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From: markp@tekmdp.UUCP (Mark Paulin)
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: Re: BG endgames
Message-ID: <2168@tekmdp.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Aug-83 14:41:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekmdp.2168
Posted: Fri Aug 26 14:41:51 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 29-Aug-83 00:40:12 EDT
Lines: 14


I disagree that a formula is enough to compute the probability of the player
on roll winning an endgame.  The way the stones are left on the points after
a bearing-off miss is crucial.  Perhaps there exists a guaranteed best
strategy of bearing off which would allow a hard-and-fast number to be
calculated -- I don't know of it.  I think it is still necessary to examine
all possible paths to the end of the game and assign probabilities to them.

You might find it enlightening to play a game "la misere" (for the loss)
sometime...


Mark Paulin
...tektronix!tekmdp!markp