Conceding

[veggivet]

I play all games until the (sometimes) bitter end just to see how many doubles the ridiculous algo throws. I've noticed that in order to keep the doubles stats appearing 'reasonable', the algo will often throw multiple doubles to the loser during the endgame, which are essentially meaningless except when it comes to examining your stats, where everything looks 'normal'. However, these doubles don't change the outcome of the game, just the outcome of the stats.

[Jellby]

You have to admit the "algo" is really smart

[euklid314]

I play all games until the (sometimes) bitter end just to see how many doubles the ridiculous algo throws. I've noticed that in order to keep the doubles stats appearing 'reasonable', the algo will often throw multiple doubles to the loser during the endgame, which are essentially meaningless except when it comes to examining your stats, where everything looks 'normal'. However, these doubles don't change the outcome of the game, just the outcome of the stats.

Sorry to be that clear, veggivet, but you are spreading conspiracy theories and fake news and the only thing I do not know if you believe in them or if you do it on purpose. I think it is the first one.

If you do not believe the programmer bidulpik´s word that he has correctly used the mandatory function "bga_rand(1,6)" to determine the cube rolls - see below for some information provided by bidulpik in a recent bug report - then please do your research yourself and do not post conspiracy theories.

In your recent post you claim without any proof that bidulpik has made a sophisticated program that evaluates the game position of backgammon and chooses the backgammon rolls accordingly. Please note that there might be some people (luckily not many) who really might believe your false accusations!

Best, euklid

*** Citation from bug report #67587, where bidulpik responded quite recently: ***

27. Aug 2022 11:11 • bidulpik • Die Entwickler denken, dass es keine gute Idee ist, oder dass das Verhältnis von Aufwand zu Nutzen zu hoch ist:
Hi,
our randomizer is correct. The statistical distribution is mathematically proven by the 3 millions of backgammon games played on BGA since the game is online, which is just a incredibly huge statistic panel.

You can find more information here
bkgm.com/articles/GOL/Jul99/hank2x.htm
forum.boardgamearena.com/viewtopic.php?t=13097
en.doc.boardgamearena.com/Main_game_logic:_yourgamename.game.php#About_random_and_randomness

To reduce the random impact of the game, you can try the alpha backgammon matchplay game, with several points goal and the doubling cube.

Best regards

[gamer27330]

how do you concede? I know this is a newbish type question

[Silene]

how do you concede? I know this is a newbish type question

upper right corner, "burger" menu

[GreenP55]

I also often concede as soon as it's impossible to win. How would that be rude? Is this only about game stats? Do people really enjoy playing out the game? Genuine questions

Nothing wrong with you conceding when you know you're beaten so long as you do it during your turn. If you are playing face to face you wouldn't quit during your opponents turn. It reminds me of when my grandson was learning and was always happy to have his turn but when things were going against him - especially if his opponent had him locked out and he wasn't even having a turn he'd often throw a tantrum and storm off!! (he was four - now he stays the course and wins more often then not).

[euklid314]

GreenP55, please note that it is perfectly normal in tournament play that you resign on your opponents move.

Just watch this years backgammon world champion final ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PO2LqCYwUQ ) and you will see e.g. at 1:16:15 that Zdenek Zizka rolls a 4-1 and Sander Lylloff resigns before Zdenek can finish his move and bears his two checkers off.

Resigning a game in backgammon is a completely normal way of finishing a game and cannot be compared with leaving a game table in anger. Thus, resigning is possible at any moment, be it your own move or your opponents move. Don´t interpret anything special into it that is not there.

[GreenP55]

GreenP55, please note that it is perfectly normal in tournament play that you resign on your opponents move.

Just watch this years backgammon world champion final ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PO2LqCYwUQ ) and you will see e.g. at 1:16:15 that Zdenek Zizka rolls a 4-1 and Sander Lylloff resigns before Zdenek can finish his move and bears his two checkers off.

Resigning a game in backgammon is a completely normal way of finishing a game and cannot be compared with leaving a game table in anger. Thus, resigning is possible at any moment, be it your own move or your opponents move. Don´t interpret anything special into it that is not there.

I happily stand corrected and was not aware the etiquette was comparable to chess. Thanks for pointing this out.
1. What is your interpretation of when your opponent plays on with a lost position (has no possibility of winning) but resigns just before you finish?
2. Do you think players with very poor positions would resign sooner if playing on meant they risked an enhanced gammon or backgammon penalty? (lets say they are locked down in your home while you bear off and they are hoping you will be forced to leave a single, they will hit it and perform a miracle comeback)

[euklid314]

ad 1) If somebody plays on in a 100% lost position for several moves and then resigns just before the last move I would consider it at least very strange. I would not think about it if it happened against me but I can very much understand if that upsets other people. In a real life tournament you would at least hear some cynical remark if you did something like that.

ad 2) If you play a match for several points (i.e. with cube and counting gammons/backgammons) you cannot resign on your own. You can only offer a resignation but your opponent may decline. So you may offer your opponent the resignation of a single game and he may refuse (as long as he has a theoretical chance of winning gammon/backgammon. If you then offer him a gammon resignation he may accept to win this gammon on the spot. Of course, if you resign the maximum that is theoretically possible at a certain board position (i.e. a backgammon, or a gammon when you have all checkers safely out of the other house, or a single game when you have already moved off a checker) then your opponent cannot decline your resignation.

Since on BGA we play for 1 point only (=DMP, double match point), a resignation is the theoretically maximum and it finishes the game immediately (without asking the opponent). There do not exist any gammons/backgammons in a DMP situation! In a real life 7-point match, winning 16-0 (i.e. winning a gammon of a 8-cube) is exactly the same as winning the match 8-0 or even 7-6. Actually, a 16-0 win or a 8-0 win would equally be denoted by 7-0 in the tournament result list. Nobody would play on a 8-cube game till the very end only to see if a game was won by gammon or just single.

[NoEinAnn]

I am not sure I understand the impact of conceding. I do it only when there is no hope and always with a thank you and congrats. How does conceding impact the scoring? thanks