I have a large file of misplayed doubles. Did the creators of backgammon double the values for duplets to reward us or torture us?

Bob

XGID=---B-bC-BaaBbB---c-cC--c-A:0:0:1:33:0:0:0:5:10

Score is X:0 O:0 5 pt.(s) match.
+13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
| X O | | O X O |
| X O | | O X O |
| O | | O X O |
| | | |
| | X | |
| |BAR| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | X |
| O X X | | X O X |
| O X O O X | | X O X |
+12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+
Pip count X: 173 O: 145 X-O: 0-0/5
Cube: 1
X to play 33

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 4/24/2023 2:41 PM, Robert Zimmerman wrote:

I have a large file of misplayed doubles. Did the creators of backgammon double the values for duplets to reward us or torture us?

Bob

XGID=---B-bC-BaaBbB---c-cC--c-A:0:0:1:33:0:0:0:5:10

Score is X:0 O:0 5 pt.(s) match.
+13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
| X O | | O X O |
| X O | | O X O |
| O | | O X O |
| | | |
| | X | |
| |BAR| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | X |
| O X X | | X O X |
| O X O O X | | X O X |
+12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+
Pip count X: 173 O: 145 X-O: 0-0/5
Cube: 1
X to play 33

Bar/22 is forced, and then 13/10* is not literally forced but it is
morally forced. Then the question is whether to play the safe but
ugly bar/22 13/10*(2) 6/3, or leave a bunch of blots and shots. It
goes against the grain to play 6/3, but the blotty/shotty plays look
worse to me. I'd play 6/3 and hope for better things to come.

---
Tim Chow

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Monday, April 24, 2023 at 2:41:04 PM UTC-4, Robert Zimmerman wrote:

I have a large file of misplayed doubles. Did the creators of backgammon double the values for duplets to reward us or torture us?

Bob

XGID=---B-bC-BaaBbB---c-cC--c-A:0:0:1:33:0:0:0:5:10

Score is X:0 O:0 5 pt.(s) match.
+13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
| X O | | O X O |
| X O | | O X O |
| O | | O X O |
| | | |
| | X | |
| |BAR| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | X |
| O X X | | X O X |
| O X O O X | | X O X |
+12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+
Pip count X: 173 O: 145 X-O: 0-0/5
Cube: 1
X to play 33

I have this vestigial '70s era habit of leaving blots when the safe play is ugly. With 4 checkers in O's inner board this time, I felt like playing safe with a view to winning the race was wrong-headed, that there would be all kinds of contact and the
spare left hanging on the 3 point would hurt in the end. But XG like safe, again.

Bob

XGID=---B-bC-BaaBbB---c-cC--c-A:0:0:1:33:0:0:0:5:10

Score is X:0 O:0 5 pt.(s) match.
+13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
| X O | | O X O |
| X O | | O X O |
| O | | O X O |
| | | |
| | X | |
| |BAR| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | X |
| O X X | | X O X |
| O X O O X | | X O X |
+12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+
Pip count X: 173 O: 145 X-O: 0-0/5
Cube: 1
X to play 33

1. Rollout¹ Bar/22 13/10*(2) 6/3 eq:+0.261
Player: 56.04% (G:12.71% B:0.55%)
Opponent: 43.96% (G:10.01% B:0.47%)
Confidence: ±0.043 (+0.218..+0.304) - [100.0%]
Duration: 1 minute 09 seconds

2. Rollout² Bar/22 13/10*(2) 11/8 eq:+0.104 (-0.157)
Player: 52.92% (G:12.84% B:0.47%)
Opponent: 47.08% (G:12.71% B:0.34%)
Confidence: ±0.037 (+0.067..+0.142) - [0.0%]
Duration: 1 minute 13 seconds

¹ 140 Games rolled with Variance Reduction.
Moves: 3-ply, cube decisions: XG Roller

² 139 Games rolled with Variance Reduction.
Moves: 3-ply, cube decisions: XG Roller

eXtreme Gammon Version: 2.10, MET: Kazaross XG2

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Monday, April 24, 2023 at 7:41:04 PM UTC+1, Robert Zimmerman wrote:

I have a large file of misplayed doubles. Did the creators of backgammon double the values for duplets to reward us or torture us?

Neither, they did this to make Axel's Isight racing algorithm work.
I'm sure this algorithm doesn't work at all if you change the rules
so that doubles are played just like non-doubles.

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 4:48:37 PM UTC-4, peps...@gmail.com wrote:

On Monday, April 24, 2023 at 7:41:04 PM UTC+1, Robert Zimmerman wrote:

I have a large file of misplayed doubles. Did the creators of backgammon double the values for duplets to reward us or torture us?

Neither, they did this to make Axel's Isight racing algorithm work.
I'm sure this algorithm doesn't work at all if you change the rules
so that doubles are played just like non-doubles.

Paul

There was a run on the hoofed animal talus market when backgammon became a country club fad in Persia around 2700 BCE. So people agreed to play with two dice instead of four to preserve the milk supply. But to honor tradition, doubles were doubled.
Bob

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On April 24, 2023 at 12:41:04 PM UTC-6, Zimmer wrote:

XGID=---B-bC-BaaBbB---c-cC--c-A:0:0:1:33:0:0:0:5:10
X to play 33

Oh, this is a fun one.
Bar/22 13/3 13/10* 6/10

MK


--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)