About Gnu

Gnu is a Freeware-Program, which is playing a high standard of Backgammon. It is a very good programm, but still it is a robot, - means, Gnu cannot think ceative.

The question "Is Gnu sheating via the random-generator?" is a very common question of each one, who has been playing Gnu for a while.

Years before, I have don the masochistic work to play more than 1000 Games by giving in the dices manual. Because situation like that one oin the picture below did make me thinking.

This picture shows a situation in a game after I did play <switching point> bringing a second red checker on the bar. Gnu's chane to hit my checker on 6Pt is <11 out from 36>. If Red does not hit immediately he is favorit to loose a gammon. (Tournament to 7, - I was up 4:1)

The double has been correct: Gnu new that if he looses this would be a gammon. That is why he must give me a desperate double. This a a <take>, of course.

Gnu did roll the <perfect roll> 3+3 immediately and won the game...

About random-generators....

I do not claim that random-generators a cheating in general. But there is a doubt they could do so. I am in doubt and many others too.

That is why there is a need to make it shure to the public that random-generators are not cheating up to the point where is no more doubt.

A creative solution which Gnu did not mention:

• This position did come up in a 7Pt-Match against Gnu - I was leading 5:1. However I would have moove my outside checkers: There was no solution to avoid giving a shot after 6+6, 5+5 and 4+4 as a next roll.

That is why the right moove is: 6-1, 6-2. Red has three man on the bar and there is no roll with with Red could play in this three men and hit at the same time.

Gnu's tutor did not mention this moove!

Can Computerprograms like <Gnu & Co> help to win money at backgammon?

This is an intewrestin question, an (surprisly?) the answer to this question is "No". It this moment.

As it is at this moment, all backgammon-servers cash the money, they do need to run their service by taking a fee (commission, rake). The worst is the German "GameDuell" which does cash a 50%-fee from the winner of every single game. GammonEmpire & Co do cash a comission of 3.5 to 10 per cent. There will be discussed more about this later.

Let's answer the question above:

Asume, I am about even with Gnu and asume too, I would play 100 games against Gnu for a stake of 10$. There is a disadvantage on my side, of course: I can get tired or make simple handling-mistakes, Gnu is a robot, who does not besome tired and does play his standard without any mistaking.

But anyway: Let's asume Gnu and me end upo 50-50.

Now let's asume further, we have been playing a server which does cash 5 percent only from each game. 

In this case, both players would have a turnover of 500$ on their winning games. Both players would have payed 50$ fee to the server, who would be the only winner in this case.

Questions, aksed by the audience:

(1)

So why cheating with using Gnu on a second computer while using Gammon-Empire & Co?

Answer:

The calculation about is depending on asuming that the human player and Gnu are on even level. Using Gnu does make sense for cheaters if the human player is weaker than Gnu only.

(2)

How can sheating with Gnu can be done?

Answer:

Using Gnu on a second computer, needs to give in the dices manual. This needs time and experience. It could be done by a accomplice. Than just ask Gnu's "Hint"-Tool and play the move which is menmtionend as <best>.

(3)

What could be done against this?

Answer:

To stop people using Gnu & Co in money-games, is a strikter time timit. This should be 15 Seonds actual time plus a maximum of 30 seconds as global time.