Quick winning principles
- Open with 24/23 split and 13/11 slot when possible — the modern standard for balanced offense and defense.
- Bear in with the 1-empty, 2-full, 1-empty, 2-full home board pattern for maximum bearoff efficiency.
- Use duplication: leave shots where your opponent needs the same number to hit and enter.
- Double when you have 75%+ winning chances; take at 25% equity, pass below.
Ideal strategy
- 1
Opening: the 24/23 split plus 13/11 slot (or 24/23 13/9) fights for the 5-point and keeps outfield anchors. Avoid stacking both split checkers on the same point.
- 2
Bear-in/bearoff distribution: on the home board arrange checkers as 1 empty, 2 full, 1 empty, 2 full (alternating empty points and 2-checker points). This minimizes wastage and shot vulnerability during bearoff.
- 3
Duplication: when leaving a blot, choose points where opponent needs the same roll to hit and cover — e.g. leaving a shot requiring 6s when they need 6s to escape your prime.
- 4
Cube math: take any double you can win 25%+ of the time at the given match score (take point). At gammon danger, adjust take/pass — pass earlier when losing gammon equity exceeds 15%.
- 5
Priming vs blitz: build a 6-prime when ahead in the race; blitz (attack inner board) when behind but with more home-board builders. Switch from blitz to prime once you make the 5-point.
- 6
Racing formulas: use Keith count or pip count comparison — if your adjusted pip count is 5+ lower after contact clears, drop the cube.