[johnu]

benellis58, on 2025-August-24, 21:39, said:

Strengths of the GIB robots:

They don't revoke
They don't lead out of turn

They don't bid out of turn.
They don't make insufficient bids
They don't double their partner or make illegal bids

[manudude03]

benellis58, on 2025-August-24, 21:39, said:

They don't revoke

Or do they? https://www.youtube....l=PeterHollands

[mycroft]

Everyone already knows what I am going to say here, but since this seems to be the thread for broken record playing, why not?

I do not play with pickups on BBO. Haven't for over a decade. Why? Well, apart from listing the "weaknesses of the GIB robots" (which, I guarantee you you will eventually see and more):

• They play a system, but it's not anything I've ever played, but of course it's "just standard";
  
• They fill their profile with conventions, but pass 1♠-1NT; 3♦;
  
• They play Gerber and Blackwood, and assume you play them in the same places and with the same responses they do, even if they don't define them in the mess of conventions in their profile; and
  
• They yell at you if you ever make a mistake (even if it's only a "mistake" because of the above three, or even only a mistake in their minds or double dummy. I still remember the person (live, but didn't have to be) who complained about my play on the first board of the night, where "if I had taken the finesse, I would have make the overtrick". Yes, but if it lost, I went down 2 in a cold contract!).
  
• Oh, and they're likely to disappear without notice (whether or not they yell at you first).

Funny enough, I do play with GIB robots, especially when I have a 25 minute bus ride or am waiting for a doctor's appointment, and I'm likely to be guilty of the last myself. Good, bad, or otherwise, I know what they play and they're not going to surprise me today with something they wouldn't have done yesterday.

And they won't yell at me (and don't care if I yell at them, but the people on the bus or in the waiting room might, so I don't. :-).

What I don't understand about all the GIB-bashing is why, if they think they're so bad compared to "a human player", they haven't made the same decision I have, biased toward their opinions. I do have guesses though. SMerriman - I have different guesses for :-).

[benellis58]

On a positive note: It must be stated that although the GIB robots are staggeringly bad at all facets of the game, their abject incompetence does provide pleasure each and every day, because it is always fun to see the new and creative ways in which they demonstrate their gross ineptitude.

[pescetom]

 benellis58, on 2025-August-24, 21:39, said:

Weaknesses of the GIB robots:

System: Very bad
Definitions/Explanations: Very bad, often incorrect, sometimes non-existent
Judgment: Does it even exist? In any case, very bad
Leads: Very bad
Defending: Very bad

Strengths of the GIB robots:

They don't revoke
They don't lead out of turn

I think that is partly unfair.

The system is not very bad, just a bit quixotic and poorly documented.
The leads are not very bad overall, just a bit unusual.
They have an important strength you ignore, above average declarer play.

[benellis58]

I respectfully disagree. Their system is abominable. Their leads are atrocious. I will concede that declarer play is indeed the best part of their game, but if you consider it better than average you must play against a huge number of palookas.