Strange rule in curling..

A rule that I find strange in curling is this one:

Player A has the last stone in the first end, but looses 0-1.

But then he still has the last stone in the second end!

I find this a Little unfair. Because in that way the player who wins the first end 1-0 gets a sort of penalty buy not having the last stone in the second end. What he WOULD have had, if he had lost the first end 0-1.

The thing that I find strange is, that in a way sometimes it´s better to loose 0-1 when you don´t have the last stone that it is to steal a stone and win 1-0 when the opponent has the last stone.

Especially in the 9th end it´s almost always better to Loose 0-1 than to win 1-0 when you don´t have the last stone, because then you have the last stone in the last and often decisive end.

Overall I find that it would be most fair if both players had the same number of last stones. For example five ends with the last stone in a match with ten ends.

I just had a game, where I lost 6-5 after six ends. But the interesting thing was that my opponent had the last stone in four out of six ends. So in a way it was easier for him, I would say. It´s much more difficult to win an end 2-0 or 3-0 if you don´t have the last stone.....

It´s almost as if in tennis you had a rule that said that if you break the opponentes serve, then the opponent has the serve again. It doesn´t seam fair to me.

TheRake

You've stumbled upon Curling strategy. Congrats!

It's part of the game to "force the one" so you can obtain the hammer. Especially with a lead, this way you'll be up 1 or more with the last rock. Great position to be in.

So, no, it's not a weird rule.

wolfman1963

yeah it's called strategy its like chess white always has the 1st move.

Skipster29

It is a game of strategy as the gentleman stated earlier, this is definitely something to think about when playing a game.  This is however, one reason I dislike playing only two end games.  If the player I'm competing against has the hammer (last stone) in the first end, it's almost a disadvantage for me to steal one (take a point without the last shot).  I try to play 4 end games to prevent this so I don't have to feel like I'm at a disadvantage for scoring points. 

Just my thoughts.

From-da-Bronx

As a player who prefers two ends, I'd like to offer that I have had too many experiences where if one player has lost a point without the hammer, the opponent will run if they have the lead after two ends anyway. Why play more? Fortunately, most do not, but it is very annoying when it happens.

MarkWallisburgh

If you set the number of ends and a player only leads by 2 and they run, they will lose. They must have a large lead to leave the game if the number of ends are set.