"You “slot” by moving a checker down and putting it or another checker onto a vacant offensive point."
Rules for the Slot family ($, %, etc.):
1. Slot 5pt or 4pt
2. Most Points
3. Unstack the taller point
4. Order of preference for slotted point: 5pt, 4pt, then 7pt, 3pt, 2pt, 1pt
Confirmed.
Below are two illustrated examples from the updated tutorial.
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Some questions:
Is the Hit/Most/Six Rule ever applied to moves in the $ (Slot) family? My guess is, "No."
"No" is close enough, but I'll address each part of Hit/Most/6 separately:
Hitting and slotting don't really go together, so I decided to make hitting an incidental.
The "Most" part (Most-points convention) is already embedded in the definition of $.
The "6" (6pt convention) does apply as a tie-breaker in the outer board, but it arises so seldom that I didn't append it as a fifth rule. (Also, people that understand the 6pt convention as it applies to Down plays will naturally favor 15/11 6/5 over 13/9 6/5.)
Does the definition of slot still include a "down" component? My guess is, "Yes, otherwise, for instance, there would be no rule governing the play of the 4 in 41$."
Yes, the underlying definition of $ (that you quoted in the first sentence of this post) is unchanged. However, if a checker is (or three checkers are) on the roof then an entering portion(s) can replace the down portion.
Obviously, all slotting plays involve a slotted checker. In case there are dice left over after slotting, and aside from slotting plays that involve entry from the bar, must the other checker movements in a slotting play be played "down?" (This is likely a restatement of the preceding question.) My guess is, "Yes."
Yes.
If "down" is still part of the definition, does it now refer to the more general definition of down (a move made to or within the outer board)? My guess is, "Yes."
Yes.
Is the rule, "Unstack the taller point," only meant to specify the point from which a slotted checker is moved? Is it ever used to choose the point from which other, unslotted, checkers are played? My guesses, respectively, are, "Yes" and "No."
That is correct.
Can a roll of doublets ever be nactated in the slot family?
Yes, though I don't recommend it unless the move is straightforward, such as 13/7(3) 11/5, or bar/24(3) 6/5, or maybe bar/23 13/11(2) 6/4.
$ is intended as a stylish symbol used to convey a move that we normally associate with slotting. Hence, for opening 21 played 13/11 6/5, we tend to use $ even though N is a fine, unambiguous alternative. If you are ever unsure exactly how to use $ or you think there's a chance it will be misinterpreted, just use a less esoteric symbol instead -- there's always one available.
It is also useful to remember that Nactation does not have to be an exercise in detailed technique. People who have read only the first section or two of the tutorial are welcome to dive in and freely use assumption. "I know that $ means "Slot," and what I'm conveying is to make the play that slots a checker here and the rest of the move is obvious." This approach can sometimes annoy interpreters who have learned all the conventions, but the upside is that in most situations anyone can use the basic symbols without much study.
If so, other than the "Most Points" convention cited in the slotting rules, what factors are used to distinguish between the many possible ways the extra dice might be played "down?" My guess is, "I'm clueless."
If you can't resist using $ for that unusual and complex a play decision, apply the 6pt convention (including wrinkle).
Your questions will help me decide what examples I might add to the updated tutorial.
Cheers,
Nack