Hi

I've just bought XG2 and it's a stunning backgammon program, I sincerely recommend it.

But in the past years I studied with Snowie and I was used to look at my error rate ER.

Now XG has the new "Performance rating" indicator, and I googoled it but I couldn't find any adjurned threads about it.

Can you tell a formula to compare more or less PR with ER?

Can you determine a range of Performance rating for

-World class players
-Strong Expert
-Weak Expert
-Strong Advanced
-Weak Advanced
-Intermediate
-Beginner

Both in cash game and match play?

At what PR performe the strong tournament players? And an average tournament player?


Thanks a lot

XG has a labeling system for this already built in, it's on the summary panel just above PR. I wouldn't get too bogged down with the the nomenclature. Identifying the types of errors and patterns of mistakes that you make is more important.

I can't find it, it's always PR in the player profile.

I would be glad to have the ranges I asked, because for me it matter a lot.

Obv the "nomenclature" it's meaningless, but I'v just played 500 cash games with XG and I have a PR of 10,65 and I have to know if it's a good one, an average one a bad one. It helps my motivation. The program says "advanced" but first it doesn't mean anything for me, and second I know that the set ranges of the BG programs tend to be not so close to reality (in excess and in defect)

I started playing 3 point match but the sample it's redic, I wanna know what is a "good" PR in 3 point match.

I'm not sure where you're located, but if you're playing in a live American tournament, you'll probably have three sections to choose from: Open, Intermediate, and Beginner. A PR of 10-11 will probably make you an average player in the Intermediate division. I'm guessing a little here because very few Intermediates have their matches recorded. You'd certainly be at the bottom end of the Open division.

Thanks Robertie, two more question SVP:

To be in the average of the Open section (USA) how much should be my PR more or less?

How much does it change things if I play in Europe?

An average PR in a USA open division is probably in the 5.5 to 7 range. I haven't played in Europe in a long time but I think it would be about the same, maybe a little worse. There are many world-class players in Europe but the tournaments might be slightly weaker at the bottom end. That's just a guess on my part, though.

Have you seen these posts at BgOnline? Two of them are from the developer of XG.

http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbb...es;read=133542

http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbb...mes;read=55371

http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbb...mes;read=53409

http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbb...mes;read=66980

http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbb...mes;read=81259

More info can be had by reading other messages in the same threads.

Mike

Hate to bump an old thread, but I'd rather do this than start a new one. I'm considering playing in the TXBG event, but I'm unsure of what level to play in. I think this is mainly b/c I'm very conflicted as to my actual skill level. PR-wise, in matches against XG roller, I average a PR of around 7.5-10 (speedgammon clock settings). In matches on GridGammon, 10-15 or so seems to be the norm (why this is the case, I'm not sure. Maybe I'm more conscientious about playing well when I know my PR is being rated or I tilt less when I'm losing to a bot that's made to play perfectly).

If I can play at this level consistently, would I have any chance of a decent showing in the "Advanced" level (the medium level at this event)? Should I stick to the lowest level since I've only been playing seriously for about 6-7 months and my rating on GG is in the toilet?

I play live monthly and don't tilt there since it's obviously poor etiquette. My best showing in the local monthly tournament is 2nd place (November -- which I've improved considerably since), and the players seem to be generally strong with at least two playing at the open level.

I have been to only a couple of Opens but I have observed that you will get some intermediates playing at the top level because they enjoy the action and want the chance to draw a top player, and you get good players in the intermediate class who are trying to increase their chances of a profit.

There is no right or wrong level for you to play at. You know what you want to do. Backgammon is partly about luck and whilst you might get further at the lower level, you won't play any giants! It's really about where you think you will have most fun.

Reason is likely that it's hard to make large cube take errors against the bot.

While this is true, my checker play is better as well. I definitely believe what you said is a contributing factor though.

Playing against human drifts You to unfamiliar waters much more often comparing to bot. Human can offer You a cube, that's too early by a mile and You can pass for an even bigger blunder. Or he can double when too good and You can take. He can stack checkers so bad, that You miss a double few times. Something You will not experience against a bot. The same effect applies to when You play much weaker opponents comparing to strong ones.

Just to give a quick idea, take a look at my stats comparison for 2015:

PR againt a bot: X
PR against players with PR < 7.0: X + 4%
PR against players with PR > 7.0: X + 32%
PR against players with PR > 10.0: X + 35%

I'd expect this to be a typical effect.

I'll echo Karol's post - my rotten cube play against XG is much better than my abysmal cube play against human opponents on Backgammon NJ. Some of this is due to the factors described above, where you are thrown into unfamiliar patterns due to human error, another factor that bugs me is that XG thinks more when the cube decision is close, which I've picked up on and can't ignore despite not wanting the tell.

Karol's effect is valid for players of all skill levels: when you play weak players, your PR will rise dramatically because you'll see many sorts of positions you're not used to seeing.

The same will occur when you play a good player who likes to slot points early and get into many sorts of back game positions -- you'll make dramatically more serious errors.

You have to play under 6 to have good chances of winning in a local monthly tournament like here in Athens, Greece. Of course you still have your chances if you play under 10 if your dices are hot enough. Apparently if the dices are cold, even Nr 1 Giant would have any chance to reach the semis.