[RockyJones]

I fully understand why the robot is programmed to not bid when holding only a few points; however, last night I opened 1H holding 16 points and bid 3C over my LHO's 2S interjection. Robot passed me holding two small Clubs while also holding six hearts to the Q-T !!! Cannot this type of hand be programmed so Robot knows to support a 5 card major when holding 6 and 2 honors with less than 5 points?

[Bbradley62]

Was this in "Just Play Bridge", or a tournament, or in the Main Bridge Club?

[iandayre]

There's no "understanding" or excuse for GIB not to take simple preferences. This has come up a lot recently and we are hoping that improvements will be part of the next update.

It is our understanding that there are only two versions of GIB, basic and advanced. I personally would not use my time playing the basic version. I don't believe if it has ever been explained clearly whether updates apply to both versions. Here is another question - why have Basic GIB at all? The advanced program exists and it doesn't seem as though it would cost BBO any more to just use it for all applications. Both use the same CC so are equally accessible to all levels of players.

[Bbradley62]

iandayre, on 2015-June-12, 10:50, said:

I don't believe if it has ever been explained clearly whether updates apply to both versions.

All updates apply to both. Despite the standard nomenclature, I prefer to think of them not as two versions, but as two modes of the same program. The advanced mode allows for more thinking time. See Barmar's comment here:
http://www.bridgebas...vs-regular-gib/

[iandayre]

Bbradley62, on 2015-June-12, 21:54, said:

All updates apply to both. Despite the standard nomenclature, I prefer to this of then not as two version, but as two modes of the same program. The advanced mode allows for more thinking time. See Barmar's comment here:
http://www.bridgebas...vs-regular-gib/

That's fine, but once again, why use Basic GIB's at all? Unless someone can explain how it would cost BBO more to just use the advanced robots for all applications.

[Stephen Tu]

iandayre, on 2015-June-14, 17:41, said:

That's fine, but once again, why use Basic GIB's at all? Unless someone can explain how it would cost BBO more to just use the advanced robots for all applications.

The advanced GIBs consume more computer memory and CPU cycles than the basic ones. Each server can only hold a certain amount of memory and handle a certain amount of CPU load, so can only run a certain number of GIB processes at an acceptable speed. So while a computer might support say n "basic" GIB players, it might support only n/3 or n/5 or whatever "advanced" GIB players (BBO hasn't said exactly how much the reduction factor is). So if you are buying machines to support 500 simultaneous users, you have to buy a lot more of them if everyone is running advanced GIB.

The updates are nearly all bidding database rule adjustments and thus apply to both bots. The main thing the advanced bot does is declare a lot better, and also there are spots in bidding where it is using simulation to determine how high to bid and it displays better judgment, if it gets to a spot out of the "just make the book bid" rule following part of the auction.