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BGonline.org Forums
Clocks and Cocked Dice Rules
Posted By: neilkaz In Response To: Clocks and Cocked Dice Rules (jdg)
Date: Saturday, 6 September 2008, at 7:13 p.m.
As for cocked dice and clocks, I'd change the cocked dice rules to allow rolling on either side of the board -- as long as both dice end up in the same half board. As there is only one set of dice, there should be no confusion.
This will allow for rolling into the empty board for races.
jdg
Neil replies: As one who'd like to see the game brought into the 21st century and greatly change cocked dice rules, I most certainly agree with your idea.
Lets look at a few possible reasons for the right side rule in unclocked BG.
1) By requiring players to roll on the right side, there's much less chance of confusion if the other player fast rolls (not an issue with one set of dice)
2) This comes from Danny Kleinman back in the Gabby Horowitz cheating days. By requiring the dice to land on the right side it is more difficult for some slight of hand artist to wave roll one die from the cup on the right and slide/place/etc the other die on the number he needs on the left side of the board. But is this really an issue any more ? I strongly think not, since it wasn't really an issue back then and dice cheats could do it all with one hand and not be detected much of the time.
However, if one starts changing dice roll rules, players who have become used to the old rules..ie playing them for over 30 years like me, will screw up.
But with one set of dice and clocked, it does make sense to allow the dice to land on whatever side, but..what if I roll split board dice, and grab one before the roll is even seen, just like unclocked ? What if I, in the race, roll left side dice, by mistake, trying for right side as usual, and then pick them up prior to the roll being seen ?
The answer to the issue above is to allow a player to roll left side dice in the race, provided he's told his opp he's doing so. Then for the remainder of the game/bearoff his rolls only count on the left side. Is this too much trouble to keep track of ? I think not, and note that players sometimes allow their opps to roll left side in matches, and it is not uncommon practice in many friendly chouettes.
Here's how we played BG in my Armenian family and it's clearly superior, IMHO to the "standard way" ignoring the lack of cube. Why did we play it that way ? Well Grandpa played it that way, so Grandma and Dad played it that way. Grandpa's friends used to come over and they all played that way (noting Grandpa usually beat the crap out of them and I got to learn some nice Armenian swears when watching). Grandpa's dad in the old country played that way and I suspect his grandfather's grandfather also did, as did everyone else in their circles.
One set of dice, your turn is over when you take your hand of the last piece to be moved (noting your opp grabs the dice for his roll then), dice count anywhere if they land flat and on top of the checkers is FLAT. We had nice carved wood checkers with a slight bowl in the center and then circular ridges. There was never anything resembling a problem telling what number was on top, nor has there ever been anything resembling a problem telling what number was rolled when dice land on top of checkers on any set I've ever seen at any tourney.
I also never had a problem switching back and forth from "standard" cocked dice rules to the very liberal Armenian ones, but the real issues are that if we changed cocked dice rules to speed up the game and to have lots fewer cockings when clocked, players will forget and grab dice on top of checkers and disputes about what was rolled will certainly occur.
.. neilkaz ..
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