Backgammon Chouettes

Chouettes

Waiting for teammate to double

From:   Øystein Johansen
Address:   ojohans@statoil.com
Date:   26 July 2001
Subject:   Chouette ethics?
Forum:   rec.games.backgammon
Google:   9jopi5$1u4$1@salsa

Some days ago I was playing a friendly chouette. This was a four handed chouette. In one of the last games the following happens: I'm sitting as the captain. The box doubles early and we all have a trivial take. After some turns, the positions turns our way, and me and my crew members becomes favorites in the game. Me and one of the crew members turn the cube to 4, while the third team member waits. The box takes both cubes. I roll another roll and make my move, the captain rolls and makes his move. I wait for a while - to check if my last team member wants to double. I can see he is thinking, I turn my head to him, and in my body language I asks: 'Do you want to double?'. The last team member shakes his head indicating he will not double - so I roll. Now the we discussion starts! The box claim that I'm giving advise to my fellow crew member by asking him if he wants to double. He said that this was a very unethical behavior, since the crew members cube decisions where none of my business. This becomes some argument, and I couldn't make him understand that it would be much worse if I just rolled and thereby not even giving him the opportunity to double. My question is therefore: Did I do something unethical by asking my fellow crew member if he wanted to double? What should I have done instead? Regard, -Øystein

Gregg Cattanach writes:

I don't think you did anything incorrect. The fact that everyone redoubled the previous shake makes it pretty clear that the 'option' is on the table for the remaining player the next shake. The box was being excessively picky in my mind. However, if the captain constantly solicits the others to see if they want to double when he hasn't is fishing for information. With you not having cube access, no problem, IMO. Gregg

Bob Bowman writes:

Although I agree that the box was being picky, my preferred method is to ask that crew member if I should wait. This statement merely allows them time to make their own decision, with no apparent input from me. Bob Bowman

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