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Gammons at 3-away/many-away

Posted By: Timothy Chow
Date: Sunday, 27 July 2014, at 7:05 p.m.

As BGO readers are well aware, Stick has a rule about doubling at 3-away/many-away: Don't do it. As I recall, Stick did not at first attach a rider about gammons, but later on he was more explicit about saying that you shouldn't double at 3-away/many-away in gammonish positions.

Here again the question arises, gammonish for whom? The figure below illustrates a decision I faced recently. Before considering the checker play, let me first ask this: Should I have doubled before the roll? Blue wins considerable gammons here but doesn't lose many gammons. Is that enough to activate the exception to "Stick's rule" and warrant turning the cube?

Now consider the checker play. (Give White the cube on 2 if you think Blue should have doubled before the roll and if you think it makes a difference.) Do you "just make the DMP play"? What is the DMP play anyway? Do you make the same play for money (assuming White owns the cube for money)?

Match to 7, Blue leads 4-0
Blue to play 52

White	146
Blue	123
GNUBg Id: 4NuDARLM7ogxAA:cAn1AAAAIAAA XGID=--aBaBCC--A-bB--Bdbe------:0:0:1:52:4:0:0:7:8

Messages In This Thread

• Gammons at 3-away/many-away
  Timothy Chow -- Sunday, 27 July 2014, at 7:05 p.m.
  • Rollout and analysis
    Timothy Chow -- Tuesday, 29 July 2014, at 12:18 a.m.
    • Rollout and analysis
      Wolfgang -- Tuesday, 29 July 2014, at 12:11 p.m.
      • Rollout and analysis
        Timothy Chow -- Tuesday, 29 July 2014, at 3:53 p.m.