In Nacks variation, Blue must choose between making his 5pt and the alternative of making both his 4pt and 9pt. The resulting positions are shown in the diagrams below. After making his 5pt, as in the diagram on the left, Blue will have awkward 4s and 6s. A quick check shows that 65 64 63 54 all force one or more direct shots on his next turn, with 64 creating an ugly double-blot/triple-shot position. If Blue makes the 4pt and 9pt instead, as in the diagram on the right, he will leave one or two direct shots on his next toss when he rolls 61 62 64 65. In some ways these counts are very similar, but the advantage is that no roll leaves two blots, and no roll leaves a triple direct shot. Ill guess this is enough to swing the balance in favor of playing O (Outer). Mike | ||||||||
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