[Bug-gnubg] Yes I stink but....

[Rich Heimlich]

First a "bug" and then the key thing:

I'm in Windows 7 x64 with the latest build and once every 7-game set
or so the game is hiccuping and the sound goes off causing the system
to run like a brick requiring a reboot. If I catch it right away (like
I'm not in a bar re-roll scenario) then I can just exit and all is
fine but if it goes on there's only the reboot. Also, once it happens
I can't save. No drive ever appears to save the file to.


Okay, some of you will know my name from chiming in once every 6
months with something minor over the last several years. I love this
product but I find it's become a love/hate relationship.

A little background:

1. I'm not a rocket scientist but the light does flicker pretty
solidly up there.

2. I owned a game testing company for 13 years and had to learn to
play every type of game--well, during that time.

3. I belong to a weekly board gaming club where we play "euro-style"
games pretty seriously and I win my fair share and this is at a top
college with rather bright students.

I say all that because GNUBG makes me feel like I should just go get
some sticks and figure out how to make a fire and kill animals with my
bare hands for food.

I play at the Advanced levels and (WARNING: I'm saying this from
frustration not logic) there are times I just feel like this damned
thing MUST be cheating even though I know it makes no sense for it to
do so. There has to be a psychology to it all.

I leave a pawn open in a critical time after being extremely careful
and, presto, far more often that seems possible he not only hits me
but rolls the perfect roll to do so. The only thing that can hit me?
5-4? He rolls a 5-4 I go on the bar and never recover. +50 lead shot
to hell in one open.
He also seems to roll doubles more often than I do while bearing off
especially if we're neck and neck.

It's gotten so bad that lately I've lost something like 10 sets (to 7)
in a row with most of them not even being anywhere near close. I've
also decided that UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES am I EVER to accept a double
from him. If he offers I decline and take the loss. Why? Because I can
only recall rare cases where accepting ever ended with my winning and,
seemingly often, as soon as I do it he rolls some amazing roll that
seals my fate right then and there.

I also started jotting down the PIP count after a minimal period of
five turns each. I did this for 25 games. After 25 games the total sum
of the values was -50. That's just -2 a game so that seems possible
but I'd feel a lot better if I didn't have the feeling that I'm always
on my way to a loss by that point already. I also play with Tutor on
and I'm not making lots of bad plays.

So my question has NOTHING to do with the engine. I KNOW it's not
cheating. Why am I having such a hard time with this? Must I accept
that backgammon just isn't my game? Is there some rosetta stone that
will help improve my game that I'm not aware of?