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Question about EPC

Posted By: Matt Cohn-Geier
Date: Friday, 8 January 2010, at 1:14 p.m.

In Response To: Question about EPC (Timothy Chow)

Let me confirm that I understand exactly what you mean by EPC. Here are three statements about EPC that I believe to be true.

1. EPC is defined to be P*N, where P is the average number of pips per roll (some easily-computed number around 8, whose exact value I don't know off the top of my head), and N is the average number of rolls needed to bear off, assuming that you're trying to minimize the number of rolls to bear off (i.e., ignoring what's happening on your opponent's side of the board).

2. People have also suggested calling EPC the "Trice count."

3. By default, towards the end of a game, GNU switches from reporting the exact pip count to reporting EPC/Trice count.

Are all these statements correct?

Sounds right to me.

I would call it the Trice count but EPC is an old habit so it is hard for me to switch, although I will interchangeably refer to it as the Trice count.

The other problem I have is that the "Trice count" isn't really a precise formula...it's more of an estimate and inexact science.

MCG is correct, of course. But putting it this way would make me hastily assure everyone that I was Blue here, even it weren't true. :-)

It's OK, I have probably done worse things. Maybe. Well, when I have done bad things, I have kicked myself.

Probably I haven't made the last money management mistake that I will ever make.

The only case where I wouldn't recube here is if I thought someone was reaching his limit for what he would pay and the cube was already higher than 8.

Messages In This Thread

• Endgame cube action
  Timothy Chow -- Thursday, 7 January 2010, at 1:29 a.m.
  • Endgame cube action
    Stick -- Thursday, 7 January 2010, at 1:32 a.m.
  • Endgame cube action
    Phil Simborg -- Thursday, 7 January 2010, at 4:43 a.m.
  • Endgame cube action
    misja -- Thursday, 7 January 2010, at 9:10 a.m.
  • Endgame cube action
    Matt Cohn-Geier -- Thursday, 7 January 2010, at 1:05 p.m.
    • Endgame cube action
      Timothy Chow -- Thursday, 7 January 2010, at 3:12 p.m.
      • Endgame cube action
        neilkaz -- Thursday, 7 January 2010, at 3:48 p.m.
    • Question about EPC
      Timothy Chow -- Thursday, 7 January 2010, at 4:00 p.m.
      • Question about EPC
        Jason Lee -- Thursday, 7 January 2010, at 4:06 p.m.
      • Question about EPC
        Matt Cohn-Geier -- Friday, 8 January 2010, at 1:14 p.m.
  • Endgame cube action
    Chuck Bower -- Friday, 8 January 2010, at 6:25 p.m.