Backgammon Information : Poker Player

Backgammon History

The game of backgammon is the oldest board game known to mankind. It is so old that the facts concerning the origination are mostly left to speculation. Many believe the birth of a version of this great game emanated in Mesopotamia some 4,000 years ago (give or take a millennium), and is rooted in the tradition of rolling animal bones to predict the future and gamble on the present. Some believe the eastern borders of Iran should receive birth credit. Excavation digs have revealed that Egyptian pharaohs played a version of the game (called Senet). The Romans played an offshoot of Senet (called Tabula).

The game we enjoy today uses many of Hoyle's rules (established in 1745) and incorporates one of the catalysts to backgammon's popularity, the doubling cube (introduced approximately 80 years ago - inventor unknown). This advancement enabled players to bring one-sided games to a quick conclusion. In addition, games in which one player held a moderate advantage became more exciting, and required more skill.

Looking at the Doubling Cube From All Sides

A typical doubling cube has six sides, and is engraved with these numbers: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64. A game begins at a value of one betting unit with "the cube" placed in neutral possession (the 64 on top designates one unit at the start of a game). During a game, if either player believes it is advantageous to play for double the stakes, before rolling the dice when it is his turn, that player may offer the cube to his opponent at twice the current stakes. So, the first offer of each game would be from one unit to two units. The doubling cube would be picked up by the doubler, and placed on the opponent's right side board with the numeral 2 facing up to indicate the choice to the opponent: either play this game for double the starting value, or forfeit (resign) at a one-unit loss. Should the opponent accept the challenge, he "takes" and the game value moves to two units. The right to double again (redouble) always belongs exclusively to the player who last accepted the doubling cube. There is no limit to the number of doubles that can take place during a game. For example, the value of a game may rise to 128, 256, and higher (with values above 64 being tracked mentally or on paper).

The Object of Backgammon

Each player begins with 15 pieces of a different color (also referred to as men or checkers). The men are placed on designated spaces of a 24-position backgammon board. These positions are triangular and called points. For clarification sake, we can number the points from 1 to 24. We'll designate the number 1 through 6 positions to be your opponent's 6-point home board. You start with two men on his 1-point, and they must travel 24 points to bear off (the process of removing one's checkers from the board after all of a player's checkers are in his own 6-point home board). In addition, using the designated numbering arrangement, you would start with five checkers on your 12-point, three checkers on your 17-point, and five checkers on your 19-point. The pieces are borne off in accordance with the numbers rolled on the dice. Once a checker is taken off, it does not reenter the same game. Players compete to bear off all their checkers before their opponent can do so.

Playing a Game

At the start of a game, each player rolls one die onto his right side of the board. (The playing surface is divided into two sides and four quadrants.) The player who rolls the higher number (ties are do-overs) makes the first move, using both numbers on the dice as the opening roll.

Subsequently, players alternate turns and roll two dice from a dice cup to determine their move. Both dice must always come to a stop flat on the board (not cocked or resting on top of a checker). A reroll of the dice is required if either or both is cocked or goes off the board. A legal move must be made in accordance with the dice. For example, if I roll a 5 and a 3 (5-3), I must move one piece three positions (or pips), then the same piece or another piece five positions. I can also move one piece five positions, then the same piece or another piece three positions. While moving the same checker five then three versus moving three then five may seem like the same movement of eight positions, there may be a difference. Since a player cannot land a piece on a point occupied by two or more of his opponent's men, it is often necessary to move the eight positions in a specific order.

Which checker or checkers should a player use to complete his 5-3 move? That decision is typically based upon the shooter's relative checker position in that specific game, the future well-being for his pieces, which points (if any) contain an opponent's blot (a piece resting alone on a point, thus vulnerable to be hit), and which points cannot be landed upon due to an opponent having more than one piece on those points.

I mentioned hitting a blot, but didn't elaborate. What happens in that case? The lone piece (the blot) is picked up and removed from the board. The checker is placed on the middle ridge that separates the two sides of the playing board. This ridge is known as the bar, and is a holding area. A player whose blot is hit must reenter from the bar onto an available space (a point containing no more than one opponent piece) within his opponent's home board. Upon being hit, the player must reenter prior to making any other move. For example, if my opponent has made the 6-point, the 3-point, and the 1-point in his home board, I can enter with a roll of 2, 4, or 5 on either of my dice. I use the other number on the dice to complete my move with the same checker or a different one.

If a player cannot make a legal move with one or both of his dice (all points to which he might otherwise move are occupied by two or more opponent checkers), he forfeits that portion of his turn. For example, let's say I have borne off 13 men, and I now occupy my opponent's 5-point with both remaining checkers. If I roll 6-4, I can bear off only one man (using the 6 on one die), assuming my opponent has two or more pieces on his 1-point. My 4 on the second die is blocked; thus, I forfeit that part of the move.

Scoring a Game

The winner of a game gets one point if the cube was never turned, or the cube was offered and declined. Otherwise, the winner gets the value of the cube. However, there are two circumstances in which the value of the game is doubled or tripled. They are when one player gammons another, and when one player backgammons another:

- Gammon occurs when one player bears off all his pieces before the opponent bears off any. This is scored as a double game (the winner gets twice the value of the doubling cube). 

- Backgammon occurs when one player bears off all his pieces before the opponent bears off any and the opponent still has at least one piece in the winner's inner (or home) board. In the United States, we value this occurrence as a triple game (the winner gets three times the value of the doubling cube). Some areas of the world do not recognize triple games.