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Backgammon glossary · C

Cubeful / cubeless equity

A position’s expected value with and without future cube actions accounted for.

How it works in play

Cubeless equity values a position as if the cube didn’t exist: wins minus losses, with gammons and backgammons counted. Cubeful equity adds what the cube is worth to each side, so it is the number that decides real cube actions. Analyzers such as GNU Backgammon report both.

  • Equity — The expected value of a position, typically expressed in cube units or points.
  • Janowski formula — The standard formula for cubeful equity, blending the dead-cube and live-cube extremes.
  • Live cube — A cube that can still be re-doubled, as opposed to a "dead cube."
  • Cube life — The remaining value of cube ownership; quantified by Janowski’s live-cube calculations.
  • Rollout — A computer simulation playing thousands of games from a position to estimate its equity.

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