The playing level of the Bridge Baron program will hopefully improve as the state of the art of Artificial Intelligence in Bridge Programs improves. However, that having been said, the program does play an acceptable game of bridge on most hands.

"Bridge Baron Twelve" is a vast improvement from Bridge Baron 11. It's speed has been greatly improved, the level of bidding conventions has been expanded to allow you to play a reasonably sophisticated 2/1 style if you should so desire. The bidding algorithms seem much better also, although I had only used Baron Eleven sparingly because of it's slowness. For people unfamiliar with the product, Bridge baron allows the user many menu choices. I'll provide a brief description the more interesting of these:

ACBL Tournament - (under the Compete Option) This choice allows the user to play hands from selected ACBL Tournaments and then to compare their bidding and play with the results of the actual tournament from which the hands were taken. I enjoyed the hands and the ability to see how I would have done in the actual tournament.

Bridge Challenge - (under the Learn option) This is a nice feature in which problem hands by Easley Blackwood are presented. The user doesn't get to bid the hands, just play them. Much like reading a daily bridge column. Any beginning to intermediate player should find all of the hands instructive.

Conventions - (Under the Learn Option) This allows you to practice bidding hands that meet the criterion for a particular bidding convention (or conventions) that you select. It is an excellent tool for players desiring to practice their ability at a new convention. Deal generator - (under Tools) This allows the user to provide specifications for certain types of hands and have the program generate "N" hands of that particular specification. This is a useful feature for partnerships wanting to test their bidding or test out new bidding systems.

Personal Play Library - (under Tools) A feature allowing the user to define and save entire deals for later retrieval , bidding and play. I didn't spend much time in this area.

Bridge Match - This feature allows you to play (along with your computer partner) against two other computer opponents in either a IMP, Board-a-match or rubber bridge (total points) format. This was extremely interesting but the area where the computer's lack of playing skill was most annoying. On a lighter note, I really felt the same adjustment period as I was forced to feel out my partner's bidding style and quite often found myself playing a foolish contract having been passed by partner at a most unexpected time. The program does allow you to select from a variety of the most common conventions and select the aggressiveness of your partner's style.