Double from the bar..
Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 9:02 pm
When you get hit and sitting on the bar, it is normally not a time to reach for the cube. But in backgammon there are always exceptions to the rule. And sometimes reaching for the cube when you are on the bar is exactly what you should do. In this example, not doubling is a double blunder. So I did double and was somewhat surprised when GreedyG dropped. Turns out it was actually a take (according to the updated version of GnuBG). But maybe GreedyG knows what she is doing as she dropped and crushed me with a doubled gammon to win the match on the next game.
I didn't feel too bad as my analysis showed "World Class" with only 1.2 error rate.
So, the lesson here is don't be afraid to double from the bar. In fact, the mistake most make is missing a chance to double. Often it is only a single roll or 2 and the chance is gone. It turns into a double pass, or worse, the opponent gets lucky and the tables are turned if the position was a double/pass.
I am playing White, score 0-0
3 pt match.
Cube analysis
2-ply cubeless equity +0.600 (Money: +0.581)
0.700 0.207 0.001 - 0.300 0.025 0.002
Cubeful equities:
1. Double, take +0.922
2. Double, pass +1.000 ( +0.078)
3. No double +0.713 ( -0.208)
Proper cube action: Double, take
I didn't feel too bad as my analysis showed "World Class" with only 1.2 error rate.
So, the lesson here is don't be afraid to double from the bar. In fact, the mistake most make is missing a chance to double. Often it is only a single roll or 2 and the chance is gone. It turns into a double pass, or worse, the opponent gets lucky and the tables are turned if the position was a double/pass.
I am playing White, score 0-0
3 pt match.
Cube analysis
2-ply cubeless equity +0.600 (Money: +0.581)
0.700 0.207 0.001 - 0.300 0.025 0.002
Cubeful equities:
1. Double, take +0.922
2. Double, pass +1.000 ( +0.078)
3. No double +0.713 ( -0.208)
Proper cube action: Double, take
Code: Select all
3 point match
Game 1
bambam : 0 GreedyG : 0
1) 65: 24/18 18/13 62: 24/18 13/11
2) 13: 8/5 6/5 62: 24/18 13/11
3) 62: 13/11 11/5 45: 11/6 13/9
4) 46: 24/18 18/14 24: 25/21 13/11
5) 53: 25/22 13/8 34: 13/9 21/18
6) 55: 13/8 13/8 8/3 8/3 25: 18/13 13/11
7) 65: 8/2 6/1 51: 8/7 7/2
8) 33: 13/10 13/10 6/3 5/2 64: 18/12 18/14
9) 24: 22/18 3/1 31: 14/11 12/11
10) 41: 8/4 10/9 14: 6/2 8/7
11) Doubles => 2 Drops
Wins 1 point
Game 2
bambam : 1 GreedyG : 0
1) 14: 13/9 24/23
2) 64: 8/2 6/2 13: 25/24 13/10
3) 46: 24/18 18/14 45: 10/5 9/5
4) 11: 6/5 6/5 8/7 8/7 26: 13/11 11/5
5) 44: 25/21 13/9 13/9 13/9 11: 6/5 6/5 5/4 5/4
6) 55: Doubles => 2
7) Takes 53: 8/3 6/3
8) 53: 25: 24/22 22/17
9) 33: 35: 17/14 14/9
10) 22: 25/23 13/11 13/11 9/7 66: 13/7 8/2 8/2 7/1
11) 46: 63: 24/21 21/15
12) 66: 26: 9/3 3/1
13) 64: 22: 15/13 13/11 13/11 11/9
14) 35: 46: 9/3 11/7
15) 53: 44: 7/3 6/2 6/2 5/1
16) 53: 66: 5/0 5/0 4/0 4/0
17) 21: 11: 2/1 2/1 1/0 1/0
18) 12: 24: 3/0 3/1
19) 36: 25/19 62: 3/0 3/1
20) 21: 23: 2/0 2/0
Wins 6 points and the match