How to Play Backgammon
Backgammon is suprisingly easy to pick up which is why it is one of the worldŽs oldest and most popular games.
It is also a multi-layerd game- youŽll find that once you get started, youŽll always be learning and it is this richness that makes it such a joy to play and perfect for playing online.
We go into greater detail in other areas of the site, but here is a basic summary of How to Play Backgammon:
How to Play Backgammon
First of all you need to set up the backgammon board. Of course this is done automatically online, but I am sure that once you get started youŽll enjoy backgammon both online and with friends around a table.
Then you begin by each player throwing a single die. The person who rolls highest starts and plays the initial move using the dice that have already been rolled.
After that, you roll the dice dice in turn, moving your pieces or chequers around in a U-shape trip from your opponents home board to your home.
The dots on each die are known as pips and they represent the number of points you can move your pieces around the board. If you roll a double (2 6Žs for example) you can make twice the amount of moves. You have to move in one direction only: towards your home and you can only move to an open point (ie a space with no more than 1 opposition pieces or your own men).
Leave a counter on its own on a point, and you have a blot. If your opponent lands on this blot your piece is taken from the board and placed on the bar which runs down the middle of the bar.
When you are on on the bar or rim you must get your pieces that are on the bar back into play before making any other move. If there are no points open for your particular roll of dice, you miss a turn.
When all 15 of your counters are in your home board you can begin taking them off the board- this is known as bearing off. You bear off your men by rolling a number on the dice that matches the point that the checker is on. You can ONLY bearing off all of your checkers are in your home quadrant. The 1st to bear off all 15 pieces wins the game.
Each game is played for a one-point stake.
Money Games and The Cube
In cash games this equals your stake unit, in match play this is equal to one match point.
Stakes are increased through the game using the cube (known as the doubling cube) (when in use) - if a player refuses the doubling cube, he or she throws the game and loses.
At the end of the game, if the losing player has borne off at least one piece, they lose the value shown on the doubling cube (ie a value of 1, if there have been no doubles).
However, in the case that the loser has not borne off any of their checkers, they are said to be gammoned and lose 2x the value of the doubling cube.
Even more of a hit is those situations where the loser has not borne off any of his pieces and still has a man on the bar or in his opponent's home quarter. These losers are said to be backgammoned and will lose 3x the value of the doubling cube. Backgammons are rare.