[ View Thread ] [ Post Response ] [ Return to Index ] [ Read Prev Msg ] [ Read Next Msg ]

BGonline.org Forums

Bad news from Belgium

Posted By: Daniel Murphy
Date: Saturday, 9 October 2010, at 7:26 a.m.

In Response To: Bad news from Belgium (Rich Munitz)

That seems unconvincing. "There is no material contribution of the element of chance to this outcome." But you've set the parameters of the contest to ensure that chance plays no role. What does that have to do with backgammon as it is played? With such parameters it seems that virtually any game with any amount of skill would be won by the player who had any skill, given a sufficiently long contest. Tournament blackjack, for example. But it doesn't follow that tournament blackjack would meet a test of chance not having a "material" role in the outcome of a blackjack tournament contest.

There must be a better tack to take. For example, take tournament bridge. Cards are dealt -- that's random. Bidding and play -- that's skill. Outcome -- that's a matter of probability. The finesse works, or it doesn't. And yet tournament bridge is generally (but not always) considered to be a game of skill, not a game of chance. Why? And how is backgammon similar?

Messages In This Thread

 

Post Response
Your Name:
Your E-Mail Address:
Subject:
Message:

If necessary, enter your password below:

Password:
 

 

[ View Thread ] [ Post Response ] [ Return to Index ] [ Read Prev Msg ] [ Read Next Msg ]

BGonline.org Forums is maintained by Stick with WebBBS 5.12.