Cube Handling

Forum Archive : Cube Handling

 
Closed board cube decisions

From:   Dan Pelton
Address:   dpeltonil@yahoo.com
Date:   3 January 2009
Subject:   Closed Board Cube Decision Rule of Thumb
Forum:   BGonline.org Forums

Does anybody have a good rule of thumb for how many checkers the leader can
have borne off when trailer has a closed board with the leader having one
on the bar?  I'm looking for the doubling window, when is it a no
double/take, double/take, double/drop and too good to double/drop.

Also 2 on the bar.

Assume the leader has a speed board, all checkers on ace and deuce points.
Assume trailer on roll.

Neil Kazaross  writes:

Rule #1.  If you have a fast speed board and 5 checkers off, you can take.
If this position is a bare pass, no one can play it well enough to expect
to cost you money in a prop anyhow.

      24  23  22  21  20  19      18  17  16  15  14  13
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
  O  | O   O                 |   |                       |
  O  | O   O                 |   |                       |
  O  | O   O                 |   |                       |
  O  | O   O                 |   |                       |
  O  | O                     |   |                       |
     |                       | O |                       |
     |                       |   |                       |
     |                       |   |                       |
     |             X   X   X |   |                       |
     | X   X   X   X   X   X |   |                       |
     | X   X   X   X   X   X |   |                       |
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
       1   2   3   4   5   6       7   8   9  10  11  12

Rule #2.  Here you have a pass, but it is a close pass, and X will likely
give up a bit playing it. I'd pass for money vs a world-class player, but
in general the spares aren't perfectly placed and you won't lose much
taking this situation if at all if X has less than perfect spares.

      24  23  22  21  20  19      18  17  16  15  14  13
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
OOO  | O                     |   |                       |
 OO  | O                     |   |                       |
 OO  |                       |   |                       |
 OO  |                       |   |                       |
 OO  |                       |   |                       |
     |                       | O |                       |
     |                       | O |                       |
     |                       |   |                       |
     |             X   X   X |   |                       |
     | X   X   X   X   X   X |   |                       |
     | X   X   X   X   X   X |   |                       |
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
       1   2   3   4   5   6       7   8   9  10  11  12
 
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Cube Handling

Against a weaker opponent  (Kit Woolsey, July 1994) 
Closed board cube decisions  (Dan Pelton+, Jan 2009) 
Cube concepts  (Peter Bell, Aug 1995)  [Long message]
Early game blitzes  (kruidenbuiltje, Jan 2011) 
Early-late ratio  (Tom Keith, Sept 2003) 
Endgame close out: Michael's 432 rule  (Michael Bo Hansen+, Feb 1998)  [Recommended reading]
Endgame close out: Spleischft formula  (Simon Larsen, Sept 1999) 
Endgame closeout: win percentages  (David Rubin+, Oct 2010) 
Evaluating the position  (Daniel Murphy, Feb 2001) 
Evaluating the position  (Daniel Murphy, Mar 2000) 
How does rake affect cube actions?  (Paul Epstein+, Sept 2005) 
How to use the doubling cube  (Michael J. Zehr, Nov 1993) 
Liveliness of the cube  (Kit Woolsey, Apr 1997) 
PRAT--Position, Race, and Threats  (Alan Webb, Feb 2001) 
Playing your opponent  (Morris Pearl+, Jan 2002)  [GammOnLine forum]
References  (Chuck Bower, Nov 1997) 
Robertie's rule  (Chuck Bower, Sept 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Rough guidelines  (Michael J. Zehr, Dec 1993) 
Tells  (Tad Bright+, Nov 2003)  [GammOnLine forum]
The take/pass decision  (Otis+, Aug 2007) 
Too good to double  (Michael J. Zehr, May 1997) 
Too good to double--Janowski's formula  (Chuck Bower, Jan 1997) 
Value of an ace-point game  (Raccoon+, June 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Value of an ace-point game  (Øystein Johansen, Aug 2000) 
Volatility  (Chuck Bower, Oct 1998)  [Long message]
Volatility  (Kit Woolsey, Sept 1996) 
When to accept a double  (Daniel Murphy+, Feb 2001) 
When to beaver  (Walter Trice, Aug 1999) 
When to double  (Kit Woolsey, Nov 1994) 
With the Jacoby rule  (KL Gerber+, Nov 2002) 
With the Jacoby rule  (Gary Wong, Dec 1997) 
Woolsey's law  (PersianLord+, Mar 2008) 
Woolsey's law  (Kit Woolsey, Sept 1996) 
Words of wisdom  (Chris C., Dec 2003) 

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