[brianshark]

It can be extremely frustrating when despite my efforts to pass out a hand, the opps open and I have to compete for a crappy partscore, which takes up a lot of the time. Also, a couple of times the opps bid to a cold game that can't be touched. (Does this happen often?)

I only open 1NT with a hand that would accept an invite, except maybe if red. But I don't open 1NT opposite a passed partner anymore because I've played in too many partscores that way.

I always super-accept when partner transfers over my 1NT with 3+ in the major as it means we push to an aggresive game often, and the bidding goes quickly.

I find that I play the hands about twice as fast as GIB on average. Even at the game level. Except GIB can zip through a couple of 3N+2 type hands in no time. But GIB plays high level hands well. One time he flew through 6NT in about 20 seconds making on a double squeeze. ♥

With regards to doubles in competitive auctions, I think GIB interprets all but the basic t/o double situations as just extra values with no clear bid, where humans would play them as more t/o oriented, which catches out a lot of people. GIB doesn't need a trump stack to want to defend part-scores doubled. But if you actually have your extras and can defend at least close to GIB standard, you will do fine. I find that a lot of people who complain about GIB doing crazy things get caught out because they simply don't have their bid according to what GIB expects them to have.

[mtvesuvius]

brianshark, on Jan 20 2009, 08:58 AM, said:

A couple of times the opps bid to a cold game that can't be touched. (Does this happen often?)

Yes. I get these sometimes also. Although at my table they are usually Xed . I have even had GIB bid 2 making slams against me in Best Hand! Both Vul. too

[barmar]

Yeah, GIB seems to be very good at bidding distribution hands and finding those 22 HCP games. This is another reason to be careful when balancing, it will often push them to the game they weren't going to bid.

Unfortunately, GIB N is not very good at figuring out that they're bidding so much because they have voids, so he likes to double them just because I've shown a little extra.

[AceOfHeart]

I dont understand some of the description of the bids. What exactly does 8421 HCP in ♠ means?

[jdonn]

AceOfHeart, on Feb 4 2009, 09:48 AM, said:

I dont understand some of the description of the bids. What exactly does 8421 HCP in ♠ means?

A = 8, K = 4, Q = 2, J = 1. Accompanied with that GIB will tell you how many '8421' points are shown.

[uday]

The 8421 points are only used when cue bidding. they aren't super reliable.

[barmar]

Or when making game tries. It's GIB's way of representing "concentrated values".

[AceOfHeart]

Well I understand that the GIB somehow based on history will open 4th seat with 10 points sometimes. But is the choice of bid based on history too?

I have the honor of GIB opening 1♦ on this hand a few days back at 4th seat all non vul.

---

Also have GIB play for finnese on a 9 card fit and drop on 8 card fit on at least 5 hands yesterday.

[JLOL]

AceOfHeart, on Feb 6 2009, 08:33 AM, said:

Also have GIB play for finnese on a 9 card fit and drop on 8 card fit on at least 5 hands yesterday.

OMG the horror!

[AceOfHeart]

One thing I notice about robot race is that GIB plays much faster in the web client when it is declaring, and somewhat have slower reaction time when I am declaring . However in the windows client, the opposite seems true, defence seems more responsive to my clicks while the gib takes only to declare.

So what i do having a chioce of 2 contracts if I am doing the web I let GIB declare and client, I declare.

[arrows]

Are the boards duplicated?

I guess not?

when I am still struggling, some other guys already run away with 5000+.

[AceOfHeart]

not replicated

[MolvaM]

I am aware that claiming is not an option. but I am waiting for BBO to introduce the "concede rest" button. If I have already collected my 7 tricks in a 1NT contract I would like to have the option of conceding the rest of the tricks and move on to the next hand.

[1eyedjack]

The option to autoplay singletons is greyed out in my windows client. It is there as an option, but disabled. How do I enable it?

[fred]

1eyedjack, on Mar 31 2009, 12:33 PM, said:

The option to autoplay singletons is greyed out in my windows client. It is there as an option, but disabled. How do I enable it?

I think it will become enabled when you are at a table (perhaps only if you are sitting).

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[TylerE]

arrows, on Mar 14 2009, 05:10 PM, said:

Are the boards duplicated?

I guess not?

when I am still struggling, some other guys already run away with 5000+.

Step 1: Bid Your Slams
Step 2: Make Your Slams
Step 3: Profit

Grand slams especially...

Seriously...slams are where you make the big points. You don't want to be playing part scores at all.

Also, your game bidding should be very aggressive... a game needs to be only about 45% NV, 38% vulnerable, so even a bit more aggressive than IMPs.

If you're trying to place high occasionally (and accept also placing very low somewhat often), be even more aggressive.

[peachy]

TylerE, on Mar 31 2009, 08:50 AM, said:

arrows, on Mar 14 2009, 05:10 PM, said:

Are the boards duplicated?

I guess not?

when I am still struggling, some other guys already run away with 5000+.

Step 1: Bid Your Slams
Step 2: Make Your Slams
Step 3: Profit

Grand slams especially...

Seriously...slams are where you make the big points. You don't want to be playing part scores at all.

Also, your game bidding should be very aggressive... a game needs to be only about 45% NV, 38% vulnerable, so even a bit more aggressive than IMPs.

If you're trying to place high occasionally (and accept also placing very low somewhat often), be even more aggressive.

I tried this strategy a little while ago. I bid slams aggressively, and landed in the right slam a few times but invariably GIB overruled and went to grand which failed by a trick. Since then, I have learned from others that "never jump to a slam without using Blackwood first cuz GIB will put you in grand". Lesson learned.

[barmar]

And jumping to 5 in a minor frequently causes GIB to put you in slam, sometimes off 2 aces.

I've had some pretty good luck opening hands that would be 4th-seat 2 bids (i.e. a good opening with a good 6-card suit) at the 4 level -- about 75% of the time I pick up a good dummy and make the game.

[655321]

These robot races are addictive, aren't they!

The Biggest event in the history of bridge has inspired me to try them. I read all the good advice in this thread.

I have been passing most of my strong notrumps when not vul. Sometimes, the hand is passed out, and we go onto the next hand (good). Sometimes the robot opponents want to open the bidding on junk and slowly play a partscore (grr). But the interesting one is when partner opens 1M. I usually respond 1NT, partner bids a new suit, I bid 3NT, but the robot (ok, I admit he can't know that I have passed a balanced 15) invariably goes back to 4M on his 5 card suit.

Another strange GIB bid has happened twice. When we have been doubled at the 5 level, silly partner bids 6:

P    (1♠)  3♥  (4♥)
5♥    X    6♥  (X)

[Rain]

When GIBs are defending, I noticed they don't falsecard.*

(I only play MBT$1 best hand really, not robot race, though I think it's the same.)

So if QJ is out and East plays Q, as declarer you know they don't have J.

*I don't notice count that well. They may be falsecarding count. But I'm pretty sure about this part.