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Chicago Update #2: John O'Hagan

Posted By: Bob Glass
Date: Monday, 8 March 2010, at 9:11 p.m.

In Response To: Chicago Update #2 (Ken Larsen)

I don't think most players can grasp just how good John O'Hagan is. When trailing 12-9 to 15 in his Open finals match to Bob Steen, he was given a 2 cube which he accepted. He was gammoned and lost the match. Players argued the merits of whether it was a double and whether it was a take. John gave an estimate of what percentage of the time he would win, what percentage of the time he would be gammoned, and what percentage of the time he would gammon his opponent. He then was able to plug in those numbers into the equity percentages to conclude that not only did he have a take but that his opponent did not have a proper double. Between the three percentage figures, he was off by a combined 1.5%. The last player I remember who casually recited percentages like that on a regular basis was Wilcox Snellings. The difference today is that these figures can noe be confirmed by the bots. This demonstrates that not only does John have a solid grasp of all the concepts of backgammon but that he also must have a massive internal database of various positions enabling him to merely plug in the numbers while the rest of us mere mortals are guestimating.

Messages In This Thread

• Chicago Update #2
  Paul Weaver -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 8:53 a.m.
  • Chicago Update #2
    Ken Larsen -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 11:43 a.m.
    • Chicago Update #2
      joe freedman -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 12:51 p.m.
      • Chicago Update #2
        Ken Larsen -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 1:24 p.m.
        • Chicago Update #2
          Chuck Bower -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 2:49 p.m.
          • Chicago Update #2
            garyo -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 6:21 p.m.
    • Chicago Update #2
      Joe Russell -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 1:26 p.m.
      • Chicago Update #2
        neilkaz -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 3:31 p.m.
    • Thanks, Ken Larsen
      Paul Weaver -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 3:31 p.m.
      • Thanks, Ken Larsen
        rory -- Monday, 8 March 2010, at 7:58 a.m.
        • I agree, POY Nomination *NM*
          David -- Monday, 8 March 2010, at 3:59 p.m.
    • Chicago Update #2
      Bob Koca -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 5:10 p.m.
    • Chicago Update #2: John O'Hagan
      Bob Glass -- Monday, 8 March 2010, at 9:11 p.m.
      • Chicago Update #2: John O'Hagan
        John O'Hagan -- Monday, 8 March 2010, at 9:56 p.m.
        • Chicago Update #2: John O'Hagan
          David Rockwell -- Monday, 8 March 2010, at 10:31 p.m.
          • Chicago Update #2: John O'Hagan
            Timothy Chow -- Monday, 8 March 2010, at 11:03 p.m.
            • Chicago Update #2: John O'Hagan
              John O'Hagan -- Monday, 8 March 2010, at 11:54 p.m.
              • Chicago Update #2: John O'Hagan
                Stick -- Tuesday, 9 March 2010, at 12:30 a.m.
  • Chicago Update #2
    Chase -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 12:44 p.m.
  • Chicago Update #2
    Stick -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 5:01 p.m.
    • Chicago Update #2
      jdg -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 5:08 p.m.
      • Chicago Update #2
        Stick -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 5:14 p.m.
      • Chicago Update #2
        garyo -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 6:16 p.m.
  • Chicago Update #2
    Jason Lee -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 7:42 p.m.
  • Chicago Update #2
    Jason Lee -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 7:43 p.m.
  • Chicago Update #2
    Chiva Tafazzoli -- Sunday, 7 March 2010, at 8:56 p.m.
    • Chicago Update #2
      Sam Pottle -- Monday, 8 March 2010, at 1:08 a.m.
  • Chicago Update #2 (late night..early morning)
    neilkaz -- Monday, 8 March 2010, at 1:51 a.m.