Hello.

I was wondering what was the ideal match length, and I came across those statistics:

The match length is almost always odd. Why is that? What's wrong with an even match length?

Also, 9-point matches are 12 times less popular than 7-point matches. So why are 9-point matches (and 11-point matches) relatively rare?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Odd numbered match length is a widely accepted tradition or habit. No special reason for it that I know of, other than 3 points being more than one doubled game.

5 and 7 seem to be the most popular for casual matches. This probably due to the overall duration of play; I guess people like matches that take about 15-30 minutes.

The longer the match, the more skill is involved in the outcome.

There has been a persistent trend toward shorter and shorter matches in tournaments. In the 60s and 70s, the Main Event of most tournaments started with a 15 point match and ended with a 25-point final. Nowadays most Main Events have 11 or 13-point matches throughout.

If I'm logging on to GridGammon to get my BG fix, I don't want to risk having to play a 1 or 2 hour match, which can happen with an 11 point match against a slow player, so I typically limit it to a 5 or 7. I miss out on some types of cube decisions, which is a shame and problematic for when I play live, but oh well.

I have nothing against an even numbered match, but others seem to. Once in a while if someone wants to play a 7 and I want to play a 5, I'll propose a 6, but no one ever seems to accept. I never really understand the objection. I guess it's just what people are used to.

4-away scores should result in a lot of fun and aggressive cube actions, so it's a shame people don't play more 4 point matches.

Odd numbered match lengths decrease the chance that the match is decided in one game. Other than that, it's traditional.