Need help with the point system for Yahoo Backgammon?
Friday, September 25th, 2009 at
9:45 am
I guess I’m too old-school, but I don’t get this practice of 101 point matches and constant doubling in backgammon. What is the point? If I am supposed to double every time, where is the strategy?
The so-called ‘101 point matches’ exist purely to accelerate ratings faster, and have nothing to do with ’strategy’ (by which I presume you mean cube handling ability).
The reason is simple: between evenly matched experienced players, a 1 point match takes 1 game and earns 2 rating points. A 2 pointer need only take 1 game if either player desires, and earns 2.8 RP. An 11 point match could take 21 games, but only earns 6.6 RP.
However, a ‘101 point match’ will only take 1 game providing both players double to 128, but will earn 20 rating points for the winner.
Therefore, providing overall you score more than 50%, your rating will go up 10 times faster if you play 101 point matches, compared to 1 pointers: although once again you need to play opponents with a similar rating to gain the maximum RP.
Of course, if either or both players refuse to double in a 101 point match, then it could last 201 games: this would make it a complete waste of time for both players, as the extra rating points would in fact be taking at least 10 times longer to earn (compared to a 1 pointer). So, although doubling in a 101 pointer is always optional, it is a complete waste of time for both players if you don’t.
101 point matches are a very good (or very bad, if you score less than 50%) idea for ‘provisional’ players, or anyone with an ‘experience’ of less than 300, because any rating gains/losses are ramped up by a factor of up to 4: therefore you can gain or lose 80 RP in your first game if it is a 101 – see my article on rating points at http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiVOQImWxz8H7tX7QQtitNrty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090715073806AAmYQ9a&show=7#profile-info-LWCl9HAYaa
I have noticed some players at tables with match points of 32, 64, 99 etc. Naturally you aren’t obliged to double (just as in a 101), so don’t play them unless you have time for 65, 129 or 199 games, lol. But why bother with them if you are going to automaticallly double (and your opponent IS likely to ask), as you get more rating points from simply playing a 101?
101 point matches only exist because of a defect in the ratings formula as used at Yahoo: although 20 rating points are at stake for evenly matched opponents, this reduces to 10 (for both players) if the ratings difference is 100 points.
If Yahoo used the rating formula correctly, then in the latter case the lower rated player would have much more to gain and the higher rated player more to lose (perhaps 30 points), similar to what happens in other Yahoo games. Therefore, 101 point matches would be very rare unless both were of very similar ratings, as the higher rated player would be risking more than his opponent; and overall ratings would not be inflated (especially for 101 point players) as they are now.
One aspect of the rating point differential: if it is 250 points or more between the 2 players, you actually earn more rating points from playing a 2 point match, compared to a 101 pointer. And you don’t have the hassle of an opponent refusing to double when losing.
Note that checker play in a 101 point match is the same as in a 1 or 2 pointer. Gammons are no help for either side, so checker play is slightly different than in a normal 3+ pointer: running, priming and holding games are popular, but blitz attacks do not offer the gains (from the extra points available from gammons) which would exist in a multi-point match and can over-extend your position. Also, a well timed backgame is advantageous (as the vastly increased gammon losses resulting are no longer adversely affecting the score and game winning chances).
101 point games aren’t a Yahoo invention, they exist at other servers also; at FIBS, some players play 99 point matches (the maximum possible there) with automatic doubles, for the same reason: why play a 1 pointer if you can earn 10 times as many rating points whilst playing the same number of games?