Incredible statements in a backgammon book
Edward D. Collins
that they had on backgammon.
Listen to these two statements from "Backgammon The Action Game" by
Prince Alexis Obolensky and Ted James. Both are from Chapter 9 titled
"Doubling."
1) Often an average player will double after an
extremely lucky roll. If your opponent does this,
you should never take the double. It often will
create a mental block in your mind and prevent
you from playing effectively.
Can you believe that???? No, I'm NOT making that up???
Here's the second paragraph, equally as ridiculous.
2) ...Of course, a backgammon player wouldn't be
a good player if he didn't posses a certain amount
of the gambling spirit. However, if the double
is chancy, consider that your opponent's chances
for rolling the double sixes or fives are the same
as yours. The only thing that might change this
fact is if your dice are running hot. If such is
the case your could risk the double. But, if the
game is up to eight on the doubling block, refuse it.
Risk the double if your dice are "running hot"?? Refuse the double,
with no regard to the position, if the doubling cube is at 8?
Who ARE these guys?? Sounds as if they are a couple of nobodies who
simply took advantage of the backgammon craze in the early '70s (the
book was published in 1969) and wrote a book.
Anyway, thought I would share that with you all.
- Ed
BPiland
> game is up to eight on the doubling block, refuse it.
The game has come a long way since then, Hasn't it?
Daniel Murphy
<ecol...@inficad.com> wrote:
>I went to my local library yesterday and picked up a couple of books
>that they had on backgammon.
>
>Listen to these two statements from "Backgammon The Action Game" by
>Prince Alexis Obolensky and Ted James. Both are from Chapter 9 titled
>"Doubling."
>
>
[Silly advice snipped]
>
>Who ARE these guys?? Sounds as if they are a couple of nobodies who
>simply took advantage of the backgammon craze in the early '70s (the
>book was published in 1969) and wrote a book.
Almost right -- Prince Obolensky was very much a *somebody* who took
advantage of the backgammon craze in the early '70s and wrote a book.
________________________________________________
Daniel Murphy www.cityraccoon.com/
Humlebæk Backgammon Klub www.hbgk.dk/
Raccoon on FIBS www.fibs.com/
Raccoon on GamesGrid too
Walter Trice
Daniel Murphy wrote in message <38100218...@news.businessnet.dk>...
>On Thu, 21 Oct 1999 17:32:06 -0700, "Edward D. Collins"
><ecol...@inficad.com> wrote:
>
>>I went to my local library yesterday and picked up a couple of books
>>that they had on backgammon.
>>
>>Listen to these two statements from "Backgammon The Action Game" by
>>Prince Alexis Obolensky and Ted James. Both are from Chapter 9 titled
>>"Doubling."
>>
>>
>[Silly advice snipped]
>>
>>Who ARE these guys?? Sounds as if they are a couple of nobodies who
>>simply took advantage of the backgammon craze in the early '70s (the
>>book was published in 1969) and wrote a book.
>
>Almost right -- Prince Obolensky was very much a *somebody* who took
>advantage of the backgammon craze in the early '70s and wrote a book.
>
Nowhere near right. Obolensky was the somebody who started the whole craze,
organizing the big-money/glamour tournaments, getting celebrities (Lucille
Ball, Hugh Hefner...) involved, creating publicity in the major media, etc.
Some of the history is sketched out in Robertie's book "Reno 1986."
-- Walter Trice
Julian Hayward
<ecol...@inficad.com> writes
>
> 1) Often an average player will double after an
> extremely lucky roll. If your opponent does this,
> you should never take the double. It often will
> create a mental block in your mind and prevent
> you from playing effectively.
>
Of course you should take each double on its merits. However, there's a
bit of sense in the advice. Playing a weaker opponent who chucks the
cube across mindlessly after a lucky roll can so easily get the stronger
player acting equally mindlessly, scooping up the cube contemptuously in
the expectation that the skill difference will compensate even if it
were a drop. Change "Never take the double" to "Never take the double
without the same mental effort as you would offer a strong opponent" and
IMHO it's spot on...
--
Julian Hayward 'Booles' on FIBS jul...@ratbag.demon.co.uk
+44-1344-640656 http://www.ratbag.demon.co.uk/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I always said I wanted to be somebody - I should have been more specific.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gavin Anderson
> >>Listen to these two statements from "Backgammon The Action Game" by
> >>Prince Alexis Obolensky and Ted James. Both are from Chapter 9 titled
> >>"Doubling."
> >>
> >>
> >[Silly advice snipped]
> >>
> >>Who ARE these guys?? Sounds as if they are a couple of nobodies who
> >>simply took advantage of the backgammon craze in the early '70s (the
> >>book was published in 1969) and wrote a book.
> >
> >Almost right -- Prince Obolensky was very much a *somebody* who took
> >advantage of the backgammon craze in the early '70s and wrote a book.
> >
>
>
> Nowhere near right. Obolensky was the somebody who started the whole
craze,
> organizing the big-money/glamour tournaments, getting celebrities (Lucille
> Ball, Hugh Hefner...) involved, creating publicity in the major media,
etc.
>
> Some of the history is sketched out in Robertie's book "Reno 1986."
>
> -- Walter Trice
Someone like Chuck Bower could add some more history in here, but Obolensky
was indeed a very big cheese in backgammon - from the 60's and earlier. His
book was (I think) one of the earliest about backgammon, but was
comprehensively bettered a year later by Jacoby & Crawford's book. (Which
was in turn blown out of the water some 6 years later by Magriel).
Gavin Anderson
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Richard P. Reasin
Donald Kahn wrote:
> Can you believe that there actually was a book published called, if I
> remember "Alpha Backgammon", about how wishing will make it so?
>
> The author was a chap who called himself "Baron" Vernon Ball. He was
> a real fishcake who happened to win a big tournament back in the late
> 70's.
>
> Come to think of it, maybe he was right after all.
>
> dk
Hi Donald,
I became intriqued with Baron Ball. So much so, that when he went on the
collegiate lecture tour, I became a Baron groupie. I never got to play him,
however I did get to examine his "props", used to demonstrate his unkeen ability to
make the dice tumble down one chute or another. They looked legitamate, but I
questioned the plum of the table. I never did get the hang if controlling the roll
of the dice using "alpha-backgammon's" pychokenetic based theory, but I could bend
those damned forks with the best of the Russians!
Rich Reasin
aka DiceGod on GG
david
<bpi...@aol.com> writes
>>But, if the
>> game is up to eight on the doubling block, refuse it.
>
> The game has come a long way since then, Hasn't it?
OTOH, snatch the cube and beaver if you're steaming and feel lucky.
;o)
--------------------------
da...@infoplus.demon.co.uk
leemo on GamesGrid
--------------------------
Rodrigo Andrade
My favorite quote from those old books is: (paraphrased, because I have bad
memory): "In a perfectly played game of backgammon, no double will ever be
taken." I buy these old books for a few bucks for this very reason. It's
amusing.
>Who ARE these guys?? Sounds as if they are a couple of nobodies who
>simply took advantage of the backgammon craze in the early '70s (the
>book was published in 1969) and wrote a book.
Many people did that to make a quick buck, true, but some writers, like
Magriel and Barclay Cooke, actually wrote masterpieces on backgammon during
its heyday.
--
RODRIGO
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Descending from heaven
The angel sworn to bring him down
The hunter the thunder
The wrath of heavens coming down
-Iced Earth
Chuck Bower
Gavin Anderson <brit...@mbf.sphere.ne.jp> wrote:
>
(Edward D. Collins wrote:)
>> >>Listen to these two statements from "Backgammon The Action Game" by
>> >>Prince Alexis Obolensky and Ted James. Both are from Chapter 9 titled
>> >>"Doubling."
(snip)
>> >>Who ARE these guys?? Sounds as if they are a couple of nobodies who
>> >>simply took advantage of the backgammon craze in the early '70s (the
>> >>book was published in 1969) and wrote a book.
(Walter Trice responded:)
>> Obolensky was the somebody who started the whole craze, organizing
>> the big-money/glamour tournaments, getting celebrities (Lucille Ball,
>> Hugh Hefner...) involved, creating publicity in the major media, etc.
>>
>> Some of the history is sketched out in Robertie's book "Reno 1986."
>Someone like Chuck Bower could add some more history in here, but Obolensky
>was indeed a very big cheese in backgammon - from the 60's and earlier. His
>book was (I think) one of the earliest about backgammon, but was
>comprehensively bettered a year later by Jacoby & Crawford's book. (Which
>was in turn blown out of the water some 6 years later by Magriel).
All I can do is confirm what both Walter and Gavin wrote. Oby (and James)
published the first new BG book in ~25 years in 1969--the book mentioned by
Edward above. Although I have a couple (softcover) copies, I've never read
this book. I'll have to check out the doubling chapter tonight.
Chuck
bo...@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu
c_ray on FIBS
JP White
<Snip>
>
> *cough*
<snip>
Have you seen a doctor about that cough?
--
JP White
Mailto:jp.w...@nashville.com