not the friendliest game?

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inkera
Posts: 18
Joined: 23 November 2023, 01:21

Re: not the friendliest game?

Post by inkera »

veggivet wrote: 24 April 2022, 03:27 Here's a game with 12 doubles. Table # 261616166

I know enough about statistics to realize that the algo throws doubles WAY too frequently, assuming the dice are not 'rigged'.

I would love the option to remove the doubles (or the action of doubles) as I agree, the amount of doubles are no where close to what happens in the real world. I don't like them even when it is me getting them!! :lol:
Thankful1st
Posts: 1
Joined: 16 June 2022, 13:18

Re: not the friendliest game?

Post by Thankful1st »

Silene wrote: 23 April 2022, 00:41
veggivet wrote: 22 April 2022, 23:49 Here's evidence for you; Table. #261299524. If you replay the game and then can say that the number of doubles is within any type of statistical probability that resembles the real world get back to me.
I'll come back to you instead:

In that game your opponent had 8 doubles out of 18 rolls. The propability for getting 8 or more doubles on 18 rolls is 0.534%. So about half a percent. That means it would happen in about 200 games on average (assuming 18 rolls is a normal duration of a Backgammon game). Given the fact that you played almost 1000 games of that on BGA it would be a strange if that hadn't happenend to you a couple of times.

So yeah - absolutely resembling real-world statistical propability. It's not evidence but an example of an extreme result that is normal to encounter at times.
I'd wager that if it only happened to him "a couple of times," he wouldn't have bothered making his way to this forum, finding this discussion thread, and interacted with others who don't "see it". This, and my experience of far more than "a couple" of these, persuades me that the overrepresentation of doubles in BGA Backgammon is not a thing of myth or legend, but an unfortunate reality to take into consideration when seeking to enjoy a game here. We all could just close the computer and play a family member IRL with real dice and avoid the whole thing, so ... meh.
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RicardoRix
Posts: 2117
Joined: 29 April 2012, 23:43

Re: not the friendliest game?

Post by RicardoRix »

Thankful1st wrote: 14 March 2024, 05:27 I'd wager that if it only happened to him "a couple of times," he wouldn't have bothered making his way to this forum, finding this discussion thread, and interacted with others who don't "see it". This, and my experience of far more than "a couple" of these, persuades me that the overrepresentation of doubles in BGA Backgammon is not a thing of myth or legend, but an unfortunate reality to take into consideration when seeking to enjoy a game here. We all could just close the computer and play a family member IRL with real dice and avoid the whole thing, so ... meh.
The amount of doubles rolled is recorded:
Here are yours:
https://boardgamearena.com/playerstat?i ... 73&game=53

Can you show us the player statistics where these anomalies exist.
Otherwise it's just players blaming their luck. A very common occurrence, that we all can testify to.
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zoomboom
Posts: 67
Joined: 20 September 2020, 02:04

Re: not the friendliest game?

Post by zoomboom »

Paddles wrote: 25 February 2024, 08:01 Not long ago, I lost a game that I was ahead on because the other player rolled 6-6, 6-6, 5-5 in a row, which was the minimum combination that would have let them win from that position. The probability of any one specific game finishing like that is low - but it's not "1 in 500 years" low, I've played enough backgammon in my life that the probability of that happening to me some time is likely somewhere around 10-20%.
But I wonder, what would be the probability of any game finishing like that for you, when it also happens to be the minimum combination that would have let them win from that position? Much more difficult to calculate.
It would only have been suspicious if my opponent had predicted it beforehand.
This is what would be interesting- if someone ever decided to catalog predictions for all the certain cases they are interested in, vs the actual results. But they'd have to be able to prove that they weren't selective "after the fact" in which cases they included in their catalog.
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Waikirikiri
Posts: 154
Joined: 25 November 2022, 03:19

Re: not the friendliest game?

Post by Waikirikiri »

inkera wrote: 29 February 2024, 14:45
veggivet wrote: 24 April 2022, 03:27 Here's a game with 12 doubles. Table # 261616166

I know enough about statistics to realize that the algo throws doubles WAY too frequently, assuming the dice are not 'rigged'.

I would love the option to remove the doubles (or the action of doubles) as I agree, the amount of doubles are no where close to what happens in the real world. I don't like them even when it is me getting them!! :lol:
If the doubles or action of doubles were removed then it wouldn't be Backgammon.
If you don't like how this game plays then play something else.
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Robarkson
Posts: 11
Joined: 23 January 2024, 04:57

Re: not the friendliest game?

Post by Robarkson »

These arguments take place on virtually every internet site where an RNG is used. The best explanation I've heard and thus the one I think is correct, is that people are able to see exponentially more dice rolls or hands of poker on the internet then they would see in live action. I am a very casual backgammon player and the most games I've played in a week or less is easily single digits. Compare that to the past two days on BGA where I've played 42 games! And yes, I've seen some goofy runs of doubles in those 42 games but nothing that violates the laws of probability. My only complaint is that it was wayyyyyy to easy to make it to the Elite level, but that is another thread.
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