My first instinct was to slot the five pt. and play 7/6 with the ace. As a couple ppl mentioned I can't lose a gammon, there's no fear in staying back on the ace point...except that's clearly not the best route to win the game. I asked myself how I planned on winning this game? I don't have the kind of timing I'd need to stay back on the ace without shortly crashing my board. I'm only 15 pips behind in the race so if I happen to roll something big I can still get some race equity out of the position, that is, if both my checkers aren't stuck on the ace!
Also, what am I doing back there? Letting White bring his blots around the board leaving virutally no flyers if I don't step up. If I do step up White now has to play carefully and will only hit in his inner board with a naturally POH number and maybe not even if he has to break the bar to do so. By stepping up 24/21 I give myself a chance to hit flyers and that's far more important in this position. If I step up with 1 why not step up with the other? It'll give me even more flyers and if I do happen to roll boxes (or even 6-4 would be nice immediately) I can fly both back men out and see what happens. OTB I made the right move but lost the match, just one of 3 DMP games I lost and thought I played as well as I could play them.
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| Board image courtesy of GO-Figure | |