Probability and Statistics

Forum Archive : Probability and Statistics

 
Distribution of points per game

From:   Stig Eide
Address:   stig.eide@avh.unit.no
Date:   12 September 1995
Subject:   1000 Jellyfishgames
Forum:   rec.games.backgammon
Google:   433l0p$r27@due.unit.no

I asked Jellyfish to play 1000 moneygames at level 5 (both sides,
using the 'Finnish game' command) and recorded the results.
This is the distribution of points per game:

 1 point:  35.4%
 2 points: 40.7%
 4 points: 20.3%
 6 points:  0.6%
 8 points:  2.5%
16 points:  0.5%
   Sum  : 100.0% (Average points per game: 2.296)
                 (Sample Variance        : 8.334)

The Jacoby rule was not in use, but the effect in ppp is small.
(It'll only affect those games where the equity swings from
less than .5 to greater than 1 in one sequence, making the
average ppp smaller).

An example of how this information can be used:

If you've played n games in a chouette with P others, then you
can be 96% sure that your winnings was due to skill, and not luck
if you won more than
                     5*sqr(nP) points.
(The Central Limit Theorem is used. n should be more than 12).

Thanks for reading.
Stig Eide, stig.eide@avh.unit.no

Kit Woolsey  writes:

The most interesting result of this trial to me is that the % of 1 point
games was 35.4%.  This means that Jellyfish thinks that with proper play,
64.6% of initial cubes should be taken.  I have always believed this --
in fact, I think the proper figure might even be higher.  However, in a
survey of over 1000 matches (most of which were played in the 1980's,
most involving at least one world-class player), the percent of initial
doubles taken was only 40%.  I only looked at match scores where the
score figured to be irrelevant to initial cube action -- i.e. both
players had several points to go.  I wonder who is doing the right thing
-- jellyfish, or these players.

                        Kit
 
Did you find the information in this article useful?          

Do you have any comments you'd like to add?     

 

Probability and Statistics

Average game and match length  (JP White, Dec 2000) 
Average luck of each roll  (Timothy Chow+, Mar 2013) 
Average luck of each roll  (Jørn Thyssen+, Feb 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Calculating winning chances  (Douglas Zare, June 2000) 
Chance of rolling x doubles in y rolls  (Raccoon+, July 2007)  [GammOnLine forum]
Chance of rolling x or more pips in y rolls  (Tom Keith, Feb 2004)  [GammOnLine forum] [Long message]
Clumping of random numbers  (Gary Wong, Sept 1998) 
Counting shots  (Koyunbaba+, June 2007) 
Counting shots  (John Little+, Mar 2007)  [GammOnLine forum]
Distribution of points per game  (Roland Sutter, June 1999) 
Distribution of points per game  (Stig Eide+, Sept 1995)  [Recommended reading]
Expected variation in points after a series of games  (Achim Müller+, Feb 1999) 
How many games to decide who's better?  (Stephen Turner, Mar 1997) 
How often is too often?  (Gary Wong, Oct 1998) 
Losing after bearing off 14 checkers  (Daniel Murphy, July 1999) 
Number of games per match  (Jason Lee+, Jan 2005) 
Number of rolls to enter x checkers from bar  (Michael Depreli+, Mar 2011) 
Visualizing odds  (Daithi, Mar 2011) 

[GammOnLine forum]  From GammOnLine       [Long message]  Long message       [Recommended reading]  Recommended reading       [Recent addition]  Recent addition
 

  Book Suggestions
Books
Cheating
Chouettes
Computer Dice
Cube Handling
Cube Handling in Races
Equipment
Etiquette
Extreme Gammon
Fun and frustration
GNU Backgammon
History
Jellyfish
Learning
Luck versus Skill
Magazines & E-zines
Match Archives
Match Equities
Match Play
Match Play at 2-away/2-away
Miscellaneous
Opening Rolls
Pip Counting
Play Sites
Probability and Statistics
Programming
Propositions
Puzzles
Ratings
Rollouts
Rules
Rulings
Snowie
Software
Source Code
Strategy--Backgames
Strategy--Bearing Off
Strategy--Checker play
Terminology
Theory
Tournaments
Uncategorized
Variations

 

Return to:  Backgammon Galore : Forum Archive Main Page