tmgrl4

Thank you!! I do hover over GIB's bid, and over mine before I bid...I have the printout for GIB, but think I just don't get RCKB yet... Thanks! I just pulled out the printout on the GIB bidding! terri

I am a novice, so forgive me if this is somewhere else. I did a search. I have been playing ACBL bot duplicate tourneys and doing fairly well in some of them. However, when I get a hand that looks as we bid along like a slam hand and, I either use 4NT (Blackwood) or get 4NT (Blackwood) from GIB, which also lists suit agreed... It bot using RCKB or regular Blackwood. I assume RCKB...and I always mess it up and go down bigtime. Any advice or help? Thanks! terri

That's what I thought, too. Except for duplicates, others are different hands. At least once in awhile, I place in the non-duplicates...the pointers here should help too. The GIB has a lot of benefits to a novice, in that I am beginning to recognize conventions that were only names before. Down-side is that it is 2/1 and I am working on SAYC...building my way into that. Have only played bridge for seven months..retirement treat to myself and I play it all here!

So...GIB plays Blackwood, but it is RKCB? Thanks everyone! These posts were great. I am a novice, and playing in the bot tourneys is teaching me a lot (some of it not so good, I am sure). Also, for Best Hands, are all of the hands played different for all players? Do we all get the same hands? Not so for Random Hands? Robot Reward, too...same hands for all or not? terri

I wondered about the RKCB too with the GIB. I am a total Beginner, but even when I bid what I believe ist the RCKB response, I end up in either wrong suit or too high. Part of it might be me. Also, I have looked at some hands in tourneys (I am referring to tourneys for both these comments), and it appears from counting tricks that, e.g., making 3NT is doable and then GIB goes down by giving up lead and not taking early certain tricks. Eek!

Mikeh....I loved your long first post. I am a true beginner and never understood the concept of reverse AT ALL until your post. While I read the other posts, which contain info way above my level, what I remember when I read your post, is .... In bridge, there is "usually" rather than "always." Thank you!! terri

Ah...not getting the same hands. Now that makes sense. I do better on the duplicate board tourneys (not much, LOL). Much better when I play real-time live tourneys at BIL, where I don't have to understand 2/1. Also, twice on the Best Hands I was in the top group, or least the $BB earning list. Thank you! I thought about connection time and speed, but my computer is pretty fast terri

I did a search in these forums and didn't find this information. I am a beginner and I know the bots use 2/1 and that is hard for me, but I enjoy playing the tourneys. I noticed recently on the Best Hand tourneys, for example, which allow you to hover over the left upper right by the seating/vulnerability board, to see the current scores as you play. Several times yesterday, I played Best Hands. As soon as my first hand came up for the 25 minutes of timed play, I hovered over the left upper board, and there was already a person with a score. How can this happen? Time delays around the world. Also, sometimes the hands are horrible and, yet, the top winners earn 10,000 points and those just below not far behind. Is there something to know about the bot play that would be helpful other than to tell me to LEARN, since I am a beginner? Thanks, all. terri I am just getting up the courage to play in the BIL tourneys and haven't been dead last in those at least. I am a real beginner, just a few months, but love bridge.