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Reasons for the Jacoby Rule

Posted By: Joe Russell
Date: Wednesday, 9 March 2011, at 6:41 a.m.

In Response To: Apodictic? (Casper van der Tak)

I think the doubling cube was invented to make gambling on backgammon more interesting and to cut down on the number of boring one-sided games. I think the Jacoby rule is an extension of the latter. It was invented to speed up chouette play, I believe, and I think to a large degree it does serve it's purpose. Would backgammon chouettes be more boring without it? Probably. Would heads-up backgammon be more boring without it? Maybe, but only marginally.

I think there is a fair amount of skill in knowing when to double because of the Jacoby rule. The better player is more likely to double at the right time and will regain much of the equity he loses in not being able to play on for gammons in positions that become too-good. In practice, I find the weaker players, more often than the more skillful ones, miss their market by not doubling a threatening position and having it become too-good.

Current backgammon study is aimed mainly at match play and, while the doubling cube adds greatly to the complexity, the Jacoby Rule has no place or need.

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