For what it's worth, here's a 4-ply/4-ply rollout.
As for 8/2*/1*, it wasn't on my radar screen, but closing out your opponent is a good way to win the game and 8/2*/1* prevents White from anchoring.
           
 
           
 | | White is Player 2
score: 0
pip: 142 | | 1 point match | pip: 148
score: 0
Blue is Player 1 |
|
| XGID=-aa-BBD-C---bA-b--bccA-aB-:0:0:1:61:0:0:0:1:10 |
| Blue to play 61 |
| 1. | Rollout1 | 13/7 8/7 | eq: +0.172 |
| Player:
Opponent: | 58.59% (G:27.35% B:6.40%)
41.41% (G:16.29% B:3.95%) | Conf.: ± 0.005 (+0.167...+0.177) - [100.0%]
Duration: 2 hours 55 minutes |
|
| 2. | Rollout1 | 8/2* 2/1* | eq: +0.155 (-0.017) |
| Player:
Opponent: | 57.75% (G:36.95% B:4.69%)
42.25% (G:15.48% B:4.16%) | Conf.: ± 0.005 (+0.150...+0.160) - [0.0%]
Duration: 3 hours 21 minutes |
|
| 3. | Rollout1 | 24/23* 23/17 | eq: +0.145 (-0.027) |
| Player:
Opponent: | 57.23% (G:33.02% B:9.10%)
42.77% (G:13.91% B:2.75%) | Conf.: ± 0.005 (+0.139...+0.150) - [0.0%]
Duration: 4 hours 19 minutes |
|
| 4. | Rollout1 | 24/23* 8/2* | eq: +0.134 (-0.038) |
| Player:
Opponent: | 56.70% (G:33.93% B:8.36%)
43.30% (G:13.66% B:3.09%) | Conf.: ± 0.006 (+0.128...+0.139) - [0.0%]
Duration: 3 hours 58 minutes |
|
| |
1 1296 Games rolled with Variance Reduction.
Dice Seed: 271828
Moves and cube decisions: 4-ply
|
eXtreme Gammon Version: 2.19.208.pre-release, MET: Kazaross XG2