks time. Switch and start using the new BBO version to enjoy a better BBO experience. To upgrade to the new BBO version (no download needed), click here, then click Play Bridge Now to log in.

Please discuss Version 20 stuff here.

[bobottawa]

I use the web-client of BBO, not the downloaded version, on a Windows PC. With the old version, when I was playing with GIB's in a tournament, when you put your cursor over a bid that your partner (a GIB) made, then it used to display the GIB interpretation of the bid. It no longer displays the interpretation. Is this a problem, or a feature?

Thanks.

BobOttawa

[Bbradley62]

 Rain, on 2011-December-15, 08:17, said:

Improved GIB's weak 2 opening bids.
GIB will now bid unusual 1NT more often.

Unusual 2NT?
Does this mean you've changed the requirements for these bids? If so, in what way?
Thanks!

[xxhong]

seems now 2NT shows 12+ instead of 15+.

 Bbradley62, on 2011-December-15, 13:28, said:

Unusual 2NT?
Does this mean you've changed the requirements for these bids? If so, in what way?
Thanks!

[bobottawa]

 bobottawa, on 2011-December-15, 13:01, said:

I use the web-client of BBO, not the downloaded version, on a Windows PC. With the old version, when I was playing with GIB's in a tournament, when you put your cursor over a bid that your partner (a GIB) made, then it used to display the GIB interpretation of the bid. It no longer displays the interpretation. Is this a problem, or a feature?

Thanks.

BobOttawa

It is now later in the day, and seems to be working normally again.

[EdmundB]

How do the two GIB's (basic & advanced) differ?

[barmar]

Basic robots use only the bidding DB during the auction, advanced robots may use simulations to override the bidding DB.

During the play, advanced robots use more hands in their simulations than basic robots. This should generally improve their play.

[bb116]

THESE ARE GREAT IMPROVEMENTS.
How do I download them into my regular partners?

[Martin49]

 Rain, on 2011-December-15, 08:17, said:

Please discuss Version 20 stuff here.

Hi, unfortunately the newest version has a habit to pass on partner´s cuebids. Playing Robot IMPs we had agreed on spades as trumps and I bid 4D, which according to the explanation, GIB treated as a cudbid, and forcing. Then GIB passed!! So I played 4D six down, while 6S was cold. This should absolutely be corrected, the sooner the better. Regards. Martin49

[Mbodell]

Ha! I feel your pain Martin49. I just posted likely the same hand in here (although I was "only" down 3).

[jamegumb]

Whatever version fixed it, I just want to say thanks to the makers for telling the bots that a jump to six is almost never an invitation to seven. So nice to have auctions end 1S-2NT-6S-swish.

[edward5958]

 Bbradley62, on 2011-October-26, 09:01, said:

I just like to be able to refer back to these after they've disappeared from "BBO Today", so I'm copying it to here...

A new version of GIB was released on Oct 18, 2011. Please go to BBO Discussion Forum to discuss the robots. We call this GIB version 19.
Tweaks:

GIB's 1 Minor openings and continuations has been improved.
Filled in the gaps in New Minor Forcing continuations.
Improved Inverted Minor sequences.
Improved GIB's Texas Transfer logic.
GIB's Long Suit Game Try sequence is now more logical.
Improved Minor Stayman logic and subsequent sequence.
GIB will now pass a 6NT decision after a suit RKC instead of insisting on bidding the suit in a grand slam.
Improved GIB's logic after his partner makes an overcall.
Some other bug fixes and changes.

We hope you enjoy the new improved robot. This is the 6th upgrade for GIB we've pushed out in 2011 and we'll continue to strive for excellence in our robot. Every robot report you send in is read, so please keep sending in bug reports or tweak suggestions. To participate in discussions with us, please visit BBO's GIB forum.

To play with the GIB, either

Rent them at $1/week (Basic Robot) or $1/day (Advanced Robot) or
Join a robot tourney or
Wait for the 1st of November where all BBOers will be able to play with robot free.

Gosh, in posting on the other topic I didn't realize you had such a personal interest in the bots, let alone that you participated in the tweaks which have been regularly taking place. One never likes to see criticism of the results of his best work so now I fully understand why you are so quick to say how "alone" I am in my impression that the bot changes have not been positive.

[Bbradley62]

 edward5958, on 2012-March-06, 22:12, said:

Gosh, in posting on the other topic I didn't realize you had such a personal interest in the bots, let alone that you participated in the tweaks which have been regularly taking place. One never likes to see criticism of the results of his best work so now I fully understand why you are so quick to say how "alone" I am in my impression that the bot changes have not been positive.

No, I am not on the development staff in any way. I think my post here makes it clear that I just wanted to see the "GIB Updated" reports posted in such a way that they are findable more than a week later, which they wouldn't be in the main BBO site. I say you are alone in your impression because no one else has supported your claim.

[32519]

The robot system notes are great for getting to grips with 2/1. Does BBO have similar sort of system notes for ACOL, SAYC, etc? A great source of info to up ones knowledge about the game.

[barmar]

 32519, on 2012-March-10, 01:12, said:

The robot system notes are great for getting to grips with 2/1. Does BBO have similar sort of system notes for ACOL, SAYC, etc? A great source of info to up ones knowledge about the game.

No, but I'm sure you should be able to find other web sites with this info.

[diana_eva]

If you mean the automated explanations displayed for each bid, you can try loading a FD CC and practice with that. There is a SAYC CC, and one for 2/1 called BBO Advanced 1.3. But it will not display the meaning of bids *before* you bid, only after.

[Rain]

Version 21 of GIB was released on March 9, 2012 (Thursday).

Changes:
Tweaked strength required to make a takeout X of 3 and 4 level preempts
Tweaked the constructive auction 1minor - 1Major - 2Major. All subsequent bids will be at least game tries, so responder can now explore game or slams. Eg: 1D-1H-2H-2S-etc.
Tweaked the inverted minor sequence. GIB will now provide more accurate information and point limits as both opener and responder.
Improvements after partner's balancing double at the 1 level.
GIB will be more reasonable about raising partner's openings and overcalls after either party limits their hands.
Carding: GIB will give attitude on trick 1 if an honor is led. Otherwise it will give count. (GIB plays standard atittude/count signals).
The fourth-suit-forcing sequence, 1C-1D-1H-1S and immediate continuations have been improved.
The strong jump sequence, 1S-1N-3C has been improved. GIB is now more likely to support one of opener's two shown suits, and not introduce its own new (probably weaker) suit.
After opponents open weak 2 and hearing a strong 3NT overcall by partner, GIB is less likely to move from the 3NT contract and bid its own weak suits. Eg: (2D/2H/2S) - 3NT - (P) - ?
If doubled, GIB will now consider the vulnerability while raising partner's preemptive openings. (Will raise more often with favorable vulnerability, less often with unfavorable vulnerability.)
After using Soloway Jump Shift and finding a fit, GIB will now use RKC 4NT on the way to slam.
GIB will refrain from trying for slam with 13-14HCP when partner opens 1NT in this sequence: 1NT - 2C - 2H/2S - 3NT - 4H/4S - ?

These changes take place immediate for anyone using the new BBO version. Those using the old version, please wait a bit (or switch to new version) for updates to your rental robots. (All tournament robots are always the latest version).