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BGonline.org Forums
MatchGammon--A new and challenging variation
Posted By: Phil Simborg In Response To: MatchGammon--A new and challenging variation (Bob Koca)
Date: Saturday, 22 August 2015, at 4:30 p.m.
1. Now, when you make a play, you must consider the fact that you will know your opponent's next move based on the roll you know you will have. This may not be tougher than making a play without knowing what his next roll is, but it requires a different kind of thought process and reasoning that we are not used to doing. Clearly the play we would making, knowing, for example, that our opponent will roll a number where he will dance when we hit him, will cause us to make a different play than we might make if we are not sure he will dance. I think your question raises a good point about skill and the semantics. It might actually be easier to decide on the best play when you know he's going to dance or when you know what he might roll, but it is different and requires different thinking.
2. I believe this approach also affects cube decisions. Again, a different set of variables comes into play.
3. In the variation where player B can change his roll, it becomes even harder for Player A to decide what to play as he must consider a variety of rolls that are able to be played next. Also, Player B must now determine which roll to select that gives him the greatest equity. That is a skill decision that he does not have in a standard game.
I found this last item to be particularly interesting, and based on a conversation with Tom Buckner about this, and a position we were studying this morning, he recommended that a great lecture and contest might be to set up positions and ask the audience what is the best or worst roll (not including doubles) on the next roll.
This would not only be a fun and interesting exercise, I believe it is a useful skill to be able to see what good and bad rolls your opponent might have, as that sometimes is a major factor in why we might make one play over another.
I already have my lecture for Charlotte set (Dennis Culpepper will be giving the lecture with me) but I think I will do this lecture/contest in LA in December.
Back to your question about whether or not this variation increases skill, it might not in all areas, but it requires different kinds of skills we are not used to using and that makes it interesting. Also, learning those skills certainly can't hurt our normal backgammon game either.
Bottom line, I find these variations to be a fun diversion and fun competition.
Nothing bores me more than heads up money games...though I love chouettes and I enjoy heads up match play....so when I find myself with one person interested in playing for fun or money, I prefer either matches or variations like Pineapple Bluff Gammon, Nackgammon, CancelGammon, Destroy, or Backgammon to Lose. Or I like to play props, as they are fun and educational. Lately the prop I have been playing the most is where I pay someone (often Carter) a point to let me start with the cube. I have a rematch with Mochy November 18th in Vegas, but with him I don't have to pay him a point (he's a little better than Carter).
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