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Cherry Blossom BMAB Results

Posted By: Bob Koca
Date: Monday, 13 May 2019, at 5:09 p.m.

In Response To: Cherry Blossom BMAB Results (Colin Owen)

Even if it affects only 10 plays in the match I still am wondering what a player prioritizes in those cases. I think your estimate of ten is low though. I agree that the two situations you list are an area of concern but there are many other situations where the goals of winning the match and playing with a low PR are in conflict.

i) Your point of avoiding backgames could be extended to preferring plays that lead to simpler games in general. For example a disengaging play leading to a race vs a play that goes for more contact.

ii) Suppose you are in a race and know that you have a very small pass. The PR play could very well be to take the cube and get all those easy race decisions.

iii) Similarly if you are in a race and have what you know is not quite a cube then the PR play could very well be to cube it then. Lose the market and you could lose all those easy race decision.

iv) If playing to win you probably should use more clock time when the cube gets to a high value since those games are more important to your win chance. If only playing though for PR those decisions are not more important.

v) There are many little tricks to up the decision count. One example is suppose that you are losing 4a 2a and get cubed. When it is your turn you have no market loser. Your equity after cubing or not cubing is the same so it does not count as a decision. Wait until you have a market losing sequence so that it does count as a decision. In a real match of course you wouldn't risk messing up and just cube right away. Another is suppose you are gin to save the backgammon and also gin to lose a gammon. Keep a checker in the opponent's home board on his 4, 5, or 6 point so that you get an easy decision (of indeed running off the backgammon) later on. Another is suppose that you are gin to run off a gammon but gin to lose the race. You could delay saving the gammon so you get a decision later on (where you indeed do save the gammon). Similarly your opponent could slow himself down with a play that still guarantees the win but would make there be additional rolls or an actual "decision" later on.

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