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Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?

Posted By: Daniel Murphy
Date: Friday, 19 March 2010, at 11:06 p.m.

In Response To: Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table? (Paul Weaver)

This “Match Equity Table” should be renamed. It should be called a “Match Probability Table.”

Why? Who's confused by current usage?

Nearly every "match probability table" (would "match winning probability table" be even more accurate?) ever published has been called a "match equity table." Thus, the definition at http://www.bkgm.com/gloss/lookup.cgi?match+equity+table -- "a chart showing the probability of winning a match from various scores." And elsewhere at that site: "a match equity table shows a player's expectation of winning or losing the match from any given score."

That definition, overwhelmingly, reflects usage. A net search for "match equity table" brings up about 2,230 backgammon-related hits at backgammon.org, bgonline.org, bgsnowie.com, bkgm.com, fibs.com, gammoned.com, gammongo.wordpress.com, gammonlife.com, gammonline.com, gammonvillage.com, gnubg.org, msoworld.com, simborgbackgammonlessons.com, thegammonpress.com and many more sites. Meanwhile, a net search for "match probability table" brings up a total of nine hits, of which only one has anything to do with backgammon.

If "match equity table" by time-honored usage means "a table that shows match winning chances," what's the problem? I see none. Perhaps there would be, if there were any demand for a table (a Match Settlement Value Table?) that actually showed one's money equity in a match, as opposed to one's winning chances. But there isn't, since money equity is easily calculated from the probabiity figures in a match "equity" table.

Messages In This Thread

• Rockwell Kazaross MET
  Phil Simborg -- Friday, 19 March 2010, at 1:52 p.m.
  • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
    Paul Weaver -- Friday, 19 March 2010, at 4:11 p.m.
    • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
      Bob Koca -- Friday, 19 March 2010, at 4:28 p.m.
    • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
      Daniel Murphy -- Friday, 19 March 2010, at 11:06 p.m.
    • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
      Phil Simborg -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 12:37 a.m.
      • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
        Bob Koca -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 1:32 a.m.
        • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
          Rich Munitz -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 5:16 a.m.
          • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
            Joe Russell -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 7:56 a.m.
            • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
              Rich Munitz -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 1:32 p.m.
              • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
                Joe Russell -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 2:21 p.m.
                • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
                  Rich Munitz -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 3:31 p.m.
                  • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
                    Phil Simborg -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 10:10 p.m.
                    • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
                      Joe Russell -- Sunday, 21 March 2010, at 3:02 a.m.
                      • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
                        Joe Russell -- Sunday, 21 March 2010, at 4:05 a.m.
    • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
      Timothy Chow -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 3:08 a.m.
      • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
        Bob Koca -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 4:42 a.m.
    • Match Equity Table or Match Probability Table?
      Chase -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 2:17 p.m.
  • Rockwell Kazaross MET
    jdg -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 1:16 p.m.
    • Rockwell Kazaross MET
      Tom Keith -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 2:15 p.m.
      • Rockwell Kazaross MET
        Stick -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 3:02 p.m.
      • Rockwell Kazaross MET
        David Rockwell -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 7:30 p.m.
        • Rockwell Kazaross MET
          Rich Munitz -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 8:10 p.m.
          • Rockwell Kazaross MET
            Bob Koca -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 11:24 p.m.
            • Rockwell Kazaross MET
              Phil Simborg -- Sunday, 21 March 2010, at 2:17 a.m.
              • Rockwell Kazaross MET
                Bob Koca -- Sunday, 21 March 2010, at 3:13 a.m.
              • Rockwell Kazaross MET
                Timothy Chow -- Monday, 22 March 2010, at 12:25 a.m.
          • Rockwell Kazaross MET
            Timothy Chow -- Sunday, 21 March 2010, at 2:41 a.m.
        • Rockwell Kazaross MET
          Phil Simborg -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 9:59 p.m.
        • Rockwell Kazaross MET
          Bob Koca -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 11:18 p.m.
          • Rockwell Kazaross MET
            David Rockwell -- Sunday, 21 March 2010, at 12:44 a.m.
            • Rockwell Kazaross MET
              Gregg Cattanach -- Monday, 22 March 2010, at 1:25 p.m.
        • Rockwell Kazaross MET
          Gregg Cattanach -- Monday, 22 March 2010, at 1:22 p.m.
    • Rockwell Kazaross MET
      Phil Simborg -- Saturday, 20 March 2010, at 9:57 p.m.