[svengolly]

I play a lot of robot bridge. I thought I was getting used to its vagaries and stupidity until the last two weeks. It's like GIBBO is on acid or some other hallucinogen. This one made me pretty well lose it at the table so I withdrew.

First, GIBBO did not make a normal overcall of 2♣ with 2♠ holding secondary support in diamonds. I could live with that. But, when GIBBO backs into the auction with 2♠ after the opponents have bid two suits AND I PASSED it's usually a sign that the robot is playing me for something I don't have. When I show distaste for 2♠ by bidding 3♦ I assume it got the message by passing. NOPE. When the opp-bot bids 3♥, robot hangs me out to dry with an egregious 3♠ call. I have nowhere to go except down 4 because I'm so pissed off after seeing dummy that I don't really bother about anything except watch E/W crossruff a hand we have no business owning.

I have seen more and more of this bidding by assumption recently (putting cards in human's hand that they don't have). I'm also encountering more times where the normal action by human is to double a contract by opponents when it's a 100% clear penalty only to have GIB pull it for a flat bottom.

Honestly, I spend a fair amount of $ on this platform but the price hikes AND seemingly more erratic play by robots is making me rethink my priorities. Feel free to criticize the human here if there's something obvious I should have done differently.

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[johnu]

It's not clear what you could do in the bidding playing with GIBBO. Maybe pass 2♠? Even 2♠ isn't a happy contract on the lie of the cards.

Since you asked for comments, on the play, you should not cover the ♥Q at trick one. That seems like a no win play. On the lay of the cards, it probably didn't make any difference. At trick 10, you can save a trick, not that is matters much, by playing a heart from dummy since you know East has hearts remaining so you can ruff (or overruff West), play a round of trump, and claim.

[svengolly]

johnu, on 2026-March-24, 18:06, said:

It's not clear what you could do in the bidding playing with GIBBO. Maybe pass 2♠? Even 2♠ isn't a happy contract on the lie of the cards.

Since you asked for comments, on the play, you should not cover the ♥Q at trick one. That seems like a no win play. On the lay of the cards, it probably didn't make any difference. At trick 10, you can save a trick, not that is matters much, by playing a heart from dummy since you know East has hearts remaining so you can ruff (or overruff West), play a round of trump, and claim.

Double dummy you are -4 no matter what. I think GIBBO bidding spades twice is insane.

[pescetom]

svengolly, on 2026-March-25, 14:20, said:

Double dummy you are -4 no matter what. I think GIBBO bidding spades twice is insane.

It's insane, but I'm not sure the preceding GiB would have done differently, this was always a weak area.
It would be nice to hear a comment about this and other recent posts from @Lorserker who made the GIBBO modifications (and has been silent since).

[mike777]

3d by south supports spades or denies, can't tell by explanation

[johnu]

svengolly, on 2026-March-25, 14:20, said:

Double dummy you are -4 no matter what. I think GIBBO bidding spades twice is insane.

Neither the human nor GIBBO play double dummy accurate. As the play went, you could have taken 5 spade tricks and the ♣K for 6 tricks. That would be down 3, not the down 4 where you ended up. Go back to trick 10 and press the DD button. The ♣K was the only card to go down 4.

[pescetom]

 mike777, on 2026-March-25, 16:31, said:

3d by south supports spades or denies, can't tell by explanation

The explanation says 3- spades, so I imagine it denies support naturally (the 2S overcall was explained as 4+ cards, which is another oddity).

[microcap]

It is not you. GIBBO has gone rogue and the incidence of bizarre bids that come nowhere close to either the description or any normal judgment has exploded. No idea why.

[thepossum]

Apropos of this thread or possibly other threads, I feel, without any proof, that recent GiBBo bidding is less reliable than I was used to with old GiB. Often bidding too high in competitive auctions for starters. GiB used to do it but I have a perception of it happening more. I use the (forcing) pass much more these days. I have tried ruling out/controlling for my occasionally light bidding. Who knows if the modelling backs up unnecessary game bids against my gut feel. Do you reckon one day AI will allow our GiBBos to learn individual partnership bidding

[pescetom]

My feeling FWIW is that GIBBO has not gone completely rogue and is leading and collaborating in play slightly better than GiB.
This particular and absurd weakness is long standing and I would need convincing that it has got even worse.
But I am also increasingly convinced that GIBBO has not improved the end play as promised and that it is embarking on unlikely lines of early play that would never be supported by a decent number of simulations.
I would be greatly comforted if lorserker who made the modifications would contribute to our discussion and if BBO could at least provide paying customers with the due information about what is going on (robot type and version and link to revision history in profile, logic of choice and number of simulations made for each call).