posted by pint of beer (john shields) on 02/28 at 11:06
I was wondering do players prefer the cube matches or none cube matches? just curious i myself prefer none cube matches. also was wondering if the site get`s more or less matches now that there is none cube and cube matches?
I greatly prefer matches with the cube. I'm rushed off my feet for the next few days, but I'd be interested to see if more people are playing and/or playing more since we added the non-cube variety. I'll work up some figures at some point (but not for several days at least).
I MUCH prefer playing with a cube as in reality, only cube matches bring into backgammon tactics that make backgammon such an intricate game. A lot of people dont seem to understand this particular side of the game and hence steer away from cube games on the basis that it is a skill they have not acquired.
Having said that, unfortunately on a turn based website, cube matches take quite a long time to play and hence I prefer playing non cube games on turn based game sites.
only cube matches bring into backgammon tactics that make backgammon such an intricate game
I wouldn't go that far. I mean, the game went global and was played for something like 5,000 years without the cube, there must have been something in it. :-) The cube adds another dimension, but there's plenty of tactics and even strategy without it.
Took two reads to understand you (believe I do now) to be saying you would rather play single games on a turn-based site though you prefer cube games. Personally I only want cube games. I believe doubling strategy is 1) extremely interesting; 2) adds to the complexity of the game; 3) heightens the skill factor in winning due to the added complexity; and 4) provides an often highly desirable option to move the match to he next game more quickly. But ... to each his or her own, and it is great that the option of non-cube exists for the players who see things differently than those of us who appreciate the cube format.
On a personal level only, lol...I get hit with the dbl at the end of the game VERY often. Sometimes its when my opponent has a sure win and cubes just to dbl their winning pts...don't like the cube then. Love the option of cubing when stakes are fairly even and more towards the beginning of the game.
As one who routinely doubles when I have a sure win, and who competes almost exclusively with players who do the same, I wish to note that such doubles are intended to be declined, thereby moving to the next game, and are not intended to double our winnings. This feature of being able to move on to the next game when there is no longer any point in the current game is one of the attractions of the cube to people who use it in this way. I know there have been a few other forum topics that touched on this point, but clearly the motivation underlying such doubles is misunderstood by some players. We apologize for that misunderstanding, but hope our clarifications may provoke a rethinking.
I do the same thing Jim does: When it's a certain win but it's more than a move or two from the end of the game, I'll offer a "let's move on" double.
Another place where it's perfectly normal to double but which seems to be taken the wrong way sometimes by casual players is when (for instance) you both have only four pieces left on the bottom two pips. It seems like the game is fairly even; in fact, the player who's about to roll is the overwhelming favorite to win the game, either immediately (by rolling doubles) or on his/her next turn. The only way they can not win the game is if they don't get doubles, and then their opponent rolls double 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, or 6s on their next turn (double 1s won't do it unless all four pieces are on the bottom point). There's only a 5 in 36 (slightly less than 1 in 6) chance of rolling those doubles. In that situation, it's normal and appropriate to offer a double instead of rolling, to defend against that very small chance of losing through bad luck. The other player will decline, because you don't want to take a double when you have less than a 5 in 36 chance of winning.
Doubling when you have a clear advantage in the game is almost never rude, it's how the cube is used, to press your advantage.
And this is why Pocket-Monkey has the "no cube" option, for people who want to play Backgammon as it was played for thousands of years before the doubling cube was introduced in the 1920s. (Surprised? So was I when I first learned that, but it's true -- the cube is a recent innovation on a very, very old game.)
Ditto.Bluffing is at the crux of doubling. It's only a game after all and one should not be afraid of it. I've had dummies who actually doubled me to 64 points so as not to lose easily. To double near the end of the game when one is sure should not be considered inconsiderate, it is to end timeconsuming moves and move on.
"Bluffing is at the crux of doubling" actually this is incorrect. while there might be times you turn the cube to bluff your opponent into dropping they are few and far between. proper use of the cube goes like this: i have an advantage, i would like to raise the stakes of the game and improve on this advantage. my hope is that my opponent will take and that my advantage will continue and i will win 2 pts instead of 1 (or 4 instead of 2, etc.) in match play a well timed cube coupled with some good rolls can lead to a doubled gammon (4 pts) or a backgammon (6 pts) depending on the match score and the match length you can put yourself in a very nice position.
and something else, just because you are an underdog and are facing a cube, doesnt automatically mean its a drop. there is nothing more satisfying that taking a cube, turning the game around and throwing a 4 (or higher) cube back to your opponent.
handling the cube properly is tricky, it takes a long time to understand the subtle differences between a no double, a proper double, or even being too good to double. but once you've learned this, backgammon becomes more than just a dice game, it becomes more complex and ultimately satisfying.
I dont mind the doubling cube, EXCEPT it shouldnt cost you the game if you decline...the game is to play, not bully your opponent out with the cube. For that reason only, i will decline offers with the cube.
I prefer cube games. not sure that i am good at handling it, but makes the game fun. Play non cube if i get a private invite, but for tournies I stick with cube game
When I learned the game, playing the bots at http://www.VogClub.com, it was without the cube for a couple of years. Only then did I add the cube. I've found that it makes a big difference. In a game that's won well enough you can hit your opponent over the head with the cube and get the point. Without it you have to take the risk of them getting the minority chance of turning the game around. Conversely you can be the one to make the best of meagre chances and grab a "lost" point or two. That does happen with the cube, of course, but it's usually after a double/take and the game is somewhat more balanced. Playing without the cube in multi-point matches encourages checker play and gives you a good gammon-focus.
Re: Cube vs non-cube
Message #16315 Replies: 1
posted by pint of beer (john shields) on 03/05 at 10:29
the main reason i do not like the cube is i forget to use it more often then not. i learned to play backgammon on Its your turn.com a few years ago and i have never ever played a game on a board with a face to face opponent. i have played on various sites and even played a good few cube matches but usually in a cube match i very rarely use the cube. i think i have possibly used the cube less then 50 times and i have played well over 20,000 backgammon type games spread over a number of sites though the majority of those games are just single one point games.
don't we all like to win.. and using the cube doesn't make you win. You don't have to accept if you,ve no chance, take a risk if its close.. But no cube game are there if ppl don't want to take the extra risks.. :-)
I think Judy may be referring to the heavy club approach to cube use, when there's no option of taking because the odds are too slim. The cube hammers the opponent into submision and removes the last bits of risk for the cubist. Some people see it as being robbed of their fair chance to turn the game around, especially if they have a tendency to misjudge it and drop what should be a take. These are the people for whom non-cube matches are perfect as they get to enjoy the occasional pleasure of those last-minute turnarounds.
You, on the other hand, are referring to the rapier use of the cube, when it's used because, as with the sword, there's plenty of risk in offering the challenge, and luck and skill are still both required to gain the greater reward. It's harder to claim that as being unfair (or cheating, to use the blunter word) as the player offering the cube can still end up losing the 2 points, or even 4, if it goes very badly wrong. "Rapier" cubing doesn't always come easy. A player that I know put that very nicely If some of your doubles don't blow up in your face then you're not doubling soon enough.
its only a game win or lose...its no big dealwe are here to have fun playing games
Forum
software by
Crowder Software Pocket-Monkey and the Pocket-Monkey logo are trademarks of T.J. Crowder and Jock Murphy. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
