Backgammon Pip Counting

Pip Counting

Cluster counting

From:   camelx
Address:   sholiday@comcast.net
Date:   2 May 2005
Subject:   Jack Kissane's Cluster Counting
Forum:   rec.games.backgammon
Google:   1115087866.245117.235730@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com

Can't find a current link for Jack Kissane's Cluster Counting. Anyone have one for this? Thanks.

Tom Keith writes:

Kate McCollough's web site (where the article was) seems to be no more. I asked Bill Davis (who originally published the article in Chicago Point) and Jack Kissane for permission to publish this fine article at Backgammon Galore. You can read it here: http://www.bkgm.com/articles/McCool/cluster.html Thanks Jack, Bill, and Kate. Tom

Gregg Cattanach writes:

I use this method all the time and find it very easy to get the right answer and it's reasonably fast.

Camelx writes:

Any other good articles or hints on improving with this?

Gregg Cattanach writes:

Just read those pages. There isn't much else to know. Basically you end up adding 3-5 numbers for each side, many of which might end is a zero. It's way easier than trying to count each point that has checkers on it. Also, his system gives you both numbers which is important for close doubling decisions, (i.e. being up 9 pips is quite different if you have 90 pips to go instead of 110). One thing I do is 'keep' the first total counted on my fingers so I don't forget it when I'm counting the 2nd side. Left hand is 10s digit, right hand is 1s digit. Extend left to right one finger for one through five and 'retract' (leave all fingers out but tuck one in) for six through zero.

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