stair step to a higher level pageConstraint Files for BBO



Introduction

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Bridgebase Online allows us to form a "bidding table" where zero to three of the players at the table will be robots (See GIB). The auction transpires, but the resulting contract is not played out— excellent for bidding practice.

One option when sitting at a bidding table is to press the "Deal Source" button where you will see a series of tabbed windows. There, specific bidding constraints can be entered for the hands BBO will deal. The "Advanced" tab leads to the most powerful feature: the ability to enter constraints in a programmer-like language. Through this, you can specify very tightly how BBO will deal the cards in a way that lends itself to practicing a given convention or situation. The links in the table below lead to constraint files I have used.

To use a constraint file, click one of the links below and copy the file (text only). Be sure to copy the entire thing, parentheses and all; they matter. Save it to your own machine and paste it into the BBO bidding table advanced tab. Before you leave the "advanced" tab, be sure you check "Use this input for the Dealer program." If you forget this check box, the content you just pasted won't be used.

The robots you bid against can be made silent or noisy. When you create a BBO bidding table, check the radio button labelled "Opponent's Bidding" "Controlled by Host". This will cause the BBO robot players to interfere with your auction per the GIB schema.

Important: Switcheroo. You and partner may be confident that you can handle every combination of hands that might respond to a one notrump opener, but are you just as confident that you could handle the same 26 cards if the opposite hand were the dealer (in other words, the responding hand is the balanced 15-17)? This is the sort of thing switcheroo forces you to check. Don't be surprised when BBO makes the "wrong" hand the dealer.

P.S.. As of 2011, the Dealer Source button can also be found at Teaching Tables.


Constraints

File Name Description or Challenge Pub Date (yyyy,mm,dd)
Three-Suiters The 3-suited hand can be a magical fit or a maddening mess, especially when deciding between penalizing, pushing, and slamming. See how well you and your partner deal with them. new. 2012-01-10
Massive Whether a massive fit or a massive misfit, is it game, slam or just a part score? Can you handle the slam controls (including voids)? And how about duplication? For this one, be sure you turn on "Opponent's Bidding" "Controlled By Host" to see whether you can also handle the interference. 2011-02-13
Jordan A river of Jordan hands. And can you navigate the minors as well? 2011-02-09
Smolen-ish Is it Smolen or a wannabe? How often does your system get to the optimum contract and right-side it? 2011-01-14
MajorsB.txt More of those majors. How do you handle these? 2010-08-30
Majors.txt You have the major(s). Now what? Game? Slam? Backing into NT? 2010-08-05
Their1NT.txt When "they" have a strong 1NT opener: can you steal the auction? Is there a game your way? Undertand partner's continuations? Test it all with this. 2010-06-01
4SF.txt - 4th Suit Forcing? New Minor Forcing? And what then? Some hands are rather nice, but also rather awkward to bid. 2010-05-13
WeakTwos.txt - Is it a Weak 2 or 1 of a suit? What if you aren't the first one to bid (overcall or jump)? How does partner continue? 2010-03-13
1N_AllCases.txt - All hands that need to respond to a 15-17 NT opener. 2010-01-21
CrissCrossOrOther - Respond with CrissCross, Inverted Minor or some other treatment over a one club or one diamond opening. 2010-01-21
drury.txt - Over partner's 3rd seat one-of-a-major opening, how do you respond and continue? 2010-01-21
1NT_Rubensohl.txt - What do your bids mean when the opponent's interfere with your 1NT auction? 2010-01-21

Last updated: January 10, 2011 11:50