LG - Splitting Boards

tanes256tanes256 Alum Member
in Logic Games 2573 karma

Hey, guys! I would like any advice you guys can give on splitting boards. I seem to always spend too much time trying to split and it's not really needed or I don't spend enough time trying to split and I could've saved time. I tend to always end up brute forcing too much or using previous game boards from previous questions to answer questions but I know that's not always going to work for me. LG is my best section so I've kinda dismissed it but I'm not always -0 so I'm looking for pointers. Can you guys provide any hints on when to split and what to split on (meaning a specific rule like a not both rule or something)?

Comments

  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    23929 karma

    @tanes256 said:
    Hey, guys! I would like any advice you guys can give on splitting boards. I seem to always spend too much time trying to split and it's not really needed or I don't spend enough time trying to split and I could've saved time. I tend to always end up brute forcing too much or using previous game boards from previous questions to answer questions but I know that's not always going to work for me. LG is my best section so I've kinda dismissed it but I'm not always -0 so I'm looking for pointers. Can you guys provide any hints on when to split and what to split on (meaning a specific rule like a not both rule or something)?

    Check out this awesome webinar by Sage Corey (scored a 176) that's all about how and when to split game boards.

    https://7sage.com/webinar/splitting-boards/

  • tanes256tanes256 Alum Member
    2573 karma

    @"Alex Divine" Well duh! Lol I don't know why I didn't think to check the webinars before posting. Thx, will do!

  • LSATcantwinLSATcantwin Alum Member Sage ⭐
    13286 karma

    @tanes256 said:
    Hey, guys! I would like any advice you guys can give on splitting boards. I seem to always spend too much time trying to split and it's not really needed or I don't spend enough time trying to split and I could've saved time. I tend to always end up brute forcing too much or using previous game boards from previous questions to answer questions but I know that's not always going to work for me. LG is my best section so I've kinda dismissed it but I'm not always -0 so I'm looking for pointers. Can you guys provide any hints on when to split and what to split on (meaning a specific rule like a not both rule or something)?

    I find this interesting because I almost never split boards. I typically go -1/-2 a section when rushing and -0 if I'm focused enough. So I am in a similar situation. I find myself to be really eager in LG and after I make my original board, I attack the questions. I'll have to check out the webinar as well.

  • nathanieljschwartznathanieljschwartz Alum Member
    1723 karma

    I also used to spend an ungodly amount of time trying to split, i think once you become sensitive to a rule/rules that make splitting worthwhile you just mature out of unnecessary splitting. Rules that limit the setup to only a few acceptable worlds.
    An example would be an in/out game with a never together biconditional. 9/10 times i am inclined to split with these. As you foolproof and pay close attention to JYs explanation, before you know it, it will become more natural.

  • TheMikeyTheMikey Alum Member
    4196 karma

    I usually only split the game board if there are very restrictive rules, like VERY restrictive. Most of the time I just draw a game board for each question that introduces new info (the ones with 'if'), then I do the MBT and CBT questions last once I have game baords already from other questions.

  • Mellow_ZMellow_Z Alum Member
    1997 karma

    @TheMikey said:
    I usually only split the game board if there are very restrictive rules, like VERY restrictive. Most of the time I just draw a game board for each question that introduces new info (the ones with 'if'), then I do the MBT and CBT questions last once I have game baords already from other questions.

    Agree with this. If you can split the gameboards out into 4 or less possibilities (2x "if x or y"), you can likely gain a lot of benefit from it. I know some people who can't intuitively determine when splitting is beneficial, and they will waste 10-15 minutes on a single game trying to split things up when it wasn't necessary to begin with.

    Watch the webinar and get an idea of what Corey is talking about, and then just practice. You can't learn what benefits you best without getting a feel for things.

  • tanes256tanes256 Alum Member
    2573 karma

    Good stuff here guys. You hit on some things that I hadn't paid attention to. I'm also guilty of not really fool proofing so I've missed out on the benefits of repetition and picking up on when it's beneficial to split.

  • sjiang666sjiang666 Alum Member
    edited August 2017 157 karma

    I know that splitting game board would be helpful, sometimes, but I rarely do it. There are many questions you could get right without fully showing out all of the possible worlds. So I try not to spend time which I don't have to.

    I usually only split the game board if there are very restrictive rules, like VERY restrictive. Most of the time I just draw a game board for each question that introduces new info (the ones with 'if'), then I do the MBT and CBT questions last once I have game baords already from other questions.

    Totally agree. Besides having a VERY restrictive rule, I would also imagine what if I split before I write anything down. Will that trigger more rules? If it trigger more rules, I will split for sure. If not, in most cases I won't.

    I really think that the more important thing is not getting freak out no matter what. No matter you split or not, how many rules you have or how many questions you have. If the game is quite open, then be ready to play with the rules all the way through. If you figure out all the possibilities, great, nail those questions and on to the next.

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