Playing doublets

[Grunty]

Call it the New Year spirit -- I feel like giving a useful hint to non-
expert players.

Perhaps many beginner and intermediate players aren't aware of the
following considerations regarding the play of doublets (duplicated
dice).

Since doublets offer many more choices for you to play and err,
they're an excellent benchmark to assess your own checker-play skill
progress.

Once you find yourself consistently matching your doublet play with
the top choice indicated by your analysis program (set at an expert or
world-class level of course), you can be certain your whole checker
play has reached a very strong level.

Steps in assessing a doublet play:

[0] Identify your top priority goal in the current situation.

[1] Identify the first one (or two or three) out of the four checkers
to move, that best fit your top goal.

So far, identical task as on a regular roll.

[2] Once settled your top priority moves, you will assess the most
efficient use you can do of the remaining checkers to move. You use a
similar approach, eventually considering a second-priority goal. This
step is obviously specific to doublet rolls.

Like in regular rolls, the biggest mistakes in playing doublets are
due to failing [0]. Second biggest mistakes are due to failing [1].
Mistakes at [2] aren't so costly but still can make a difference since
they represent additional benefits being wasted.

I'm an expert player, still I misplay doublets more often than I
should. It's a good practice to train yourself to optimally play
doublets, because it will then be a lot easier for you to optimally
play regular rolls.
When reviewing a game analysis, pay special attention to how you
played doublets.

Have a nice year.

[mys...@hotmail.com]

Thank you Grunty, and please don't wait until next January to pass
along any other tips you may have for us.

myshlev