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number of moves

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11-21-2014 , 03:52 AM

PLBlow

grinder

Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 445

whats the average number of moves (dice rolls) for one player, per game?

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11-21-2014 , 05:08 AM

yogiman

adept

Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 784

Applying a liberal approach at the beginning stage of the game, you can multiply this average, and create a lot of suspense.

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11-21-2014 , 09:40 AM

peachpie

centurion

Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 182

Tricky to figure this with double/pass possible at almost any time. Against that, double/take often guarantees playing out the bearoff. Also, do you count "rolls" for a player that is closed out?

Ignoring all that, I guess you could make a crude estimate based on pips. Starting count is 167. Now add for getting hit - let's say 4 times for an average of -12 pips each, that's 48 pips. Average pips on roll is little over 8, that gives a little over 26 rolls on average.

With drops, I expect the average would be less. Maybe 20 rolls or so. Just my guess though, not scientific.

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11-21-2014 , 10:26 AM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

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Originally Posted by PLBlow

whats the average number of moves (dice rolls) for one player, per game?

The number has changed quite a bit over the years as players are now wiling to take a lot of positions which they would have quickly dropped back in the 70s and 80s. A match in those days (even between top players) typically had a lot of very short games mixed with a few long games where the cube was taken. Now short games are rare and most games have a double and take within the first ten moves or so.

For old matches, I'll guess 10 moves or so would have been average. In today's backgammon, peachpie's estimate of 20 seems about right.

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11-21-2014 , 01:35 PM

PLBlow

grinder

Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 445

thanks!

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11-21-2014 , 03:11 PM

Frank the Tank

old hand

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,458

Yeah, in the 20s feel about right.

Longest game I've ever played against GNU was 92 moves. There's no way I could tell for sure for OTB matches but I'm going to assume I came close to the same mark, maybe high 60s to low 70s, before.

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11-21-2014 , 07:45 PM

uberkuber

veteran

Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3,032

When you say around 20, you mean for each player, so 40 total, is that right?

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11-21-2014 , 10:03 PM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

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Originally Posted by uberkuber

When you say around 20, you mean for each player, so 40 total, is that right?

Right.

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12-04-2014 , 12:26 PM

ZenMaster_Marc

stranger

Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 13

I have played numerous games > 100 rolls

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12-04-2014 , 01:34 PM

#10

peachpie

centurion

Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 182

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Originally Posted by ZenMaster_Marc

I have played numerous games > 100 rolls

It can happen of course. But I bet I play four games under five moves for every one game over 100. Maybe more.

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12-04-2014 , 02:25 PM

#11

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

Games with more than 100 rolls are very rare, even among players trying to get into backgames.

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