How to study BGA game replays?

[CameronHamill]

Hi Members,

I'm just wondering how extensively you study game replays? If you study the replays what are you trying to do exactly?

I'm thinking of effective way to study game replays. I have found some excellent commented games for 6 nimmt! whereby the player explains each of their moves. I suppose for me it's not just about trying to win games but just to try and understand people's thinking. Why did they play or not play a certain card?

I've so far studied a few games of 6 nimmt!, Schotten Totten and Azul: Summer Pavilion of high ELO games. To try and 'get' the thinking behind the moves.

Can I ask what do you do? Apart from possibly 'grinding' through the games with the sheer volume of games. And then trying to learn to cw better. I have done that on Patchwork and now feel I'm at a decent intermediate level. I aspire to reach a decent intermediate level of any games that I play a fair bit.

I wonder if physically playing out the cards watching 6 nimmt! replays might reinforce strategy?

[Ceaseless]

Start with your own. I'm not a Patchwork player, only dabbled a bit to the low 300s, but from my experience with a few different games I find this to be a similar truth for many games. Sort out the basics first, you lose to yourself and your own absurd plays more than anything fancy the opponent is doing. Get enough of a grip on the common sense of the game so you're in a position to actually properly pay attention to what other players are doing. In the process, you'll also encounter the moves players made that did throw you off your game, giving you fuel for study.

[cigma]

If you study the replays what are you trying to do exactly?

On the one hand, I watched replays for learning the game, knowing how the BGA interface works and as a support for translating.

On the other hand, I studied them for getting better in that game (for some specific games). I usually pick a player in the first ranks of alltime winners. I watch their games from their perspective and try to foresee what they will do in their next turn. And if they do something different, I try to catch the idea behind that. This seems to be very close to what you do.

That’s all about figuring it out for yourself. If you want to get some tips, you may very well check Boardgamegeek, where you can find lots of strategies for most games in the forums section.

I have found some excellent commented games for 6 nimmt! whereby the player explains each of their moves.

May I ask where you found them? Are you talking about BGA?

[CameronHamill]

Thank you Ceaseless for your suggestions. Low 300's in Patchwork is a significant achievement in my view. I would say that's strong intermediate which I would like to achieve as well.

I will study my own games. As you pointed out it's not that the other player is doing something spectacular it's yourself not playing perfectly. I find that myself with Azul Summer Pavilion. I have heavy losses in the game due to not playing optimal sequences. I hear what you're saying to analyze your own errors carefully.

Thank you cigma for your ideas about why it can be useful to analyze games. I will try to play from different players perspectives to try to figure out their moves and why they made them. I'll check out BGA for more strategies as well.

If you check out a member named 'Wreckage' profile page they have a few 6 nimmt! commented games and a few other commented games. They have some instructions about which players perspective (including their own player perspective). Then when you select to use comments you scroll through the game and theirs pop up comments. I find them really brilliant. It lets you really get into the mindset of the top player. Basically 'why did you play that exactly? What was going through your mind when you played that card?'. In my opinion it's a really good insight into how top players think.

[cigma]

If you check out a member named 'Wreckage' profile page they have a few 6 nimmt! commented games and a few other commented games. They have some instructions about which players perspective (including their own player perspective). Then when you select to use comments you scroll through the game and theirs pop up comments.

Thank you (and Wreckage). I didn't even know about this being possible