Hello. Thanks yibyab for responding to my reply. Still a new player, but I appreciate you saying you would take questions. Also, this is for Mark also. Thanks for having this site. I just clicked on to a game with Mark, asked if I could ask questions along the way. I don't mean to make my move, but want to ask questions after the fact. Hope this is acceptable. It would be very valuable in the learning process..Back to the topic yibyab, I have seen that your active and quite successful on another site,and I'm wondering about the pie rule, but still a little early in my game play to woory about. You said the second player is at a disadvantage without it incase the first move is intentionally plundered. Is that strategy also? What does the first player do, percentage wise, play good or bad, when the pie rule is in effect? I've noticed on the other site, the second player does quite often, swap. Thanks again for the info. Thanks everyone.. Mikoyan, Phoenix, Stuvagen, mtbikesman, mark, and yibyab, thanks for the lessons. Many others to meet also. thanks, Dennis

A beginning player here, but it seems to me that the pie rule really concerns a player who is advanced in their knowledge of the game. To me, for less experienced players, the pie rule offers no advantage. When one can see "larger" moves - meaning placing pegs in such a way as they can visualize several variations with which to continue - then the pie rule offers some merit. Said another way, when a player has the experience to recognize a strong first move as opposed to a weak one then the pie rule would be a welcome choice.

Well said THX1136. If you don't know it, you don't realize it.