Backgammon Cube Handling in Races

Cube Handling in Races

Forum Archive : Cube Handling in Races

Thorp count questions

From:   Chuck Bower
Address:   bower@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu
Date:   16 September 1999
Subject:   Re: Thorp Count questions
Forum:   rec.games.backgammon
Google:   7rra27$eq2$1@jetsam.uits.indiana.edu

> 1) If the roller's count comes to 30 exactly, should you add 10% to > make it 33? How about adding 1.5. This 'discontinuity' is probably the Thorp Count's weakest feature. Thorp is a mathematics professor and recognized that simplicity should count for something, otherwise he would have made the adjustment more complicated. > 2) When adding 10%, should you round normally, always round up or always > round down? > a) 71, is the final count 78 or 79? > b) 75, is the final count 82 or 83? > c) 77, is the final count 84 or 85? If you don't round at all, you will often avoid #3 below. That is my suggestion. > 3) If the non-roller is exactly 2 behind, is it a take or a pass? I've > seen both printed. I'm not sure what Thorp's original (and apparently difficult to find) work said. I use 'take', but it probably doesn't really matter. The Thorp Count is a guide but it is far from 100% accurate. It's better than guessing and for bearoff's it is usually better than the popular percentage methods. > 4) I've read that a Thorp count is better in short races, but that the > racing lead in % is better for long races. Does anyone know roughly > where the breakpoint comes? Maybe you read something I wrote and thus this may not be an independent answer. Personally I think Thorp loses much of its reliability when there are checkers outside the home board. In addition, when there are only a few checkers left (~5) for each side, it also suffers bigger uncertainties (in general, IMO). Thorp's method was made popular by Bill Robertie in his two volume ADVANCED BACKGAMMON. He also covers other methods there which compliment Thorp. I recommend careful (re)reading of those books to help solve some of these dilemmas. Chuck bower@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu c_ray on FIBS

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