Is there a stop to Internet Backgammon cheaters?

markkbell661 is correct about the stall bug. I've had it done to me repeatedly. Why isn't the information about how to run the clock on your opponent public knowledge? Only once everyone knows the exact process on how to cheat their opponent in this regards will Microsoft do anything about it. Many high 2100+ players know how to cheat you by running you out of time. They can do it very quickly on demand in just a few seconds!! Why doesn't one of them have a conscience and make it public knowledge on how it's done?

Here are the reasons that it is prima facie evident that Microsoft is complicit in this cheating.

(a) It's common knowledge that this cheat has been going on for years.  It is unreasonable to think that Microsoft is unaware of this cheat.

(b) Cheaters are using the Microsoft clock implemented with Microsoft code. In fact the entire game is played with Microsoft code, in the Microsoft browser, on the Microsoft operating system, and with Microsoft servers. It is unreasonable  to think that Microsoft has no idea of how the cheating is performed.

I respectfully ask Microsoft to respond directly to this post. (1) Does Microsoft deny the cheat? (2) Why has Microsoft allowed this cheat to exist for years? I don’t want to sound belligerent but Microsoft has some hard explaining to do.

I would appreciate it if any Microsoft employee responding to this post do so in an official Microsoft capacity and give honest answers to my two questions by carefully checking the facts. I am not interested in any personal opinion by a Microsoft employee who doesn't definitively and absolutely know the specifics regarding this issue.

Of course they can fix them. You can fix a lot of things utilising a piece of software called 'Cheat Engine'. I used it once( to test) in an online game...

I didn't 'cheat' though. Nobody suffered as a result of this - I'm not one of the evil hackers that make people miserable. All I did was make myself walk a bit faster in a non-fighting game.

The problem is, IB is a Windows game and I don't think it has a live team of moderators patching every single cheat.

I tend to agree with most of your post (Shackle).

When I argued that there was cheating, I was only referring to the stall bug used, ie: opponent moves then rescinds move, does this a few times then stops; the next thing that happens is you are told that you are delaying your move and are eventually timed out.

I doubt anyone playing on msn has not come across this, and we will all agree that it is cheating, and I just wanted to know if there is a way around this.

WIth regards to the dice: there is no doubt that they are not random, and in some way react to what is needed, but I doubt the opponent can fix them. I have frequently lost 12 on the trot, and sometimes won 12 on the trot.  When on your side you frequently throw the perfect throw needed, and vica versa when on losing streak.

My only disagreement with Mr Shackle is saying odds on any paritcular throw are 18-1. Obviously I agree they are not 36-1, that is obvious, but the correct odds are 21-1, as there are 21 different thriw combinations. Look at the table below. I may be incorrect, and please tell me if I have missed something, but I don't think so. I do remember when I first started playing Backgammon (30 years ago) reading a book, and they commented on the 36-1 myth, and used the table below to explain the 21-1 odds

1-1     2-2      3-3     4-4     5-5     6-6

2-1     2-3      3-4     4-5     5-6

3-1     2-4      3-5     4-6

4-1     2-5      3-6  

5-1     2-6 

5-1    

6  +     5    +    4    +    3    +   2    +   1      =    21

No doubt there is the psychological aspect. I have had players quit on me after I have had a couple of amazing rolls and I suspected that they thought I was cheating. I guess the solution to avoiding cheats and quitters is to see who we are playing and their stats by means of handles. I don't quit unless something unexpected comes up. if I know a game is lost I resign but I actually enjoy a desperate back game or to come back from 4-0. Players who don't accept a resignation also annoy me a bit although I guess that is their right.

I do like the the game interface though, that is why the problems should be addressed.