Expanded explanations and tutorials of backgammon concepts for beginner and intermediate players.
Milwaukee Backgammon Club mkebackgammon.org/
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We also have a game running most every Saturday starting at noon in Mequon, WI which is about 15 minutes north of Milwaukee
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Excelent video this Will increase my speed 10 fold thank you so much
Great video. I discussed this (which I call Dice Value Difference) with Dan Rovira of Backgammon is Beautiful here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/q56Hq9icaJmWo5c.htmlsi=gB39TtNVeLDSw14k&t=1822 And with the USBGF Women of Backgammon on the topic of second rolls here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/c6ympbOoctK0hrg.htmlsi=drQPzihfWhfsgQme&t=1456
Thank you! Very helpful!
I’m guessing the 25% take is for money ?
Yes
Simply the best lessons on counting I have seen. Better than how Grandmasters have explained it in video's. Well done!
Thank you !
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Great video as always. It is worth mentioning that when you are coming in from the bar with 1, 2 or 3 in your example if the other number is a 6 then you cannot move it so your board does not collapse.
Yes, at 13:00 I do mention other sequences and that accounts for the actual win % for us being 38% instead of 25% but good to see you paying attention. That can be lengthy to explain as those rolls each have their own win/loss % and trying to narrow down a more exact % is very next level for the newer players. With pip-counting , %'s , shot estimations it's important to remember that we often find our estimation gets us to a place where we see we do not need an accurate answer, but at first glance we weren't sure. In those cases a quick estimation can be invaluable in moving our thinking the correct direction. My goal in this video was to show that I actually use the little 6x6 diagrams while I play. Some of the people I teach think at first it is just a neat trick to initially explain the concept and then it's forgotten, but in reality I've practiced them to the point where I can see them in my mind and it helps me while I'm playing live as if I'm holding them in my hand.
Hi are you thinking of adding anymore videos any time soon, great channel one of the best out there.
Yes. Busy month, technical glitches, additional silliness. Some follow up videos in the next few days.
@@backgammonskillset Great news, really appreciate your time that's gone and going into this channel.
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Thanks for another video in this great series, your channel has been the most useful one so far in my backgammon journey! A couple notes: At 1:38, White (who is totally not yourself) decides to take a checker off and rebalance the position with 5/4, which in practice is the same as doing 5/off. I felt this was maybe not ideal, because the rule of thumb goes that if you can't take two checkers off, then your next priority should be to fill a vacant point. And indeed, XG shows that 4/off 3/2 has 0.48% more win chances than 5/off. Also, at 21:35 you count the cluster of 9 green checkers as 50 pips, but when you have groups of 3 side by side checkers (or multiples of 3) you take the pip value of the middle one and multiply by the amount of checkers. Thus 5 x 9 = 45, not 50. But, bizarrely, when you sum it with the previous group's count, rather than arriving at 125 (75 + 50), you arrive at the correct result as if it were 45 (75 + 45 = 120). So it seems like your brain either made you say the wrong number aloud OR subconsciously corrected the count.
5x9 , I used to do that but I stopped, that group of checkers is ( to me ) 50 missing 5 and I saved the adjustment of -5 for the end , If you relisten to the video you'll hear me say "missing 5" and I make the adjustement.
Where is the += trick?
In my 4th video which I just uploaded I reviewed the + = and a full example position. The + = trick is turning 1 2 and 3 direct shots ( or rolls ) into 3 pictures. The goal is to not think in terms of memorized numbers but to use a memory trick so that when you are playing you instantly know where you are at.
Great videos - explained very clearly and logically. the cat Ziggy is a BIG bonus
❤👍Fantastic!
👍Great videos Thank you!
Very helpful. Thanks!
Something as small as starting with the smaller number while shot-counting simplifies things a lot. Good call! Good cat!
Apart from the great lesson, I love the upside down cat and the cat sunbathing
In the first example @6:00 doesn't double 6 also hit?
Yes but this is important, that starting number, the number 11 contains all the rolls that contain a 6. So the 66 is already counted. 1-6 2-6 3-6 4-6 5-6 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-1= 11 rolls that contain at least one 6. That is why I like having a visual cue for myself, a reminder that the 6's have already been counted.
@@backgammonskillset Oh right, gotcha
Great Video, Thank you so much. why did't you cover Cross Overs?
Great. Tnx How ì can recognize which one is better ?(keith count or 8 9 12 rules)
Yes sorry I know I'm behind 'schedule' to put out Video 6 for this. Once you have the pip count, which you need for both, you can do both as well as choosing just one. As you get faster this will be an option for you. If I have a position with no Keith Count penalties then often 8-9-12 will be good, as soon as I see crazy stacks and gaps I default to the Keith Count because that is exactly what it was designed for. If you think about it, if bad distribution didn't matter, the Keith Count wouldn't even exist as there would be no incentive or reason to develop an alternative to the % approach.
I just discovered your channel. I am very much a visual learner and even though I have read about some of these concepts in books...your video breaks it down so clearly and visually...it might finally stick now! I am very excited to work my way through all of your videos. Thank you so much!
Excellent. Ask questions anytime you have any.
I want to understand why is there a 1/7 adjustment that INCREASES your Keith number (thus bringing you closer to a no double, for example). Given that you're on roll and that gives you an edge compared to the opponent, shouldn't the adjustment go in the opposite direction?
Common question all backgammon players have had. Without the adjustment formula didn't work, with adjustment it works. You are correct, in that it IS counter-intuitive. Here is my answer copy/pasted from a previous question : It might be helpful to think of these adjustments as something different than the count itself. For example(s) : WHY would you penalize a gap on the 6 point? WHY would you penalize extra checkers on the 1 point? Why? Because when they tried that . . . it worked. At a glance it doesn't seem to make sense. Keep in mind these adjustments were all developed/discovered by trial and error. Let's try the following, we will run the following 10 experiments - decrease by 7% 9% 11% 13% 15% , increase by 7% 9% 11% 13% 15%. After running these 10 scenarios we found that increasing by 13% or 15% seems to give us , on average, the most accurate cube action. We then continue to experiment and find that increasing by something close to 14% is good enough for us mere mortals. To keep the math simple we settled on an increase of 1 for each 7 in adjusted pip count. Not perfect but a big big step from where we were when we first learned the game and we were just guessing. There is one thing about that increase that does make sense. It is only for the cuber's count. So it is a small 'penalty' when the pip count is low and a larger 'penalty' when the pip count is high. Which is in allignment with the following principle : The more play is left ( high pip count ) the weaker the cube and the bigger the take - the less play is left ( low pip count ) the stronger the cube and the smaller the take.
Starting to practice your method. Thank you so much for the efforts you put on the making of the vids!!!
These have been some of the most informative videos! No ego, just pure helpful education!!
Thanks !
At 7:38, wouldn't there be an opportunity to hit on 55? That would make the total hits 16 right? Sorry, this method is the most tangible method I've seen so far for shot counting and I want it to stick! ;-)
Yes but this is important, that starting number, the number 11 contains all the rolls that contain a 5. So the 55 is already counted. 1-5 2-5 3-5 4-5 5-5 6-5 5-6 5-4 5-3 5-2 5-1= 11 rolls that contain at least one 5. That is why I like having a visual cue for myself, a reminder that the 5's have already been counted. Go back to the first video on Shot Counting and at the end do the blank paper practice routine over and over, it helps, it's what I did when I was learning. Embrace massive repetition. Most important of all is that you had a question and you didn't hesitate to ask, excellent! Ask ask ask.
@@backgammonskillset Nice refinement, to shot counting, looking forward to the next video upload.
👍cool
👍Awesome Great Video
I found a position that seems to go against the formula. EDIT: No, it doesn't. Explanation at the end. Screenshot: prnt.sc/yeLgwn8q_Sp8 XGID=--AB-AD-------------abcbb-:2:-1:-1:00:0:0:3:0:6 White has 28 pips + 1 (from the vacant 6-point) + 1 (from the extra checker on 2-point) + 2 (from the extra checker on 1-point) = 32. Add 4 (from the 1/7th rule) = final Keith number of 36. Black has 37 pips + 1 (vacant 4-point). Final Keith number of 38. Since the difference is 2, White should redouble and Black should take, yet this would be a triple blunder to take according to XG! What gives? EDIT: I found the issue. White has 2 adjusted pips FEWER than Black, therefore this is a score of -2 for White. It would be a double/take if White had 2 adjusted pips MORE than Black. Leaving this comment regardless, in case it helps future people avoid this mistake.
Yes indeed, when you are new to this it is easy to make mistakes. Solution? Do 100 random positions and practice practice practice! Keep in mind that when playing live you may want to take the time to do this but not too much time as to bog down the play, so you want to have it down as good as you can.
Vocals still super low in volume
Sorry, CeCe. Rolling bad rolls is kinda my thing.
813 views, 374 subscribers. Keep it like that, great for me if we can be not too many to know this channel.
Great videos, on ths channel, fast and clear, even for a français like me. But if I may : "No maths required" ? ... well : just have to know the pip counts ...
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Great tutorial. Thanks
Fantastic info. Great job. Keep these coming. Well done
I'm noticing in all your videos you voice volume is very low where i have to turn it away way up to hear it and then the commercials are way way too loud. Please fix going forward to increase voice mic gain. Thanks
Why would you INCREASE the value for the player on roll since they have the advantage of having the dice so its at least a half a roll advantage and since the average roll is 8 pips (with 2 dice) it's about a 4 pip advantage to be on roll versus not on roll.? Confused here.
It might be helpful to think of these adjustments as something different than the count itself. For example(s) : WHY would you penalize a gap on the 6 point? WHY would you penalize extra checkers on the 1 point? Why? Because when they tried that . . . it worked. At a glance it doesn't seem to make sense. Keep in mind these adjustments were all developed/discovered by trial and error. Let's try the following, we will run the following 10 experiments - decrease by 7% 9% 11% 13% 15% , increase by 7% 9% 11% 13% 15%. After running these 10 scenarios we found that increasing by 13% or 15% seems to give us , on average, the most accurate cube action. We then continue to experiment and find that increasing by something close to 14% is good enough for us mere mortals. To keep the math simple we settled on an increase of 1 for each 7 in adjusted pip count. Not perfect but a big big step from where we were when we first learned the game and we were just guessing. There is one thing about that increase that does make sense. It is only for the cuber's count. So it is a small 'penalty' when the pip count is low and a larger 'penalty' when the pip count is high. Which is in allignment with the following principle : The more play is left ( high pip count ) the weaker the cube and the bigger the take - the less play is left ( low pip count ) the stronger the cube and the smaller the take.
Fantastic tutorial here. Excellent well done keep em coming
When's the next video coming out, is it one a week?
No set schedule, getting them out as life allows me to.
@@backgammonskillset For sure, looking forward to the next parts, well done with the channel.
Izleyerek de birzeyler alıniyor
Evet onlar
When's the next video coming out, is it one per week?@@backgammonskillset
Türkçe de olsa😢
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As always, a very clear explanation of essential concepts
Just love your videos thank you so much for these !
Your channel is fast becoming one of my favorite channels for Backgammon.
Ditto
Dumb question... why are checkers stacked on the 1-pt penalised? Surely if all my checkers are on the 1-pt, I will bear off and never waste a roll. What am I not understanding?... :-(
No No No , that is a very GOOD question and one that every backgammon player at some point has asked. If I give you 15 checkers on your 1-point you have 15 pips to bear off. I'll give myself one checker on each of my 6 5 and 4 points for 15 pips. I'll give you the first roll every time and we'll play for $10/game. Don't take that bet as you'll lose 100% of the time despite the pip count being the same. Why? Because I will be able to finish my game with fewer rolls than you. Lead % and pip counts and Keith counts etc etc are all variations of attempts to estimate how many rolls it will take to bear off on average. So since we want to bear off in as few rolls as possible anything we can do to avoid having bad rolls we should do. Anything we can do to discover potential bad rolls that may be lurking in our position we should do. Gaps on high points and overstacked low points tell us that our position has more potential bad rolls than an alternate distribution of our checkers with the same pip count. If you and I were playing and we both started to bear off our checkers, and before you rolled your dice I stopped you and said "Go ahead and re-distribute your checkers any way you like so as long as you keep the same number of checkers and finish with the same pip count." You should say yes thank-you everytime and even out your distribution, fill high gaps and unstack low points to your best ability. You will win a higher % of the time. Trick to understanding this is that the Keith count and other methods start with the pip count, so within the range of reasonable cubing positions we know that high gaps and low stacks increase our % of bad rolls over the balance of the game.
Many thanks for such a good explanation, much appreciated. I do understand the importance of « how many rolls » rather than automatically « what’s the pip count » when bearing off. FWIW the first backgammon book I came across when starting was Bruce Becker’s « Backgammon for Blood », which I know is now much disparaged. Interestingly his method for counting both before bearing-off and when bearing-off were based on the number of rolls, rather than the pip-count - similar to the many « crossover » methods. For bearing-off it was half a roll for the 1, 2 & 3 points, 1 roll for the 4, 5 & 6, plus an additional half-roll for any gaps. No penalties for stacks, although it would be easy to add an additonal half-roll in such cases. Although admittedly « an approximation » it’s a very easy and quick method.
Interesting but I think the use of the word 'away' was unfortunate and IMHO "apart" was more appropriate. "Away" already has a very specific meaning in backgammon so no need to create potential confusion.
Can I get my cat featured in these videos or what?
Any animal or human that chases a laser pointer could potentially end up in one of my videos, including you.
Really nice way of translating fraction to percentage ;o) Regarding n/36 fraction, you can also use x2.5 +10% and even adjust by +1 for the top half top of the range, i.e. 19+. It is a bit more involved and accurate.