Position 20, page 27
From Backgammon, the Cruelest Game, by Barclay Cooke and Jon Bradshaw

Black to play 5-3.

Bring down two men from white’s 12 point, placing them on black’s 8 and 10 points. It is true that your blot is vulnerable to a roll of 9, but should it not be hit, this play, on black’s next move, changes lackluster rolls of 5-1, 4-1, 6-3, 6-2, or another 5-3 into good rolls. It also improves subsequent rolls of 4-3, 3-2, and 2-1.

Some experts have suggested establishing black’s 3 point with a roll of 5-3, but it is an inferior play. At this point in the game, the 3 point is almost irrelevant; it does not become really valuable until the 5 and 4 points have been secured.

13/8, 13/10  *
Alt: 8/3, 6/3 x
Rollout 
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Tom Keith 2013 
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Centered cube
Black rolls 5-3

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XGID=-b----E-C---eE---c-e----B-:0:0:1:53:0:0:0:0

5-3: Game BG   Equity
1 8/3, 6/3 W
L
.5168
.4832
.1666
.1356
.0089
.0065
+0.0980 x  Alt
2 24/21, 13/8 W
L
.5064
.4936
.1432
.1369
.0075
.0053
+0.0198 (0.0782) 
3 13/10, 13/8 W
L
.4952
.5048
.1521
.1436
.0075
.0072
−0.0027 (0.1007)  *
4 24/16 W
L
.5014
.4986
.1235
.1420
.0057
.0051
−0.0114 (0.1094) 

Previous Position
No. 19, page 26
Next Position
No. 21, page 28

List of Positions from Backgammon, the Cruelest Game

Backgammon, the Cruelest Game (1974), by Barclay Cooke and Jon Bradshaw

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