In our course, we have a lesson where we take a beat to learn the Opening rolls. There are only like 15 to memorize, so it’s pretty easy. That’s not at all the case for the second roll, where you can find over 700 reasonable decisions.
What are those opening replies? They could be found in the Extreme Gammon book, where they are rolled out and computed in great detail for every match type and at every score, and listed in gruesome detail. However, for people that might want a look-up table at even scores, I compiled one. You have 2 versions to choose from, depending on how much paper you’d like to use printing it out.
We have a condensed, single-sheet version:
And a 4-page version that is organized by opening type (e.g., slotting vs. running, etc):
In every cell, the first play listed is the best play. If there is a reasonable competitive second play (within, say, 0.007 points of equity) then those are listed underneath the best play in the same cell.
Additionally, below are some resources to try and help you learn the replies:
- Bagai’s replies: Mastering the Second Roll by Jeremy Bagai [PDF]
- Rough and Ready Rules for Rookies: The First Two Rolls by Axel Reichert [PDF]
- Understanding Opening Replies by Albert Steg [PDF]
- The 2nd Roll: Make the Right Move Every Time by Marc Olsen [$15 E-book]
- Videos on the opening replies for when an opponent makes a point or runs, for when an opponent slots or brings 2 down, and for when an opponent splits, all by James Vogl
Finally, to help you practice, Jeremy Bagai has developed an excellent flashcard webapp called FlashBack that has all of the opening replies, among many other positions.
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