Etiquette

Forum Archive : Etiquette

 
Doubling opponent out

From:   bustedchucks
Address:   bustedchucks@yahoo.com
Date:   10 June 2005
Subject:   doubling etiquette
Forum:   rec.games.backgammon
Google:   1118463718.925135.182600@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com

Are there any circumstances where it is considered poor etiquette to
double?  Example:  I have 8 on my home board, opponent has six.  I roll
double and now have 4, he rolls and now we each have 4 checkers on our
1 pts and its my roll.  The only way I lose is if he rolls double
anything.  I offered a double, he drops and calls me an #@$@$@.

My thinking is I want to win, right now if possible, why give him a
free shot at beating me when I can offer a double and take it down
right there. If he accepts, well god love him.  Am I a jerk for doubling
there?

Tom Keith  writes:

Your double was perfectly fine; any good player would double
in this position.

Unfortunately some people don't lose gracefully.

Kees van den Doel  writes:

More  controversial is  offering  a resign  when  there are  substantial
chances of getting gammoned.

Jim Segrave  writes:

In OTB matches, it seems to me that this is an open insult -- you are
implying that you think your opponent is too stupid to see the gammon
chances.

On-line, there is an argument that people playing in a hurry (or for
turn based play, are trying to play too many games at the same time
and aren't paying attention), so there is some virtue in hoping for
such a mistake. I'd still consider it to be bad form. When an opponent
does this to me, the first time in a match I'll politely play on and
perhaps say something like I see enough gammon chances to make it
worth doing so. When it occurs again in the same match, I find it
insulting.

All in all, it's certainly rude and dubious sportsmanship.
In real life, it risks starting a major argument.
 
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Etiquette

Am I too slow?  (sevenout+, Apr 2004) 
Am I too slow?  (Stephen Turner, Jan 2002) 
Am I too slow?  (Daniel Murphy, June 1997) 
Commenting on dice  (Ron Barry+, Mar 2001) 
Dealing with droppers  (Bill Hill, Dec 1998) 
Dealing with droppers  (Patti Beadles, Mar 1996) 
Dice cup  (Walt Swan, June 2000) 
Direction of play  (Ric Gerace+, Aug 2001) 
Doubling opponent out  (bustedchucks+, June 2005) 
Doubling to end a game early  (Douglas Zare, Aug 2001) 
Etiquette for online play  (Dean Ayer+, June 1997) 
Going for backgammon in a one-point match  (Douglas Zare, Nov 2000) 
How long to wait?  (Marsha Wisniski+, Dec 1997) 
Listening to music while playing  (Max Urban+, Oct 2009) 
Moving hit checker first  (Timothy Chow+, Oct 2009) 
Premature shaking  (Paul Epstein+, July 2005) 
Rolling the dice  (Julius Selbach+, July 2005) 
Rude conduct  (Igor Schein+, Mar 2003) 
Under resigning  (Bob Newell+, Aug 2004) 
Under resigning  (Ilya Vinogradsky+, May 1994) 
When to quit  (Albert Steg, Nov 1998) 
Why I never complain about the dice  (Phil Simborg, Mar 2004) 

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