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Mythbuster failed – Two Variants

Posted By: Taper_Mike
Date: Saturday, 8 October 2016, at 2:44 a.m.

In Response To: Mythbuster failed – Two Variants (Timothy Chow)

I guess all you can do is play within your comfort zone.

I can generally tell when my opponent may feel squeezed. If my opponent is up in the race, and has few or no spares left with which to play safely, then I will play accordingly. That means cleaning up my board. If the race is tied, however, or if my opponent trails significantly, then I can generally expect him to hold his anchor. He may dangle some bait elsewhere, but if I am not ready to hit, I will usually avoid the lure.

Based on these considerations, I am comfortable will blotty play, either by me or my opponent. You say I might occasionally fall victim to my own blots, and, no doubt, you are right. That happens so little, however, that I don't worry about it.

The upside of blotty play was not emphasized enough in your post. In the great majority of cases, no weirdness will happen when you properly use the tactic. Instead, you will augment your equity by quickly building your board. Whatever gains you suppose you are getting by avoiding blotty play must be laid off against the losses you rack up by failing to make up your board as often as you would with blotty play.

One final point. Complexity is a two-way street. Sure, I may face more difficult decisions when my board has a couple of blots. So, however, might my opponent. Should he run, and leave a blot of his own? That might be a tough choice.

I view complexity as a plus, not a minus. It's the reason I play backgammon. Sure, I hate getting a bad roll, and not knowing what to do with it. But I relish those positions. My opponent and I are both going to have them. Those are the positions where I can demonstrate whatever skill I have. Those are also the positions where I hope my opponent will falter. If everything were as simple as playing 31 on the opening roll, then neither I nor my opponent would ever make a mistake.

Mike

Messages In This Thread

• Mythbuster failed
  Svilo -- Wednesday, 5 October 2016, at 6:21 p.m.
  • Mythbuster failed
    Taper_Mike -- Wednesday, 5 October 2016, at 10:15 p.m.
  • Mythbuster failed
    Keene -- Thursday, 6 October 2016, at 2:00 a.m.
  • Mythbuster failed – Two Variants
    Taper_Mike -- Thursday, 6 October 2016, at 2:52 a.m.
    • Mythbuster failed – Two Variants
      Timothy Chow -- Thursday, 6 October 2016, at 9:55 p.m.
      • Mythbuster failed – Two Variants
        Keene -- Thursday, 6 October 2016, at 10:13 p.m.
      • Mythbuster failed – Two Variants
        Taper_Mike -- Friday, 7 October 2016, at 4:57 a.m.
        • Mythbuster failed – Two Variants
          Timothy Chow -- Friday, 7 October 2016, at 4:08 p.m.
          • Mythbuster failed – Two Variants
            Taper_Mike -- Saturday, 8 October 2016, at 2:44 a.m.
    • Mythbuster failed – Two Variants – Rollouts
      Taper_Mike -- Friday, 7 October 2016, at 5:08 a.m.