Author: Orad Reshef
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It just makes… cents
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Why on earth do we use millipoints to describe equity? Here, we have a proposal for a new unit, the cent, with some discussion on what makes it better than the de facto standard. How weird would it be to be given directions in lightyears? It would sound something like “continue on that highway for…
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Mental shift method
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The mental shift method is a relative count method that is as old as time. It was described in Magriel’s classic Backgammon, and is very simple and intuitive. I don’t know that it’s worth using in every single position, but in some, it’s certainly by far the best tool for the job. Let’s study a…
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Kangaroo count
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There are many algorithms to help you get an absolute count for a position. Of the lot, I think the kangaroo count is the easiest. It was invented by Nack Ballard, and follows this poem: First you double the far side men.Add big diagonal, double again.Add small diags, times 3, plus 30,And shifting to the…
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Unit adjustments
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A unit adjustment is an optional final step that can fine-tune the relative count from methods based on the half-crossover count (such as the colourless count or the criss-cross count). Usually, a relative pip count within 5 pips is enough to help you decide what play to make, and this step can be entirely skipped……
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Criss-cross pip count
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The second pip counting method we will learn, the criss-cross count, is another easy algorithm for calculating the relative count. Like the 321 colourless count, it starts with a crude phase that gives you a count within 5 or so pips and can be further perfected using a unit adjustment refinement phase. The main benefit…
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321 colourless pip count
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The 321 count is a colourless pip counting method that produces a relative pip count. It’s a sort of hybrid descendent of Zare’s half-crossover count and Urquhart’s colorless count. It is so easy and works so well that it feels like magic. It’s the first one I learned, and the one I still use most…