| Books |
From The Backgammon Book, by Oswald Jacoby and John R. Crawford
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| White to play 5-2. |
You don’t have much of a game here and proceed to roll 5-2, which helps matters very little. You have to use the 2 to bring in your man from the bar. Suppose you then use the 5 to make the conservative play of moving a man from the black twelve to your eight point. If black hasn’t doubled already, he will double now, and you should refuse. Twenty-seven rolls (anything except double 5, 5-3, 5-1, 4-3, or 4-1) will allow him to make either the bar point or the four point. Furthermore, 4-1 lets him hit both your men; and he has satisfactory ways to play the other possible rolls. Thus you are too likely to be gammoned if you take the double and play on.
So, to gain time and avoid being doubled, you should not make the conservative play. Instead, use the 5 to hit his blot on your one point. This play buys time for you since he will have to play part of his next roll in your home board. If he rolls 6-1 or 4-1, he will hit your blot on your one point and use the 6 or the 4 to hit the blot you just left on his two point coming in, thereby leaving you with two men off the board. If he rolls 5-1, he will make the same kind of play but this time will hit your man on his one point with the 5. Double 1, double 2, or double 3 will also be very good rolls for him. That makes a total of nine really good rolls, which does not represent a doubling advantage for him.
This play may even pay an unexpected dividend: black may roll double 6, double 4, or 6-4, and forfeit his whole roll.
You are going to have many similar situations where your best or even your only satisfactory defensive play is to hit a man in your board and keep your opponent busy.
Rollout
 Tom Keith 2013 |
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Money play Centered cube White rolls 5-2 1296 games with VR Checker play: 3-ply Cube play: XG Roller |
| 5-2: | Game | G | BG | Equity | ||||
| 1 | bar/23, 6/1* |
W L |
.3100 .6900 |
.0923 .3020 |
.0046 .0282 | −0.9957 |
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| 2 | bar/23, 13/8 |
W L |
.2848 .7152 |
.0717 .3144 |
.0043 .0169 | −1.0000 | (0.0043) | |
| 3 | bar/23, 9/4 |
W L |
.2711 .7289 |
.0634 .3024 |
.0029 .0129 | −1.0000 | (0.0043) | |
| 4 | bar/18 |
W L |
.2872 .7128 |
.0771 .3963 |
.0055 .0197 | −1.0000 | (0.0043) | |
| 5 | bar/23, 8/3 |
W L |
.2571 .7429 |
.0563 .4020 |
.0034 .0606 | −1.0786 | (0.0829) |
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