Robot play

[redhotruff]

I really wish the Robots played much slower. There is no time at all between the end of a trick and the beginning of a new trick. You have absolutely no time to think about the play, your possible mistakes, or anything. CAN'T THEY FIX THE PROGRAM TO GIVE A REASONABLE 5 OR 6-SECOND DELAY BETWEEN TRICKS?

[barmar]

You can think when it's your turn to play.

[klutzygirl]

It's easy to slow them down and when you do they will play much better! Click on the little GIB box at the bottom of the window; click play settings; move the "playing speed" slider towards the left; click OK. This will affect all the GIBs so that both partner and opponents take their time and play more skillfully. In fact, it's amazing just how much skill they have at slower speeds! But if it's too slow they take forever; keep adjusting until you find the balance you like.

[onoway]

One of the advantages of playing with GIBS is that they have total patience and will wait for you to play until you actually log off. You can take 10 minutes or even more every time it's your turn to play, if you feel the need, to consider what has happened and what you want to try to do about it. You can also put your mouse on the last trick played and the cards will show. Indeed occassionally tricks vanish at the speed of light from the table (not only with GIBS, it can happen anywhere on BBO) and it's the only way to know what actually was played.

 

The webversion, to my understanding, doesn't have a setting for GIB speed. The "normal" GIBS are the default for them but the "advanced" GIBS are available.

[Creeksider]

I've noticed when playing 3 robots and comparing my results to others, sometimes robots at different tables perform differently. One might make a contract as declarer and another go down, after the same bidding sequence and with robots in all three playing chairs. Is this just because of the speed setting?

 

Playing the web version there's no speed setting except you can pay extra for the slower robot. Does that mean people who download the software can get the slower robot without paying extra?

[barmar]

Even with the same speed settings, you sometimes get different results at different tables. GIB's play is based on dealing a bunch of hands consistent with the bidding and simulating the play of each hand; it then chooses the play that results in the most tricks on the most hands. These deals are random, so different GIBs will simulate different hands, and may find different plays that look best.

 

Slow GIBs tend to be more consistent because they simulate more hands, which are more likely to include the best plays. A small simulation set may simply miss these plays, and they're more likely to vary from table to table.

[cloa513]

But basically it doesn't matter because GIB doesn't form a play plan. Its simulation after simulation without memory.

[Rain]

redhotruff, the robots think and act pretty fast in general.

 

The "basic robot" is especially known for speed. I gave you some BB$, try the "advanced robot" on the house if you like, next time you rent.

That one is slower (and usually produces better results).