Doubling Cube in Backgammon
One of the most important backgammon skills to develop is how to play well with the doubling cube. Doubling is so important because it affects the stakes you play for and when that cube gets high you’re sure going to want to be on the winning side of the board.
This article is a basic lesson for beginner players. Good cube-handling comes only with time and study. More literature on doubling theory topics such as money versus match play, match equity tables, volatility, etc., can be found in books or online.
Introduced in the 1930s, the doubling cube added a whole new dimension to the wagering aspect of the game. The cube has the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on its six sides. At the beginning of a game the cube sits atop the middle of the bar or in the middle of the tray on one side of the board. When a player feels he has an advantage in the game, he can offer the cube to his opponent on 2 and play on for double the current stakes.
If the opponent rejects (drops) the double, the current game ends and the doubler wins. However, if the opponent accepts (takes) he now maintains possession of the cube and may offer it back on 4 at a point when he believes he has now become the favourite to win. Now the original doubler must decide if he should take or drop the offer to 4. If rejected, the original doubler loses 2 points, and if accepted, they are now playing for 4 times the original wager.
Doubling to 8 and higher continues in the same way and can often occur in money game play.But it is rare that a cube will reach 32 or 64 in match play as the cube can no longer be offered once its value in the current game, exceeds the amount of points assigned to the match – example, in a 3-point match, the highest the cube can be offered to is on 4.
Cube actions must be made before you roll your dice so keep track of the current wager and value of the cube as you play.
In games that are moving fast, a player may get so caught up in the action that he might forget to double at the optimal time. Then, when he realizes his error, the position may have advanced even more in his favour, but unfortunately, to the point where his opponent must now reject the offer. Thus one sometimes loses the opportunity to have won at double the stakes. Always check if there is cube action before you roll your dice because if you cube too late you will lose valuable points.
Cube decisions can differ depending on the type of game you play. In money game play, each game is independent and you are trying to win only the stakes in just one game, whereas in a match play, you’re trying to win a specified amount of points in a series of games, and thus one must often base a cube decision on how it will affect score in the match. One way to evaluate this is by reading about a Match Equity Table.Doubling cube clarification for beginners
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