All the robot games on Bridge Base Online are powered by GIB.

He’s a little something like the HAL 9000 of bridge, but a lot nicer. Maybe even the Mr Smith, but less insane.

I’m hoping for a futuristic endorsement deal where GIB gets built into most sex robots by default to make them worth buying for future generations of tech freaks and lonely hearts (but somehow I doubt it’s in the cards).

Here are a few things you might not know about the BBO bridge bot.

1. The meaning of GIB is twofold. The term is short for Goren-in-a-Box — or alternatively Ginsberg’s Intelligent Bridge (Player).

When it’s not an acronym, the term “gibbing” is a gaming term that refers to obliterating an opponent into giblets. But around here, the term refers to the robot player behind Bridge Base Online – and it’s short for either Goren-in-a-Box or Ginsberg’s Intelligent Bridge (Player).

One is a nod to Charles Goren, the other to the creator of GIB.

2. GIB was originally used to power Microsoft Online Bridge Club.

Microsoft used to have its own online bridge club. GIB was the intelligence powering the club’s bot, with Bridge Base Online taking care of everything else like the interface.

The MSN Online Bridge Club eventually came to an end, but there’s still a solitare bridge game live as part of what’s left of MSN Games.

3. Matthew Ginsberg wrote the code for GIB, but also wrote a few other things.

Matthew Ginsberg, who wrote the code for GIB (and, well, generally gets mentioned as the genius who put it all together) happens to write more than just code: He’s also the author of a pretty huge range of NY Times Crosswords. Bet any crossword fans are wondering which ones he might have come up with.

4. GIB drives ACBL’s training app too.

The intelligence known as GIB can be found in places on the internet other than Bridge Base Online. BBO – and GIB by extension – is also the driving force behind ACBL’s Learn to Play Bridge.

If it says Powered by Bridge Base, then you know GIB is behind it.

5. GIB was the topic of a money bet.

At a point where AI was still finding its feet and people were still getting used to playing cards and board games against increasingly better computers, GIB was the topic of a money bet from player Zia Mahmood.

Word goes that Zia once made a £1m bet, since withdrawn, that no team of four computers would ever beat a team of four humans of his choosing.