People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

For those of you not familiar with the game, when you have an advantage, you can double the stakes of the game. This would be like if Roger Federer were up 5 games to 1 over Blake, he could say, "alright. If you want to continue playing this set, Blake, then this set is worth two sets. OK? Or do you want to forfeit this set now and move on to the next set?" It is slightly more complicated than that because if I say, "double or forfeit" and my opponent agrees to double, then later in the match should the tides turn, he can make it quadruple whereas I no longer have that option. Point is, when you get your opponent into an absolutely dominated position, it is good sportsmanship to double because it saves them the embarrassment of having to resign (another backgammon option that means - "I give up. You take this one, we'll play another"). However, 80% of the time, these damn internet backgammon players simply accept the double and refuse to resign even when the only way they could possibly win is if they roll 5 double 6s in a row. Other times, it is mathematically impossible for them to win, I've already doubled them, and yet still they make me play it out - rolling the die an unnessessary X number of times and moving my pieces to home. It's frigging annoying.


I just played this guy.... I had 3 of his pieces in jail, 5 of the 6 exits blocked with a high likelyhood of blocking the 6th and final exit on my next roll AND I was 50% closer to home overall. So I double. AND HE ACCEPTS!!! GOD DAMN IT!!! IT IS SOOOO OBVIOUS THAT I WIN THIS ONE@!!! Just resign and be done with it!!! So I roll the die, block the final exit because one of my 2 die (or the combination of the 2 die) equaled 3,4,5,or 8. Proceeded to move all my pieces to the exit area. Vacated the 6 hole, 5 hole, 4 hole.... and then he catches his one and only shot at salvation... I roll double 3s as I'm vacating the 4 hole forcing me to leave an unprotected piece in the 3 hole. He rolls his 33% shot 3. UGH!!! So we spend the next ten minutes with him desperately trying to send that guy back to jail while leaving himself horribly unprotected. Finally I break through - send another of his pieces to jail, reach a safe zone, he exits jail past my piece completely ending any chance of his winning..... and then he just leaves. No "goodbye", "good game", or the customary offer of resignation... he just leaves. THAT MOTHER FFFFFF>........ GOD DAMN IT!!! EVER SINCE HE ACCEPTED THE DOUBLE I"VE WANTED TO LEAVE, BUT PLAYED IT OUT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO!!!!! AND KNOW HE LEAVES!@!@!@!@!???!?11110001!?!?@)!!

Internet backgammon players suck. Oh, and then those ccksuckers who respond to my saying, "Good Game" by saying, "It was Luck." (with Internet Backgammon provided by windows, you have about 20 different phrases to choose from. Obviously, "It was Luck" is something you're supposed to humbly say after a close game, but these fckers are using it to give me the finger!


BAH!!!

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

If you're not playing backgammon for money, its not real, so lighten up.

And if you are playing BG for real $$ on the internet, you're not very smart either.

BG is a great game tho...

L8r.. BB

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

You're not bright either way. If this was for money clearly this guy was a fish.

If it wasn't for money, this is the equivalent of playing poker for play chips. Are you expecting world-class play? I think you'll fit in well with these opponents however.

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

I award this OP 100 points and the grade of A.

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

CSC,

"People who play internet backgammon are poor sports"

Ya, but internet cribbage players are just down right cheats.

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

After reading this:

" it is good sportsmanship to double because it saves them the embarrassment of having to resign "

and the rest... this post was a spoof, right?

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

playing MS backgammon, and complaining about it, is pretty stupid. Sorry.

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

I certainly can't think of any other games played on the Internet where a lot of people are poor sports.

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

CSC,
nh.

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

Seems like CSC is the poor sport for being so distraught over someone who wants to play it out.

Also, I think in internet-chess I quickly got into the habit of saying 'GG' only after I lost.
Kind of like not gloating at the table after raking a pot.

Also, do you really need your chat responded to that much in an internet-game? In internet-poker I blow off all kinds of 'NH' and 'GG' (in SNG's especially) all the damn time if I'm multi-tabling or if I just plain-old don't feel like responding.

I'm surprised CSC would get so offended by the guy just leaving.

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

Its not just backgammon players, it's everyone.

The worst is hearts though, cause it's so easy for one person to just sabotage a game once they are out of it.

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

All,

It's just damned annoying. Particularily because it is a game NOT played for money. The only reason to play it is because it is fun and enjoyable. Ignoring that there is, in fact, a real living person behind the moves the "computer" makes seems a little dehumanizing. You can't communicate much with MS Backgammon, but it cringes me to play with players who turn chat off.

"Seems like CSC is the poor sport for being so distraught over someone who wants to play it out."

"I'm surprised CSC would get so offended by the guy just leaving. "

It's not one or the other, it's that the guy did both. Make me play out a game that is all but a forgone conclusion and then leave without a word once it is a forgone conclusion.

MBob,
In little league they taught us to say "GG" after every game, win or lose. I'm surprised you don't remember [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Slickp,
Yes, you are correct with the poor sportsmanship across the board with MS games.

Calda,
HA!

LSF,
I'm assuming sarcasm. Yes, I am aware how silly the ranting OP is. JUST HAD TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

First off I would like to say that I am world class backgammon player (atleast I was - haven't played BG in years), with a very good (low) error rate playing a very long match against gnuBG.

Secondly, you will not find serious games or even amateur games of backgammon on Windows Live. I make the analogy that playing BG on that service is akin to playing poker for play money. There is no incentive to play correctly, and you will see players "call down" bets too much, the same way that play-money BG players will "call down" doubles too much.

So if you want good games, play a bot, or play on a service (such as truemoneygames.com ; [I am not an affiliate and have recieved no money from them.])

Finally, I couldn't understand the game in question, but you may want to analyze games by computer. There are often "dominating" situations where it is actually correct to accept a double because of the strong chance of being able to redouble.

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

oh, forgot to mention, you know there is a turn off chat button? then you can avoid half the problem. Plus their disappearing act may be slightly more of a surprise!

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

let's play some reversi

Re: People who play internet backgammon are poor sports
 

[ QUOTE ]
LSF,
I'm assuming sarcasm. Yes, I am aware how silly the ranting OP is. JUST HAD TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST!

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, my back is out again so I'm not sleeping and taking lots of pain killers, so I got a really big kick out of the OP. I was picturing how mad you were getting over this and was LOLing. I knew you were being silly and I enjoyed it.