Backgammon Races: Checkers Don't Get Tired, Do They?

From: tobaksa   

Hi Ray:

It wasn't Bill who used five counts, it was an intermediate player bending Bill's ear one night at Pat's Pub (paleolithic site of the Bar Point Club). Luckily, were I waiting for a player like that to finish counting, I wouldn't have to rely on water; Pat's served beer.

I watched a player once (not sure what count he was using) pondering a borderline double/no double (based upon the score). After ten minutes, he rolled. He and his opponent both rolled the same number of pips. Uh oh! Ten minutes later, he rolled. He and his opponent each rolled the same number of pips. I walked away. I watched David Wells play three games in a match at the next table. I returned to find the player still thinking about D vs No D, Round 3.

That was the great thing about the beer at Pat's: not only did drinking it relieve stress, but it came in heavy duty bottles from Holland, so that if you needed to chastise someone for excessive pip counting, they didn't shatter.

Best,

Jake

As I am new to backgammon (been playing regularly at a lower club standard) and this subject of racing formulae, I understand the article is for intermediate advance level players, however would there be a format or approach to writing an overview of racing formulae without the actual mathematic formula itself given or the formula being broken down for non mathematicians.

I have continued to search this subject as the doubling cube is one of areas I find most difficult currently. The Kleinian table was most useful.

Regards

markeemark UK