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Chouette Strategies in Non-Consulting Backgammon Games

by Steve Sax
20 March 2010

Steve Sax

As many of you know Mary Hickey has written some very interesting and educational articles regarding chouettes here at GammonVillage in her series "Chouette and More". Those articles are archived here at GammonVillage in the section of "Feature Columnists". I'm not going to try to duplicate what Mary has done, but simply to give my take on how to do well in a non-consulting chouette.

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Subject: Re: Chouette Strategies in Non-Consulting Backgammon Games

From: PhilSimborg Member has a photo available

Date: 23 Mar 2010 19:18 EST

I always find it fun to read about chouette strategy, as I have spent an average of 4 days a week for the past 20 years playing chouette. I hope your readers can appreciate the many nuances of chouette play...to me, it is the most fun form of gambling in the world (and I've tried most of them), but it's most fun when you have a wide range of skill in the game and your cube strategy changes greatly, as you pointed out so well, depending on who is where at any given moment.

Malcolm has convinced me that non-consulting is the best way to play, for many reasons, but mostly because it stops a lot of arguing and you play about twice as many games in a session.

I hope people reading this article will take up chouette play, even if for very small stakes, as you will see just how much fun it is. In the future, I hope to see "Chouette Tournaments," as this would truly be the best of both worlds.

Subject: Re: Chouette Strategies in Non-Consulting Backgammon Games

From: Robert024313

Date: 24 Mar 2010 15:47 EST

I disagree about non-consulting play. As a relative newbie (compared to you guys) the consultation about cubes and plays is vital to a shared learning about backgammon.

It adds to the social aspect of the game, brings new players into the game/club as you are more welcoming, and relaxes (in my opinion) the play slightly.

This may be as I doubt I play for as high stakes as the author, and perhaps if the amount I was about to win/lose was truly significant, I'd soon want others not to talk. However, I feel that the social aspect of chouettes, the banter and the fun is critical. Yes, our club get the occasional argument, and yes, I can absolutely see why for many players, non consulting BG is the way to go, but I was brought up by players willing to share their thoughts, and that's a major reason why I still play backgammon.

Subject: Re: Chouette Strategies in Non-Consulting Backgammon Games

From: STEAMSAX Member has a photo available

Date: 25 Mar 2010 06:28 EST

Thank you for your thoughts Robert, however this article wasn't about advocating non-consulting versus consulting. It was about how to do well in a non-consulting game.

New players can definitely learn more in a consulting game and perhaps it makes the chouette scene more social, but I have been playing with some of the same players for 30 years, and I can assure you that we have plenty of fun in our games.

In the future, I might write an article comparing and contrasting consulting chouettes versus non consulting chouettes.

Thank you for reading Advanced Angles.

Steve Sax

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