Bob Wachtel

Things got much more difficult.

The neural networks had a great effect on backgammon society.

For me, personally, it was a joy because I had a stack of note cards, a foot high of positions I'd never been able to figure out, even rolling out.

I tried and tried and tried, and all of a sudden, I could get the answers.

It was bliss, but it was very annoying in the sense that the bad players could see how bad they were.

And it more or less killed the money action in Backgammon.

The worst players all of a sudden realized how bad they were.

There was a lawyer I played who lived in Marin County, had plenty of money.

I played him for five years or so.

I must have won almost every time we played.

And at the end of those five years—and this is before the neural networks came along—

He explained to me, he said, look, Bob, you have a slight edge on me, but we're basically at the same level.

People could just live in that kind of delusion for years and years.

But when the neural networks came along, not only did the worst players realize they were bad, but if they weren't willing to work and learn themselves, they'd fade away.

Yeah, right.

It's much more normalized.

Is it boring?

Well, I mean, it's not nearly as exciting, I would say that.

I think it is undergoing a minor renaissance.

I don't think it could ever reach the manic levels of the 70s, because the whole Playboy lifestyle was what got people engaged then, and they were all sort of buying into this vision of the good life.