Backgammon Online

24-May-2014
05:51 PDT

This post was deleted by Saurus on 24-May-2014, 05:52 PDT

24-May-2014
05:52 PDT

In fact, playing with 16 cube against very low rated players is rather unfair in the sense that every game counts 10 points, win or lose, and if a 1900 player playes against a 1500 player 7 times, statistically, he will gain 60 points for every 10 the 1500 rated player wins.

It's a quick way to get to the top of the rankings - somehow I feel it's almost unethical and unfairly biased in favour of the stronger players.

24-May-2014
21:26 PDT

Just who is this supposed to help, and why?

25-May-2014
03:32 PDT

Good questions posed in a respectful way. I can only speak for myself. As I said before, I couldn't care less about my ranking. But I do enjoy trying to improve myself in whatever I do. I have learned that the best way to improve in any competitive endeavor is to seek opportunities to play people who are (currently) better than me. ZE's Rankings give me a rough idea of where I stand although my ranking is confounded by me occasionally teaching my kids to play on ZE. I consider myself an "above average" player who is trying to become a good or possibly even an excellent player. This T that Chwaq devloped gives me the opportunity to play some players who are better than me. If I lose 10 points a few times by playing in this T that is ok with me. I realize from your comments that there are some players who really take their ranking seriously and that is ok too. No one is forcing those folks to play. All I ask is that the small minority in this forum that don't like the criteria of this T not try to disrupt Chwaq's noble effort. If people don't like the criteria in this T there will surely be another T where you will find criteria to your liking. Or better yet, perhaps the few who oppose this criteria can come up with an alternative format and offer it to the group? Those would seem to be much better options than the ridiculous assertion that the >20 players (so far) who have agreed to participate in Chwaq's T are cheaters who should have their membership revoked and be banned from ZE. Your thoughts?

25-May-2014
05:22 PDT

If the idea behind this T was honestly about playing better players in order to make yourself a better player (a very valid concept!) then why would unrated games not do the same? As has been shown, players who I agree are of above average standard will in fact statistically make the most out of this T.

So we have very good players who are on one hand trying to tell us they don't care about their ranking but on the other ignoring unrated games in favor of a format that they know will give their ranking an unnatural boost. Something's not adding up?

25-May-2014
06:19 PDT

...just post it as an idea with all of the rules as Chwaq has done and if players like your criteria they will sign up -- if they don't they won't. Very simple. But don't accuse the 20+ players who wish to play in Chwaq's T as being '...cheaters who deserve to have their memberships revoked.' The great thing about ZE has always been the players who have offered their services as hosts (like Chwaq, R4, KK, alain, lilwarrior, itisme, etc.) who tried their best to offer new ideas. Chwaq and the players he has signed up in this T did not deserve to be called 'cheaters who deserve to have their memberships revoked.' That kind of rhetoric is akin to the bullying and threatening tactics that have been posted in the past by the likes of Athena = Darthvader = Sideshowbob2012 = Nemesis999 = poiuyt and is what really does not 'add up' for most of the players in this ZE T forum who are truly trying to improve the player's experience by giving them a CHOICE on whether or not to participate, not take that choice away by name calling and making threats.