Opening Rolls

Forum Archive : Opening Rolls

 
Trice's rankings

From:   Marty Storer
Address:   martys@juliet.ll.mit.edu
Date:   27 February 1992
Subject:   Opening roll ranking: Walter Trice
Forum:   rec.games.backgammon
Google:   MARTYS.92Feb27102914@escalus.juliet.ll.mit.edu

Here's Walter Trice's opening-roll ranking, assuming doubles get
played before opponent makes a move.  Walter's comments included.

For those who don't know, Walter is a very strong player, rated
very high on the Goulding rating list.  I think he's just about
a full-time student of the game.  He wrote the excellent
Bearoff Quizmaster software.

66 24/18(2), 13/7(2)
11 8/7(2), 6/5(2)
44 24/20(2), 13/9(2)
33 24/21(2), 13/10(2) or 8/5(2), 6/3(2)
   comment:  after most openers by opponent, 24/21(2), 13/10(2)
             is best, certainly better than 24/21(2), 8/5(2).

22 6/4(2), 24/20  comment:  this wouldn't be best against most
                  openers by opponent, but here it looks right.
                  24/22(2) instead of 24/20 is better than it
                  looks, because it makes it harder for opponent
                  to play 5's and 3's; note in particular 55!
                  13/11(2) also good.  13/11, 24/22 too loose.

31 8/5, 6/5
42 8/4, 6/4
61 13/7, 8/7
53 8/3, 6/3
65 24/13     comment:  53 and 65 about equal; not sure which is better.

55 13/3(2)
64 24/18, 13/9
63 24/18, 13/10
62 24/18, 13/11
43 13/9, 24/21
   comment:  really think this is best because of the builder position:
             builder on the 9 point gives better building potential.

32 13/10, 13/11
   comment:  13/10, 6/4 is strong against weaker players, against whom
             it's very good to make unstacking plays.  But 13/10, 13/11
             often leads to complex prime-vs.-prime positions which
             weaker players will often mishandle; 13/10, 13/11 is
             probably the best theoretical play, but who really knows?

41 13/9, 6/5
   comment:  the primary motivation of this slot (and other opening
             slots with 1's) is to unstack.  With this move in particular,
             slotting just as a tactic to try to make the 5 point makes
             little sense.  But it leads to very complex games, especially
             as compared to 13/9, 24/23.  Who knows what's theoretically
             best?  13/9, 6/5 is the practical choice for a strong player
             in money games and even-ish match situations (splitting
             is often right when ahead).

54 13/8, 24/20
   comment:  I sometimes play 13/8, 13/9; don't think there's much
             difference.

51 13/8, 6/5
   comment:  I sometimes play 24/18, but this is better.

52 13/8, 13/11 or 13/8, 6/4.
   comment:  13/8, 6/4 has strong unstacking appeal.  Don't know which
             is better.

21 13/11, 6/5.
 
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Opening Rolls

At different match scores  (Louis Nardy Pillards, July 2002) 
Average advantage of winning opening roll  (Chuck Bower, Oct 1998) 
Choosing a strategy  (Daniel Murphy, June 2001) 
Early game rule of thumb  (Rich Munitz, Feb 2009) 
Factors to consider  (Kit Woolsey, July 1994) 
How computers play  (Kit Woolsey, Mar 1995)  [Recommended reading]
Magriel's Chapter 5  (Hayden Alfano+, May 2006)  [Long message]
Mloner vs Jellyfish  (Kit Woolsey, Dec 1995) 
Nactating a whole game  (Nack Ballard+, Jan 2011)  [Long message]
Nactation  (Jim Stutz+, June 2010) 
Nactation overview  (Nack Ballard, Oct 2009) 
Nactation--Why use it?  (leobueno+, Jan 2011) 
Opening 1's: Split or slot?  (Douglas Zare, Dec 2003) 
Opening 21: Rollout  (Stick, Mar 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 21: Split or slot?  (Dick Adams+, Dec 2003) 
Opening 32: Rollout  (Stick, Feb 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 43: In GOL online match  (Raccoon+, Feb 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 43: Pros and cons  (Stick+, Jan 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 43: Which split is better?  (Peter Backgren+, Aug 2000) 
Opening 43: Which split is better?  (Michael J. Zehr+, Mar 1996) 
Opening 51: Rollout  (Stick, Feb 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 52: Merits of splitting  (Peter Bell, Apr 1995) 
Opening 53: Magriel's recommendation  (George Parker+, July 1997)  [Long message]
Opening 53: Split to 21?  (Alex Zamanian, Aug 2000) 
Opening 53: Why make the three point?  (Kit Woolsey+, Feb 1996) 
Opening 6's: Slot the bar point?  (Chuck Bower+, Feb 2000) 
Opening 6's: Slot the bar point?  (David Montgomery, June 1995) 
Opening 62: Could running be best?  (Gary Wong, Sept 1997) 
Opening 62: Split, run, or slot?  (Chuck Bower, May 1997) 
Opening 63: Middle Eastern split?  (Mark+, Apr 2002) 
Opening 63: Slot the four point?  (Dennis Cartwright+, Mar 2002) 
Opening 64: Make the two point?  (William Hill+, Jan 1998) 
Opening 64: Make the two point?  (Darse Billings, Feb 1995) 
Opening 64: Rollout  (Peter Grotrian, Jan 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 64: Split to 20?  (Peter Bell, June 1995) 
Opening 64: Three choices  (Brian Sheppard, July 1997) 
Opening 65: Becker on lover's leap  (Jeffrey Spiegler+, Aug 1991) 
Opening 65: Computer rankings  (Chuck Bower, Jan 1997) 
Opening rolls ranked  (Arthur+, Apr 2005) 
Rollouts of opening 21 and replies  (Alexander Nitschke, Oct 1997) 
Rollouts of openings  (Tom Keith+, Jan 2006) 
Rollouts: Expert Backgammon  (Tom Fahland, Aug 1994) 
Rollouts: Jellyfish 3.0  (Midas+, Sept 1997) 
Rollouts: Jellyfish 3.0 level 6  (Chuck Bower, Feb 1999)  [Recommended reading]
Rollouts: Snowie 4.1  (Rene Cerutti, Apr 2004) 
Slotting the four point  (Joe Loria+, Oct 1999) 
Snowie's openers and replies  (rcerutti, Feb 1999)  [Long message]
Splitting versus building  (Dave Slayton+, Aug 2000) 
Splitting versus slotting  (Daniel Murphy, Apr 2001) 
Splitting versus slotting  (Daniel Murphy, Sept 1997) 
Trice's rankings  (Marty Storer, Feb 1992) 

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