Opening roll ranking: Walter Trice
Marty Storer
Here's Walter Trice's opening-roll ranking, assuming doubles get
played before opponent makes a move. Walter's comments included.
For those who don't know, Walter is a very strong player, rated
very high on the Goulding rating list. I think he's just about
a full-time student of the game. He wrote the excellent
Bearoff Quizmaster software.
66 24/18(2), 13/7(2)
11 8/7(2), 6/5(2)
44 24/20(2), 13/9(2)
33 24/21(2), 13/10(2) or 8/5(2), 6/3(2)
comment: after most openers by opponent, 24/21(2), 13/10(2)
is best, certainly better than 24/21(2), 8/5(2).
22 6/4(2), 24/20 comment: this wouldn't be best against most
openers by opponent, but here it looks right.
24/22(2) instead of 24/20 is better than it
looks, because it makes it harder for opponent
to play 5's and 3's; note in particular 55!
13/11(2) also good. 13/11, 24/22 too loose.
31 8/5, 6/5
42 8/4, 6/4
61 13/7, 8/7
53 8/3, 6/3
65 24/13 comment: 53 and 65 about equal; not sure which is better.
55 13/3(2)
64 24/18, 13/9
63 24/18, 13/10
62 24/18, 13/11
43 13/9, 24/21
comment: really think this is best because of the builder position:
builder on the 9 point gives better building potential.
32 13/10, 13/11
comment: 13/10, 6/4 is strong against weaker players, against whom
it's very good to make unstacking plays. But 13/10, 13/11
often leads to complex prime-vs.-prime positions which
weaker players will often mishandle; 13/10, 13/11 is
probably the best theoretical play, but who really knows?
41 13/9, 6/5
comment: the primary motivation of this slot (and other opening
slots with 1's) is to unstack. With this move in particular,
slotting just as a tactic to try to make the 5 point makes
little sense. But it leads to very complex games, especially
as compared to 13/9, 24/23. Who knows what's theoretically
best? 13/9, 6/5 is the practical choice for a strong player
in money games and even-ish match situations (splitting
is often right when ahead).
54 13/8, 24/20
comment: I sometimes play 13/8, 13/9; don't think there's much difference.
51 13/8, 6/5
comment: I sometimes play 24/18, but this is better.
52 13/8, 13/11 or 13/8, 6/4.
comment: 13/8, 6/4 has strong unstacking appeal. Don't know which
is better.
21 13/11, 6/5.
David Montgomery
>
>Here's Walter Trice's opening-roll ranking...
>
[ranked 9th...]
>53 8/3, 6/3
[ranked 11th...]
>55 13/3(2)
I'm curious why Walter ranks 5-3 ahead of 5-5 (played as above).
5-3 has the advantage of unstacking the 6 point, and leaves more
builders on the midpoint to help in the development of the 4, 5
and 7 points - but are these advantages really enough to offset
the 12 extra pips and the extra builder on the 8 point? Even
though the issue of whether the extra pips will be a benefit or
a problem is not yet decided, I would prefer 5-5.
David
Marty Storer
He probably does it for just the reasons you mention.
But I'll ask him. Watch this space...
Play well,
Marty