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Snowie-3, Snowie-4, Jellyfish, GNU and eXtreme rollouts all like 2pt with 64

Posted By: Paul Weaver
Date: Tuesday, 9 February 2010, at 4:58 a.m.

In Response To: More data to support making the 2 pt with opening 64 (neilkaz)

As far as I am concerned, the most fascinating position in all of backgammon is how to play 64 from the opening position.

I have seen very long rollouts on five bots (Jellyfish, Snowie-3, Snowie-4, GNU and eXtremeGammon) and all concur that making the 2pt is best by about 0.005.

If we had this much consistency about any other position, most players would accept the unanimous rollout results of the five bots.

When you started playing backgammon, some good kind soul was there for you, "teaching" you and warning you, "The 2pt is too deep to make with opening 64." I am sure this good kind soul had the best of intentions, and I am sure he is going to heaven when he dies, but I am equally sure that I have studied the openings a lot more than he has, and I respectfully disagree with the good kind soul.

I remember that I was so prejudiced against making the 2pt in 1980 that I could not believe it was correct to point on the 2pt with 64 in response to my opponent's opening 41-split (24/23 13/9).

I was fortunate to hear Bill Robertie prophetically say thirty years ago something to the effect that "It would not surprise me if it turned out that making the 2pt was correct with opening 64." As a result of hearing Robertie make this declaration, my bias against making 2pt was removed.

I experimented with it in the early 1990s and I remember futilely trying to convince Howard Ring that making the 2pt was correct with opening 64.

I have consistently made the 2pt with opening 64 in money situations for about fifteen years, and I feel totally comfortable with the play. I remember winning a lot of gammons in the games in which I opened with 64 and made the 2pt.

I am predicting that within five years, the majority of championship tournament players will be making the 2pt with opening 64 in money situations.

For those of you who cannot bring yourself to make the 2pt when you play a match against me, that is just fine by me.

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