Ken Larsen’s Web Site - Backgammon Tips
Doubling Cube Tip #3 (Advanced Stats)
This tip only applies to Pogo web site matches where the option “Advanced Stats” has been enabled. This is a required setting for some Pogo based backgammon leagues.
If you’re playing a Pogo backgammon match and “Advanced Stats” has been set, understand what it is, and then use it!
Advanced Stats is only meaningful once a backgammon game has reached the point where there no more contact between your checkers and your opponent’s checkers … meaning that you’ve passed each other and are racing for home. At that point you should click on “Stats” on two different occasions:
|
Occasion |
What Stats will do for you |
|
Prior to each of your rolls |
It will advise you as whether you should double your opponent or not. |
|
After your opponent has doubled you |
It will advise you as to whether you should accept or decline the double. |
This guidance is based on a mathematical analysis of the board position using something called the “Thorp Count”.
I personally believe that “Advanced Stats” is a cheating tool and should not be enabled. However, after I voiced my opinion, a league administrator explained to me that their league enables it to help level the playing field for beginning and advanced players … by giving the beginners a “little assist”. This is a very pragmatic reason and assuaged my distaste for Advanced Stats.
The bottom line is that if “Advanced Stats” is enabled, consult it. You don’t have to follow the Stats recommendation, but at least you should be aware of what it is. That is what I’ve tried to convey via this web page.