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BGonline.org Forums
Real Backgammon
Posted By: Bill Riles In Response To: Real Backgammon (falafel)
Date: Monday, 26 April 2010, at 5:25 p.m.
In my estimation, too many who are overly concerned with minor errors in opening play seem to view a backgammon game, money or match play, as some type of trajectory or trigonometry problem -- where an initial minor variation results in a huge error over the length of the course. This, obviously, is not true.
Analagously, in backgammon, the problem, the 'trajectory', and, indeed, the target are everchanging, to varying degrees, with each roll and play. The skillful player must be nimble enough to adapt to these changes and carefully corral, constrain, control, and, ultimately, capture the target. Any 'error', be it initial, mid-course, or end-game, can be devastating to that goal; however, that same 'error' may be rendered valuable, moot, or otherwise insignificant with the very next roll or play. Obviously, better and best play influence the probability of the consequent results; however, they don't determine the results.
As we all question, is a wrong cube an error if the opponent passes?
Ray likes to make the valid, in my opinion, point that evaluations and rollouts are played against the bot. Maybe to take a certain cube is technically a 0.02 error playing against the bot -- but if you know the opponent is not going to play the remainder of the game as well as the bot, is it really an error?
The variables and permutations are endless. Bot study and analysis results are quite valuable. But they're not the Holy Grail.
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