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Anchor or Hit?

Posted By: Nack Ballard
Date: Sunday, 17 April 2011, at 3:45 a.m.

In Response To: Thelonious Monk said... (Timothy Chow)

64S-63D-65H-63H-xx (original roll was 51)

Interesting variants here would be rolls of 32 or 41. I think I would hit in both variants.

I would definitely hit with 32 (and 51), but with 41 I would not (though it may be close). It makes a big difference in which outer board you hit.

64S-63D-61H-63H-54

I've altered your second variant by moving the 20pt checker to the 24pt and changing the roll from 41 to 54. This does not have a material effect; it is in essence the same problem. (The two best plays produce the identical after-positions.) I have done this for easier comparison to the position diagrammed below.

In the fall of 2005, I wrote a three-page article entitled "Anchor or Hit with 5-4?" for Chicago Point #178. The purpose was two-fold: (a) to show the value of reference positions and variants, and (b) to demonstrate that anchoring is right more often than people think (it was even truer then than it is now).

The article is formatted with a series of "trios." In the left-hand position of each trio, it is proper to anchor. In the middle is a cusp position: anchoring and hitting are equivalent in value. In the right-hand position, it is proper to hit.

Below is one of the positions in the article. Does it belong in the left-hand (anchor), middle (cusp), or right-hand (hit) position of its trio?

43D-62H-54

Nack

Messages In This Thread

• Mortgage your house, but make the fivepoint?!
  higonefive -- Saturday, 16 April 2011, at 9:23 a.m.
  • Mortgage your house, but make the fivepoint?!
    Casper van der Tak -- Saturday, 16 April 2011, at 1:21 p.m.
  • Mortgage your house, but make the 20 point?!
    neilkaz -- Saturday, 16 April 2011, at 1:53 p.m.
  • Mortgage your house, but make the fivepoint?!
    Stick -- Saturday, 16 April 2011, at 2:46 p.m.
  • Thelonious Monk said...
    higonefive -- Saturday, 16 April 2011, at 4:03 p.m.
    • 64S-63D-65H-63H-51E-63P-44G-21H
      Nack Ballard -- Saturday, 16 April 2011, at 5:12 p.m.
      • I also tried to nactate.
        higonefive -- Saturday, 16 April 2011, at 6:53 p.m.
        • 64S-63D-65H-63H-51E-53H-44G-42H-C
          Nack Ballard -- Sunday, 17 April 2011, at 12:58 a.m.
    • Thelonious Monk said...
      Timothy Chow -- Saturday, 16 April 2011, at 7:45 p.m.
      • Anchor or Hit?
        Nack Ballard -- Sunday, 17 April 2011, at 3:45 a.m.
        • Anchor or Hit?
          higonefive -- Sunday, 17 April 2011, at 9:15 a.m.
        • Anchor or Hit?
          Timothy Chow -- Sunday, 17 April 2011, at 5:16 p.m.
          • Anchor or Hit?
            Nack Ballard -- Monday, 18 April 2011, at 7:15 a.m.
            • Anchor or Hit?
              Casper van der Tak -- Monday, 18 April 2011, at 9:53 a.m.
              • Anchor or Hit?
                Nack Ballard -- Monday, 18 April 2011, at 8:03 p.m.
    • Speaking of Thelonius Monk....
      happyjuggler0 -- Sunday, 17 April 2011, at 4:51 a.m.