The Myth of Dice Memory in Backgammon

Is it possible that dice have a memory? Of course not, but some players will assume that something akin to memory is at work with dice, saying things like "I'm due for doubles" and "I know I'm supposed to get Five Four once every so many tries, and I haven't in the last dozen rolls, so it must be coming." For these players, the dice seem to be programmed like a slot machine, guaranteed to churn out a number at least once every X tries, but that is far from the reality of the situation.

Dice are completely random, barring any imperfections in the shape of the cubes themselves that could prompt a specific result - such as weighted dice. Cheating aside, there are no guarantees when rolling dice, other than the result will be completely random. Players who believe in dice memory will either refrain from rolling the dice at all when it is not their turn (not wanting doubles to show up and be "wasted") or may twiddle and twitch and roll them often, trying to get numbers "out of the way" so that they can get to the rolls they need on their go.

There is no tube of phantom dice lined up, each dropping in succession when the dice are rolled. The cast of the die is not predetermined, but as random as can be. A smart player won't count on dice memory to bring them rolls they need, but rather will use the rolls they get to win.