I was just wondering if this forum happened to contain some backgammon players. Seems like there should be at least one....bunch of people that were alive in the 70's, lots of math nerds, people that gamble for a living.....all these add up to backgammon. I learned to play early last summer and occasionally go to a nearby club that meets once a week for a tournament.
Anyone here play Backgammon?
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FLASH1296
Well-Known Member
I first learned the game when I received a nice set for a birthday present in 1969.
In the early 70's I was hanging out at the Mayfair Club, along with Paul Magriel, Eric Seidel, etc.
From the late 80's until a few years ago I played in a lot of tournaments on the East Coast and Midwest,
with occasional trips to Nevada as well.
I enjoy cash play for modest stakes. I play on-line (no $) daily.
Katweezel
Well-Known Member
I've been a backgammon fan for long time, and was once also a keen fan of betting with the doubling cube. That was in the Melbourne Bg Club, until a gang of 3 Israelis -over a period - systematically took me to the cleaners... :sad: I had more luck leaving a message with casinos at the desk, inviting anyone want to bet on Bg contact me. (No gangs of Israelis please...)
FLASH1296
Well-Known Member
Ahhh so this is why you hate Israel :laugh: Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Many of the top backgammon experts seem to agree that the best and smartest bg software is gnu-backgammon. The problem with gnu is that it's not very user-friendly. As far as a user-friendly program; the best one by FAR is Snowie Pro. The best backgammon player in the world cannot and will not consistently beat the latest version of Snowie! Another pretty good BG tool is Jellyfish, although many BG experts are of the opinion that Jellyfish cheats. 
And yes; I've been a student of the game for about 12 years now (which probably puts me about one step above "beginner" :grin
. I try to attend at least 3 or 4 of the major tournaments per year. VERY tough game to master. :grin:
And yes; I've been a student of the game for about 12 years now (which probably puts me about one step above "beginner" :grin
. I try to attend at least 3 or 4 of the major tournaments per year. VERY tough game to master. :grin:There was a gang of 3 Israeli backgammon players who got caught cheating - red-handed - a few years back. They're now barred from ever attending any tournaments. Possibly the same guys?
Lonesome Gambler
Well-Known Member
GnuBG is great, in my opinion. I'm not very skilled by any means, but I'm also no slouch. I've only played for micro-stakes, and I'm a winner, but considering that most of my opponents have been friends and not true backgammon enthusiasts, that doesn't mean much. Anyway, there's not much action in backgammon any more; as Flash noted, a lot of those guys are poker pros now.
If anyone here has an iPhone, I recommend NJ Backgammon, a very good program.
If anyone here has an iPhone, I recommend NJ Backgammon, a very good program.
Katweezel
Well-Known Member
I was indebted to those Israelis because they taught me how to play a lot better, even tho it cost me...
Their play was always precise, and they used something ChefJJ might know about: dice control. Even tho the dice are thrown from cups, there is this thing called er, visualization. That is, you strongly hold the dice numbers that you want in your mind, as you shake. I never believed this voodoo stuff. But when you see the only number required (such as a 1 for example) come up exactly when required, time after time, game after game... what can you say to this? Later, one confided this is what they do. That was a long time ago. I taught a relative how to play and he uses the Israeli method
and he's so good at it... it flummoxes me. (Double 5 is the only thing that can save him right now, from certain defeat. There it is, double 5!)
Belief is so powerful. If you believe strongly enough, so it is... And Thunder, no, I'm not in love with the Israeli administration. But I've had some fun times with some Israelis...
:grin:Well Kat....you know you can control a single die very easily using a cups to roll with right? You just dump it out in such a way that the other die lands on top of the die you are controlling, preventing it from bouncing and rolling a random number. There are even trick dice shaved at a different angle on the edge that cling to a smooth dice cup inside that prevents them from rolling a random number. Who needs visualization when you have fake dice and cheating skill!?
FLASH1296
Well-Known Member
Even rudimentary dice cups come with an inner lip and better ones add inner ribbing.
Serious cash game and tournament players use ONLY [expensive] "precision dice"
with rounded corners, generally transparent, and preferably small in size.
Also customary is the use of 2 pair of dice in contrasting colors.
Before beginning play (and anytime a player demands it) the 4 dice are mixed
and the requesting player gets to choose the first die, with the opponent taking
one of the contrasting colored dice. Yes, that is correct. You use one die of each color.
Finally, the dice MUST be shaken with vigor for a few seconds before being tossed
from a reasonable height above the board, to the are to the player's right. Throwing
to the left is disallowed by tournament rules - even if both players request same,
and even if they are left-handed.
Serious cash game and tournament players use ONLY [expensive] "precision dice"
with rounded corners, generally transparent, and preferably small in size.
Also customary is the use of 2 pair of dice in contrasting colors.
Before beginning play (and anytime a player demands it) the 4 dice are mixed
and the requesting player gets to choose the first die, with the opponent taking
one of the contrasting colored dice. Yes, that is correct. You use one die of each color.
Finally, the dice MUST be shaken with vigor for a few seconds before being tossed
from a reasonable height above the board, to the are to the player's right. Throwing
to the left is disallowed by tournament rules - even if both players request same,
and even if they are left-handed.
You mean this is what he TOLD you that he does.
Don't give us this crap. I don't for one minute believe you when you say that you actually BELIEVE this nonsense.
What can I say to this? I can say that here are more ways to cheat at backgammon than there are for blackjack!
Only a FOOL would play backgammon for money if his opponent's cup had no inside lip (unless maybe he knew his opponent well enough to KNOW that he could trust him).
I know all this to be true now...I looked up prices for some of those dice a while back, I decide I would just borrow my opponents for now :laugh: . The lip does prevent such nonsense rolls, but one still might be able to switch in a fake die that matches one of the dies in play. Unlikely to be sure, but possible. Only need to do it once or twice after all.
FLASH1296
Well-Known Member
Chess is a far simpler game than Backgammon.
Go is also a tougher game than chess.
Backgammon is a game whose complexity is so deep that Computer Neural Nets,
(having taught themselves to play with their powerful Artificial Intelligence), can
play much better than most people; but facing world-class tournament players they
are unable to play flawlessly.
Go is also a tougher game than chess.
Backgammon is a game whose complexity is so deep that Computer Neural Nets,
(having taught themselves to play with their powerful Artificial Intelligence), can
play much better than most people; but facing world-class tournament players they
are unable to play flawlessly.
Katweezel
Well-Known Member
You mean this is what he TOLD you that he does.
Don't give us this crap. I don't for one minute believe you when you say that you actually BELIEVE this nonsense.
What can I say to this? I can say that here are more ways to cheat at backgammon than there are for blackjack!
Only a FOOL would play backgammon for money if his opponent's cup had no inside lip (unless maybe he knew his opponent well enough to KNOW that he could trust him).
Sucker, I figured you might go for that one...:grin:
Some years back, an experiment had a team of basketballers practising every day for hours for a week, throwing baskets. Their score average didn't change. Another team spent hours every day doing nothing except visualizing successfully throwing baskets. This team improved their average considerably.
Where I live there is a popular (English) football game called Rugby League. It's similar to Gridiron, with similar goalposts. A try (touchdown) must be successfully converted with an unhurried kick, for the extra two points. Most of these kickers are using visualization for ten or more seconds before the attempt... Do not degrade the power of the viz...
Double five is one chance in 36. No problem! It's a cinch... :laugh: