thepossum

You forgot one Private:embarrassed

That is wonderful :)

I don't know if anyone is interested but I tried it in BBO and a few major computer bidding and playing applications. I couldnt get past 5 clubs with 2/1 but managed to get to a variety of slams with any number of other systems and software. I have forgotten exactly which slams and which apps but it seems 2/1 was the problem rather than the apps per se. I have to say I was surprised with some of the slams including the way different systems treated quants :) Wbridge got to 6 clubs with SEF, WBridge and SAYC. QPlus got to either 6NT or 6C with Acol or whatever, but I think stopped at 4 or 5 somethings in 2/1

Nothing like it with any other app. It only happens when you first start the BBO app. Its neatly aligned with the BBO interface. And its colour coded to the BBO interface. Weird yeah? Maybe someone left some debugging code swithced on. Or somethinng else. Maybe I have a creepy phone. I have been suspicious about my new phone, brand and corporate ownership

Hi there When you start the app there is a strange little console pops up with storage and other resource indicators. It doesn't seem to mean anything or be interactive at all. Is it just a gimmick put in by a bored developer or is it useful

Indeed and heading towards some alarming type of temperatures and conditions Come to think of it. September is a fairly recent invention is it not, or could it be argued to exist millions of years ago

I know, in the past I never would have considered no trumps with that, but my criteria for no trump bids have changed somewhat in line with the bidding system. I still also do prefer to quickly get to the destination, especially with GiB - fewer chances of anything going wrong. There is also preemptive value. Sometimes I would prefer a mroe descriptive and slower auction but a 1 diamond bid runs the risk of interefernce But think about my thought process (if there was one). We arent going to be in a major contract. I know we may have minor fits but would be unlucky not to have some cover in hearts assuming we progress etc And there is no indiciation to opps where the weakness lies :)

I don't get what is wrong with 2NT invite with the correct point range. Maybe I learned to play Bridge somewhere else where describing a hand failry accurately and early on and not messing about was the norm :) I accept many years ago I may not have felt comfortable biidding that as a no trump hand - but sometimes you have to hope it works out. Actually maybe I'm a point out - just noticed - I cant always count and sometimes just bid on how I feel at the time or how the hand feels - actually it was 11-12 balanced invite.

I found a hand that I mentioned above. Can anyone explain this use of Gerber please? I could understand if it went on to ask for Kings but it didnt. Is it just a bidding glitch or is there any reason using it this way? Is it an effective deceptive bid suggesting there is a missing Ace? It does actually make 7, not that you would likely bid it (with my limited systems), even though a double dummy solver said we missed it and were well off the par score :) One table did make 7 after a questionnable Soloway 2 diamond bid, and one human pair managed to get to 7C clubs after a 2C opening - I'm happier with that outcome :) This hand is why I answered "Other" above. My main obstacle for using it is that (along with other fairly rare conventions) I forget they exist [hv=pc=n&s=skt6hjtdqjt92ckq6&w=sj42hk7d7654c8532&n=saq95haq6dacajt97&e=s873h985432dk83c4&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1cp2n(Balanced%20invite)p4c(Gerber)p4d(0%20or%204%20Aces)p6nppp]399|300[/hv]

I would certainly prefer to be able to describe my level using my own words - I don't really fit into any category - and I don't really like "Private" as a level - so I end up with Intermediate - who knows what variation there is in that category :) How would you rate someone who certainly is not a beginner or a novice, has played their whole life, knows a fair bit of advanced theory, can bid reasonably well but can't always make the contract, can occasionally put advanced theory into action but tends to be fairly ordinary - that kind of level :) Many people do seem obsessively concerned over their level though - maybe we need to rate everyone on a scale of 1 to N(bridgebase users) The level doesn't really cover the complexity of experience, knowledge, skill, ability, number of matches and/or points of different types etc etc I've been playing on and off my whole life but hardly ever been to a club and have zero poinnts etc. Its difficult knowing who to play with and can often hold my own with a polite and patient advanced player. You also never know if a novice or beginner is going to be any good (huge variance there) so dont want to describe yourself as that because you miss out etc The other problem with caling yourself beginner/novice is that you tend to get endlessly patronised and rather than getting a decent game of bridge get fobbed off into classes - which you dont need etc But I'm a bit old school in everything - nowadays you need a certificate in every tiny life skill from brain surgery to tieing your shoelaces to get anywhere. And there will be somebody with a little business down the road or online teaching introducting shoe-lace tying. Hopefully not introductory brain surgery but who knows Sorry about talking about my own level but I think we all have the same problem at our respective levels. To me it seems crazy that a Silver Life Master would consider being Intermediate :)

Sometimes I get carried away and start thinking of a 2C opening with any hand with apprroximately 4 losers. Sometimes I forget about playing tricks, controls, and whether its a minor or major. I have 3 first round controls and Qxx. What could go wrong :)

EDIT apologies for not putting a hyperlink but the image has a URL at www.climate.gov

All, I can say is that I am keenly watching polls, betting odds, and the final result

You don't mean the blue lady screen of death :) With apologies to Microsoft thats what comes to mind with blue screens :)

This is a general post about GiB style, and I know writing a computer bridge player is not easy, but i certainly has many immature childish and selfish tendencies in bidding and play. You know competing with your partner over suits, not co-operating over defence etc I'm thinking of checking recent hands where there has been competition over suits during bidding, and those cases where a defensive lead has been made with the intention of coperative defence, and maybe a rare case where the bot helped your line of defence rather than taking it over for its own line It even destroys the (as far as I know) time honored approaches of leading partner's suit, leading back what partner led, with the overuse of boring passive leads - you forget that rarely it does make a lead that should be led back. Its sad really. recnet example against 3NT when it led what I assumed was another boring passive lead and tried to establish a beautiful long solid heart suit. I found I was competing against my robot partner that managed to make a coupld of lowly long tricks from its originally led suit. My mistake. Saldy the contract was made instead of being defeated

I always forget it exists and many experts on this site seem to regard it as unnecessary/ not useful but occasionally (a few times in several years) GiB has used it so I have to remember what it is. In fact GiB used it a few days with me after a 2NT bid - but since it had all the Aces I am not sure why - except,perhaps, as a smart deception for the EW GiB defence :)

Today I am playing everything in 1/4 tone dropped tuning. I tried it to play AC/DC and then have been playing other tunes dropped too. It was difficult tuning it exactly 1/4 tone but I seem to have each string sounding pleasing to the ear, they are relatively tuned and the dropped A chord sounded vaguely correct - so its a start :)

Sure, but I am always amused at the rules against bidding what you have (maybe occasionally slightly exagerrated) and people will get up in arms and throw a rage, but all these obnoxious disruptive and negative bids are allowed Bid what you have and be fair to your opponents But I appreciate I'm old fashioned and that the whole world has changed Bridge maye is and always has been something of a metaphor for the world. But it seems disruption, negativity, dishonesty and anything goes in undermining a better or more meritotious or better trained competitor these days I thought what we were talking about was what was permitted under the "rules". You can be as dirty as you like and undermine your oppos using any number of "dishonest" methods but God forbid you use a game force for a hand worthy og forcing to game Oh another thing thats changed in the world is the obsession with over complex over engineered systems to give an advantage and privileged compelxity and technical detail over quality, intelligence, flair, imagination, feel, sensitivity, and creativity. That has happened too I guess its not surprising in a discussion about robots playing bridge and the constraints a computational approach places upon much more complex things. Sadly it has happened evereywhere and rather than computers and AI (or whatever GiB has??) being simply a tool they have become the be all and end all - as have (as I said above) ridicukous over engoneeered techological solutions to everything - at the expense I dare to say of the planet and peoples mental and physical well-being. But I've kind of given up with all the powerful interests aligned that there will ever be a change. Maybe it was part of supposedly equalising things - but dorwning out everything of quality in excessively compex technical approaches to everything misses (IMO) the far superior qualities that have been lost or replaced. And allowing skill (if thats the word) at one very limted over technical mindset also loses a lot. The planet and the entities that lvie on it are analog things - they are soft. Along the way some powerful forces thought it could all be replaced with mechanics I think one of the first times I saw the writing on the wall and the way the world was going was in an economics class 25 or so years ago. A simple bid of maths on the board (with fractions - maybe 2/3) requiring a small amount of simple rearrangement and everyone in class except me went for their calculators and wouldnt even have produced an accurate answer :) Actually I think out of the many questionable over-technological approaches we have around us at the momennt is that rather than a clincian being able to sit annd assess the reason for someones distress by getting to know the person, their history, their culture, their oppression, their traumas, their stresses etc - very soon all it will take will to be taken through to a brain scan machine, a blood test to check for dodgy genes etc

Hi Have bidding assistance tool tips been turned off for GiB now regards P EDIT Other stuff deleted just in case anyone misunderstands EDIT 2. They seem to be magically back on again, since this post I must apologise. I will use the Bridgebum (rather than GiB CC) to tell me what my bids mean. It may slow me down a bit and make bidding less fun but I usually have time left over. I had forgotten that Jacoby magically becomes Truscott/Jordan. Sorry obviously my mistake for being a useless beginner needing unnecessary advice and classes Just a few small tips for some of the smartasseses out there. Suppose an expert in some field shows up somewhere where everyone does everything in some strange mysterious (and some woul say very complex) way. Do you thin they stop being an expert because they dont uderstand it and take time to get all the trivial nuances. PS I'm no expert (at bridge) by the way but you get my drift and in all my areas of expertise if I show up at somewhere with a weird different way of doing stuff its no relfection on me and I rely on notes :) But of couse the world has changed now. Its not a matter if you are good carpenter and briliant working with wood - but if someone handles you some ridiculous complex tool and you don't work it out straight away you are clearly useless with wood. Or maybe something I know more about than wood and bridge - guitar music. Suppose I've been playing acoustic for 40 years and pick up a simple electric with an amp with a few knobs it may take me a little while to get the hang. Then you could give me a guitar with more knobs and options and an amp with essentially infinite options and it may take me forever to work it out - and certianly not during a gig. Does that reflect on my ability? Do you cease to be an expert programmer if someone hands you a new language without a manual. An expert clinician if a new manualised therapy lands on your desk. An expert cook if you get dropped in a kitchen with a weird overengineered oven etc A system is just a tool. It's just like any other piece of kit in whatever field. Sadly knowledge, ability, expertise, skill, problem solving ability, intelligence even have over the years become associated with knowledge of a specific tool

I don't know. But I only play where I can play what's on my convention card But of course if I were playing with and against people who didn't know my game and/or people obsessed with strict rules I would moderate my natural tendency for freedom and fun And in case anyone wonders, usually my style benefits my opponents :) But don't you think it was very close to a beautiful 7 clubs, and remarkably makes spot on 5 clubs against best defence A few people managed to bid and make 6 after getting a friendly lead. But most were in 3NT or 5 clubs :)

That 2 club bid would be fine with anyone I would regard as a worthy partner :) It fits any reasonable parameters of a game going hand with anything other than rubbish opposite. You know it's always possible to stop short of game :) Plus I don't care about going down a trick or two. It's better than missing slams. I expect my partner to be the same :) Plus it would be on my convention card and/or alerted or explained as to my bidding style But of course on most days it's 1 club

I admit its hard to be upset with GiB for getting excited after my game force but sadly it was a trick or two too many and I knew my limitations - and I know I stretched my minor game force too much too :) GiB does get very excited sometimes [hv=https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?lin=st||pn|thepossum,~~M1107izw,~~M1719eqc,~~M2824zs1|md|1SA95HQ754DCAKQJ65,SJ73HKJ3DJ964CT84,SKQTHA62DAQ52C932,S8642HT98DKT873C7|sv|e|rh||ah|Board%203|mb|2C|an|Strong%20two%20club%20--%2019+%20HCP;%2023+%20total%20points;%20forcing%20to%202N|mb|P|mb|2N|an|Positive%20notrump%20--%202-5%20!C;%202-5%20!D;%202-4%20!H;%202-4%20!S;%208+%20HCP%20|mb|P|mb|3C|an|5+%20!C;%2019+%20HCP;%2023+%20total%20points|mb|P|mb|7C|an|3-5%20!C;%202-5%20!D;%202-4%20!H;%202-4%20!S;%2013+%20total%20points%20|mb|P|mb|P|mb|P|pc|D4|pc|DQ|pc|DK|pc|C5|pc|CA|pc|C8|pc|C2|pc|C7|pc|CK|pc|C4|pc|C3|pc|D8|pc|CQ|pc|CT|pc|C9|pc|S6|pc|S5|pc|S3|pc|SK|pc|S4|pc|SQ|pc|S2|pc|S9|pc|S7|pc|ST|pc|S8|pc|SA|pc|SJ|pc|HQ|pc|HK|pc|HA|pc|H8|pc|DA|pc|D3|pc|H4|pc|D6|pc|H2|pc|H9|pc|H7|pc|H3|pc|D7|pc|C6|pc|D9|pc|D2|pc|H5|pc|HJ|pc|H6|pc|HT|pc|DJ|pc|D5|pc|DT|pc|CJ|]400|300[/hv]

I always assumed the large daylong format was less about cheating and more about giving everyone (EDIT correction - everyone capable of occasionally putting a few good hands together in a row) a chance of winning one

thats fine if you want to teach the beginners stuff on this forum Cyber :) I will make sure only to post the hands I play perfectly in future. There is a tendency of people to make the assumptionthat a mistake means you are beginner - reckon I could teach a fair few players claiming mroe advanced level a few things about how to really play the game, despite not analysing everything to the nth degree and being perfect - I'm more a rubber/IMPs player - you win some - you lose some. Its more fun :) I kind of don't mind you pointing out errors. But what really bugs me these days is when people who just started the game and are going to beginner classes try and teach me anything, thinking that classes somehow trumps 40+ years of knowledge of the game :) The other pervasive attitude on this site is - you maye get a good game playing robots or in the beginners lounge and ask for beginner players :) Actually lets just say the whole world seems to been going that terrible way for years now. You need a degree to deliver takeaway these days

It was a bidding question and yet again I made the unnwise mistake of posting the play so that could be attacked. However, the only lead guaranteed to bring that contract down is a spade attack. As I said. I usually would do that but decide on a singleton this time, in a suit I hoped partner had. The pay was not ludicrous. There is no need for rudeness Oh and something else, maybe you should all remember you dont see all 4 hands when playing. Nobody successfully defended that contract either