The Willie rule

[LuzerBot]

In addition to Jacoby and Beavers and Racoons there should be another rule.

The Willie Rule

If your opponent offers to resign and you refuse -- and fail to get at least one more point --- then you lose 1 point.

That is:

If your opponent offers to resign a normal game and has born off at least one chip you cannot possibly get more points so if you refuse in order to rub their nose it in -- you lose one point and if it is a one point game it becomes a draw and doesn't count.

If your opponent offers to resign a gammon and you refuse and fail to get a backgammon -- you lose one point.

There should be a penalty for refusing a resignation and failing to get more points.

Thus sayeth the Willie Rule 

[ah_clem]

I hope nobody tries to play that way.

What it would mean in practice is that when the position gets gammonish, the player behind can turn an anti-cube to weasel out of the game with one point. With this rule in place, you would almost never see any gammons.  Sounds like a good way to take a lot of interest and skill off the table.

It does have some interesting game-theory implications, but it would drastically change the nature of play in a much more disruptive manner than Jacoby or Crawford. 

[dorbel]

This is just nonsense. One often refuses a single resign even though the chances of winning a gammon are slim. If somebody can nullify those chances by offering a single resign, the game becomes pointless.

[diane]

This is just nonsense.

I thought it was a joke...    

One often refuses a single resign even though the chances of winning a gammon are slim.

In the example he cites, where you have borne off a checker, and resign...and it is refused...the chances are a bit beyond..'slim'

[ah_clem]

Ok, if it only goes into effect after the player offering to resign has borne off a checker, I've got no problem with it.  (c:

[sixty_something]

the original Willie Rule is a two cigarette break, preferably on Willie's tour bus .. however, unless you're prepared for it such a break can lead to a well known lament

http://youtu.be/wDQANmQO2g0

[socksey]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, Willie!   

I think it's silly, too, dorbel.   

socksey



My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying. - Rodney Dangerfield