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Chouettes
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Settlements for Chouette and Money Players
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by Phil Simborg, 2006
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Phil Simborg has been making bad settlements for some 40 years and,
with the help of his friends Jake Jacobs and Danny Kleinman, he has
come up with a Settlement Chart that he is sharing with all of us here.
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I play in a lot of chouettes and money games, and when it comes to settlements, I have mixed feelings. I think settlements are an important part of the game, particularly when there is a large cube. I don’t think it’s good for the game or the chouette to see anyone get hurt on a 16 or higher cube, and it hurts no matter how much money you have. So when the cube gets high, I always like to see a reasonable settlement.
On the other hand, I don’t like how settlements hold up the game. Listening to two players haggle over a forth of a point while everyone else has to stand around waiting for them to finish just isn’t fun. And watching some experienced player take advantage of a weaker, or scared player and getting a terribly unfair settlement rubs me the wrong way too.
So with the help of my good buddies, Jake Jacob and Danny Kleinman, I have created a Settlement Chart to be used as a reference point for the more common situations where settlements occur. Hopefully, players can simply pull out this chart and at least end the arguments about what is the appropriate settlement. Of course, adjustments will have to be made for specific checker configurations (and differences in skill), but this should serve as a good start, and I hope it helps you, too.
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Fair Settlement Chart
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(Calculations by Jake, Danny and Phil.)
In the chart that follows, unless stated otherwise, Black is on roll owning a 2-cube. Fractional settlements shall be rounded to the nearest half-point, based on a roll of two dice by White.
- Black has a single shot, winning if he rolls any of 11 numbers,
- else losing a single game. Black owes .78 and pays 1 on any 6 or 5, else pays ½.
- else losing a gammon. Black owes 3.39 and pays 3 on any roll of 10 or more pips, else pays 3½.
- Black has a double short, winning if he rolls any of 20 numbers,
- else losing a gammon half the time and a plain game the other half. Black owes .22 and pays ½ on any 6 or 5, else washes.
- else losing a gammon. Black owes .67 and pays 1 on any roll of 9 or more pips, else pays ½.
- Each player is off in 2 rolls (no misses). White owes 1.44 and pays 1 on any roll of 12 or more pips, else pays 1½.
- Each player is off in 3 rolls (no misses). White owes 1.2 and pays 1 on any 6 or 5, else pays 1½.
- Each player is off in 4 rolls (no misses). White owes 1.
- Black has 4 men on the 2-point, White has 4 men on the 3-point. Wash with the cube in the center. Black owes .333 with White owning a 2-cube, and washes on any roll of 9 or more pips, else pays ½.
- Black has 3 men on the 2-point and 1 man on the 1-point, White has 4 men on the 1-point. With White owning a 2-cube, White owes 1.
- Black has a closed board but 2 of his men are on the bar. White has a closed board and a perfect bear-off position. Black owes 2.64 and pays 2½ on any ace, else pays 3.
- Black has 2 men on the bar and 13 men on his 1-, 2- and 3-points. White has a closed board and a perfect bear-off position. Black owes 2.87 and pays 2½ on any roll of 5 or fewer pips, else pays 3.
- Black has a perfectly-timed 1-2 back game with a good board. White has all his men on the 6-, 5-, 4- and 3-points. Black owes 1.6 and plays 2 on any roll of 10 or more pips, else pays 1½.
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Backgammon Galore
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