Money Bridge Suggestions

[bid_em_up]

A few things I have noticed while playing at the "fun" tables that I would like to see changed:

 

1) Make "fun" balances a cumulative score. This way, I can have some idea of how I have fared over a period of time, not just this session. Reset this balance to $100 automatically should it ever reach zero, so I can continue playing "for fun".

 

2) Quit closing the table automatically when one player declines a hand. Just clear his seat and don't deal the next hand until a new player joins the table. It's just a pain to have to open a new table each time.

 

3) I would like to be able to see a list of players actually playing (ie, tables in progress), same as main bridge club list, only you couldn't join the table.

 

4) Some method to disable outside chat while playing money bridge (both to and from the player). While some people may want to be able to chat with their friends that are elsewhere on BBO, I think it could be very distracting if playing for real money to have outside chat constantly coming in. It could also be used as a means of cheating (hey Joe, what do you do with ??)

 

5) I've tried different settings on the bot speeds. I havent been able to see much of a difference in the caliber of the bots, other than they just take longer to lead, and follow suit. The bidding is still atrocious. I had started a table on slow settings and wanted to change the bot speed, if only to speed up their play. No way to do this, unless you close table and start over. I dont think you should be able to do it during a hand, but maybe be able to change bot settings to take effect for the next hand?

 

6) Not sure what to do about bot bidding. But given the following example (bots on medium setting):

 

My bot opens 1C (1S opp bot) p (2C live opp) p (2S) p (2N) p (3S)

 

at this point, I'm holding K109xx J10x xx Qxx, I double 3S, a clear penalty double on the auction (what else can it be?!?!)

 

So what does my bot do?

 

Holding xxx AQx AKx J10xx, he bids 4D, turning +800 (or better) into -800. At $0.01, thats a $16.00 swing.

 

 

To be fair, the bots do play and defend rather well, for the most part, but until the bot bidding improves (or I learn how to handle them better, hehe), I will have to say "No thanks" to playing for real $$.

[Sigi_BC84]

Regarding GIB's bidding: I think the settings of the bots should be published ASAP so that people can start practicing bidding with an offline copy of the software (I'm playing with GIB occasionally and after a while you really get a hang of its bidding style).

 

--Sigi

[uday]

The settings are currently

 

fast: -z -T 30

medium: -T 60

slow -T 120

 

I have them set to use total point scoring.

 

I've been experimenting with telling it to use IMPs (I believe that makes it less aggressive.). I'm thinking that moving to -z across the board ( "use book bidding") might be better, less wild.

[PhantomSac]

Two things I think might be useful...

 

1) If it showed you how many total boards you have played when you look at account activity (like in myhands)

 

2) Higher stakes games. Money bridge has been doing well and I think there might be some demand for higher stakes games like 2 or 5 cents.

 

As for gibs bidding, I think it is fine how it is on medium and slow, one just needs to figure out how to get the best out of gib and what you could do or could not do with gib that you would normally do with a human.

[Sigi_BC84]

The settings are currently

 

fast:  -z -T 30

medium: -T 60

slow -T 120

 

I have them set to use total point scoring.

What bidding conventions are activated (ie. which book does it use)? It would be helpful to have enough information to setup an offline copy of GIB (the one you can buy on Gibware's homepage) in exactly the same way as the robots on BBO.

 

Also I'd like to know which kind of leads and signals GIB uses.

 

Thanks,

Sigi

[DJNeill]

Hi Sig,

In my experience, GIB always gives current count on defense if it can afford it. Try that theory and let me know if it's not the case.

 

Thanks,

Dan