stassen@spp2.UUCP (Chris Stassen) (05/15/85)
A program called "Bridge 4.0" has just become available. It is the first program I have seen that will bid and play randomly dealt hands (most other programs are tutorials - an electronic version of "AutoBridge"). Bridge 4.0 is available for the IBM, Apple, and Commodore computers. Review (of the IBM PC version): (1) The program is written in BASIC, and is interpreted. It is SLOW, though compiling it might help. It is also "protected." (see "SAVE" entry in MS BASIC manual). (2) The program CHEATS. When sorting hands, it counts the total number of cards in each suit for each *partnership*. It then decides what suit the final contract will be based on maximizing (# cards) + (# points) per suit. This leads to confusing auctions such as: Partner You ------- ------- 1D 2C (11 HCP, 5 clubs, 3 diamonds) 2D 3D 4C (!) 4D 5C (!!) You partner has bid diamonds twice, you support him, and he then suddenly decides that clubs is the best suit to be in? As it turns out, we had the same number of clubs and diamonds between us, but one more high card point in clubs, (AKQ, rather than AKJ). (3) Although I haven't been through the entire source yet, it is relatively clear that the program cheats when it leads, too. It does too good a job of making the correct lead, without any supporting information from the bidding. It is such a small program (23K in "compressed" format), that it couldn't do that well without cheating. Being rather disgruntled with the best the software market has to offer (at the moment), I am setting off to write a program that plays bridge. I am working from the following requirements: (1) It must *NOT* cheat (2) It will support from 0 to 3 players (on extra serial ports) (3) It will understand and use a large variety of bidding conventions (4) At first, it will only run on the IBM PC (and don't expect it to run in less than 264k). Any help that I can receive in the form of: (1) pointers to papers on strategy algorithms (2) suggestions for format/conventions/options Will be greatly appreciated. -- Chris
stassen@spp2.UUCP (Chris Stassen) (12/22/85)
The following are genuine bridge-playing programs/machines. (Programs which are simply tutorials, and can only play a few preset hands are not eligible for consideration). "Bridge 4.0" [Artworx] - For IBM PC, APPLE ][, C-64 (~ $25.00) The program "cheats" (uses knowledge of all four hands to play and bid), and still doesn't play very well. It is a 600-line BASIC program. One player against three computer players only, standard bidding only, and it doesn't even do that well (6NT is "asking for queens"!, and it will bid 8NT! in response if it has all four). The user interface bites rocks. "Bridge Baron" [Great Game Products] - IBM PC, APPLE ][, C-64 ($50.00) The program plays honestly, but it has some trouble preserving entries and discarding properly when the opponents run a long suit. It is a 1200-line program, and won the first annual bidding-playing contest for computer programs. One player against three computer players only, standard bidding only: Gerber, Blackwood, strong 2-bids. The user interface is pretty good, except that the random number generator is re-seeded before each hand. "Bridge Challenger" [Fidelity Electronics] - Self-contained ($100-$300) The program plays honestly, and is probably the best bidding program available. It allows Stayman, Jacoby, and a few other con- ventions, which may be "turned off," if not desired. Any number of human players can play against or with any number of computer players. The only drawback is the slow play (each card must be "scanned" into the machine when dealt to a computer player, or played by a human player). It has a small amount of trouble on defense (too much of a tendency to return partner's lead, even when it is obviously a bad thing to do). Next to be added to the list: Borland's "game design workbench" comes with a bridge-playing program (AND SOURCE!!). It's on my christmas list..... -- Chris Bell Labs is developing a Bridge-playing program (reportedly over 30,000 lines of source have been written), but it lost to "Bridge Baron" in the first annual computer bridge contest.
neil@sdcsvax.UUCP (Neil Rhodes) (12/22/85)
And the folks at Barclay bridge supplies recommend:
"Cybron" [Pegasus Software] - For IBM PC ($125.00)
Claims to soon be availabe for Apple II and Macintosh.
(from brochure discussing the product)
...can play from zero to four positions at the table.
After dealing a random hand or one specified by the user,
cybron will bid and then play... cybron will play...without
cheating
Bidding conventions: select 4 or 5 card majors, strong or
weak 2 bids and cue bidding for each partnership. Also
set the level of "agressiveness" of bidding.
Special Deal types: Request any of the following hands:
random, game strength, slam, notrup, part-score, or opening
2 bid. Or request distribution for a particular contract.
I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has experience
with this program before I consider shelling out that kind of money.
--
Neil Rhodes
UC San Diego
neil@ucsd
{ucbvax,decvax}!sdcsvax!neilwildbill@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (William J. Laubenheimer) (01/12/86)
> Bell Labs is developing a Bridge-playing program (reportedly >over 30,000 lines of source have been written), but it lost to >"Bridge Baron" in the first annual computer bridge contest. > > -- Chris [stassen@spp2] Does anybody know who is involved in this? Do they have any reasonably high-powered bridge talent in on the project? I would be interested in communicating with anyone associated with the project. Bill Laubenheimer ----------------------------------------UC-Berkeley Computer Science ...Killjoy went that-a-way---> ucbvax!wildbill
stassen@spp2.UUCP (Chris Stassen) (01/28/86)
I got Borland's "Turbo Gameworks" for christmas, and I thought I'd fill you in on the bridge-playing program. "Turbo GameWorks" [Borland] - For IBM PC ($69.95) The GameWorks is actually a package of sources for several games, including a manual on general strategy, and lots of general- purpose routines. To my knowledge, it is the first publicly distributed bridge-playing program that includes source. The program itself has its flaws (although you are free to fix them...). "cheating" (peeking) is an option that may be turned on or off, with a note that the computer plays much better if it can look at all of the hands. It plays standard (a la Goren) bidding only (but, again, you can change that). Conventions are easy to add. The color display and user interface are far and away the best that I've seen in a bridge-playing program. It doesn't make many playing mistakes (it will even make safety plays and such when necessary), even though the selection algorithm is amazingly simple. Unfortunately, it is SLOW. (Its one drawback). It takes about 45 seconds to select an opening lead, and up to 30 seconds (depending on how many cards are left) to play from any hand. Admittedly, that isn't much slower than a human player would be. However, all other programs that I've seen and reviewed give instant responses, and I get used to playing straightforward hands about as fast as I can type in the cards. Besides, there are times when humans don't pause (e.g. when playing the only card they have of a particular suit), but the program always takes quite a while to decide. All in all, it's a good buy. (Source for Chess and Go-Moku computer games is also included). Coming next: I'm saving for the one that costs $150, and everyone recommends. -- Chris