Forum Archive : Match Play

1-away/1-away: and similar scores From:   Lou Poppler Address:   lwp@mail.msen.com Date:   11 August 1995 Subject:   One pointers are also like -1, -3 Forum:   rec.games.backgammon Google:   5xyKwMz2B06I083yn@mail.msen.com Interest in one point matches has increased recently, as the highest rated two players on FIBS, one human and one computer, play only one point matches. The rest of us trail behind. Player 'one-pointer' has been kind enough to share with us some of the stragegic differences applicable to one point matches, and many of us have tried to learn by watching 'loner' and discussing its plays. Some players eschew one point matches because (they claim) they don't want to pervert their instincts for regular match play. Various others have pointed out that double-match-point is exactly like a one-point match, and that match score -2, -2 can quickly turn into the same situation. Although I'm sure it's been said before, let me point out that in the Crawford game at match score -1, -3, both players should also play as though in a one point match. (The trailer *does* have to play very slightly more conservatively than in an actual one-pointer, to avoid backgammon, but only very slightly -- backgammons are pretty rare even in actual one-pointers; I submit that the equity gain from switching yourself to the one-pointer mindset is far greater than the equity risk of the backgammon, especially if you keep the BG in mind and watch out for it.) (Also, the equity difference of the possible "free drop" in the following game is so negligible as to be disregarded, when compared to the equity gain of the one-pointer mindset). My point is that there is a big difference in how you should play in a one-pointer situation vs. a regular old match game. You need to realize from the first move that you are in this kind of game, and adjust your mindset and your play accordingly. Both the leader and the trailer in a Crawford -1, -3 game better know how to play a one point match correctly. -- Spider :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: Lou Poppler <lwp@mail.msen.com> | "Sacred cows make the tastiest :: :: http://www.msen.com/~lwp/ | hamburger." -- Abbie Hoffman :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::   Did you find the information in this article useful?           Do you have any comments you'd like to add?

 

Match Play

1-away/1-away: advice from Bernhard Kaiser  (Darse Billings, July 1995) 

1-away/1-away: advice from Stick  (Stick+, Mar 2007) 

1-away/1-away: and similar scores  (Lou Poppler, Aug 1995) 

2-away/3-away: playing for gammon  (Tom Keith, Feb 1996) 

2-away/4-away: Neil's rule of 80  (Neil Kazaross, June 2004) 

2-away/4-away: cube strategy  (Tom Keith, Dec 1996) 

2-away/4-away: practical issues  (Mark Damish, Jan 1996) 

2-away/4-away: trailer's initial double  (Kit Woolsey, Jan 1996) 

3-away/4-away: opponent's recube  (William C. Bitting+, Feb 1997) 

3-away/4-away: racing cube  (Bill Calton+, Nov 2012) 

3-away/4-away: tricky cube decision  (Kit Woolsey+, July 1994) 

3-away/4-away: what's the correct equity?  (Tom Keith, Sept 1997) 

4-away/4-away: take/drop point  (Gary Wong, Oct 1997) 

5-away/11-away: redouble to 8  (Gavin Anderson, Oct 1998) 

7-away/11-away: volatile recube decision  (Kit Woolsey, May 1997) 

Both too good and not good enough to double  (Paul Epstein+, Sept 2007) 

Comparing 2-away/3-away and 2-away/4-away  (Douglas Zare, Mar 2002) 

Crawford rule  (Chuck Bower, May 1998) 

Crawford rule  (Kit Woolsey, Mar 1997) 

Crawford rule--Why just one game?  (Walter Trice, Jan 2000) 

Crawford rule--history  (Michael Strato, Jan 2001) 

Delayed mandatory double  (tem_sat+, Oct 2010) 

Delayed mandatory double  (Donald Kahn+, Dec 1997) 

Doubling when facing a gammon loss  (Kit Woolsey, Jan 1999) 

Doubling when opponent is 2-away  (David Montgomery, Dec 1997) 

Doubling when you're an underdog  (Stein Kulseth, Dec 1997) 

Doubling window with gammons  (Jason Lee+, Jan 2009) 

Free drop  (Ian Shaw, May 1999) 

Free drop  (Willis Elias+, Oct 1994) 

Gammonless takepoint formula  (Adam Stocks, June 2002) 

Going for gammon when opp has free drop  (Kit Woolsey, Jan 1998) 

Going for gammon when opp has free drop  (Kit Woolsey, Apr 1995) 

Holland rule  (Neil Kazaross, Apr 2010) 

Holland rule  (Kit Woolsey, Dec 1994) 

Leading 2-away with good gammon chances  (Douglas Zare, Feb 2004) 

Match play 101  (Max Urban+, Oct 2009) 

Matches to a set number of games  (Tom Keith+, Oct 1998) 

Playing when opponent has free drop  (Gilles Baudrillard+, Dec 1996) 

Post-crawford doubling  (Scott Steiner+, Feb 2004) 

Post-crawford doubling  (Maik Stiebler+, Dec 2002) 

Post-crawford doubling  (Gus+, Sept 2002) 

Post-crawford mistakes  (Rob Adams, Sept 2007) 

Post-crawford/2-away: too good to double  (Robert-Jan Veldhuizen, July 2004) 

Slotting when opponent has free drop  (onur alan+, Apr 2013) 

Take points  (fiore+, Feb 2005) 

Tips to improve cube handling  (Lucky Jim+, Jan 2010) 

When to free drop  (Dan Pelton+, Oct 2006) 

When to free drop  (Tom Keith+, July 2005) 

When to free drop  (Gregg Cattanach, Dec 2004) 

When to free drop  (Kit Woolsey, Feb 1998) 

When to free drop  (Chuck Bower, Jan 1998) 

Which format most favors the favorite?  (Daniel Murphy+, Jan 2006) 

From GammOnLine         Long message         Recommended reading         Recent addition

 

Book Suggestions Books Cheating Chouettes Computer Dice Cube Handling Cube Handling in Races Equipment Etiquette Extreme Gammon Fun and frustration GNU Backgammon History Jellyfish Learning Luck versus Skill Magazines & E-zines Match Archives Match Equities Match Play Match Play at 2-away/2-away Miscellaneous Opening Rolls Pip Counting Play Sites Probability and Statistics Programming Propositions Puzzles Ratings Rollouts Rules Rulings Snowie Software Source Code Strategy--Backgames Strategy--Bearing Off Strategy--Checker play Terminology Theory Tournaments Uncategorized Variations