Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpfcdc!hpfelg!gary
From: gary@hpfelg.HP.COM (Gary Jackoway)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Bridge
Message-ID: <550003@hpfelg.HP.COM>
Date: 21 Jun 89 14:33:37 GMT
References: <280004@hplchm.HP.COM>
Organization: HP Elec. Design Div. -FtCollins
Lines: 21

> Does anyone know of a computer program which plays expert
>level bridge?  
NO
> Is such a beast available (commercial or PD)?
NO
> How well does it play?
All available programs play at the beginner level (or worse).
Bridge doesn't lend itself to the search techniques of chess.
Bridge is somewhere between the probabilistic methods that have
been successful in backgammon and the search techniques that have
been successful in chess.  And there are human concerns as well.
(Which card does your opponent tend to lead from a specific holding?
Is this opponent likely to underlead an ace?  Does this opponent
cover an honor with an honor automatically?)  So a good bridge program
would have to take long-term trends into account.

There have been many discussions about this topic in rec.games.bridge.
I suggest posting there if you want more information.

Gary Jackoway
ACBL Life Master