Questions tagged [backgammon]
A very old 2-player game with checkers played on a board with 24 "points." The object is to move (based on dice rolls) all your checkers past points controlled by your opponent, and ultimately off the board, while bumping off and trapping your opponent's checkers. (20-minute playtime.)
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Is there a confirmation that no backgammon game will last forever?
I am a backgammon beginner and I love this game so much! I tried playing a full backgammon match with computer on Hard difficulty (3rd hardest of 4 difficulties available) and I managed to beat it ...
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Backgammon like game - for which I can't find the English name
The game is very similar to backgammon, here we call it mahbusa (هو سجين, jail in Arabic).
The game is the same but
you start with all the stones out (in the jail/on the bar)
when captured, pieces ...
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Does an official version of the rules of backgammon exist anywhere?
I am surprised that I even have to ask this question, but here I am.
If I were talking about some obscure board game only ten people in the world know, it would be safe to assume the official ...
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In backgammon, why do I lose if I decline an offer of doubles?
Why do I lose the game if I decline an offer of doubles? Shouldn't the game continue as before the offer?
I encounter this rule when playing online.
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Was Backgammon played in ancient Rome?
In the film «Spartacus» (Kirk Douglas, 1960), during a bath scene at 2h07m, one can see what clearly is a Backgammon set on a bench, right beside Caesar.
Considering that the scene probably ...
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Alternate layouts for Backgammon: who's studied this?
I've been wondering for some time about the initial layout of the 15 men on the backgammon board, and what alternatives have been looked at. Also, what the pros/cons of various alternatives would be, ...
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Backgammon board for 3 players
I've been thinking about how backgammon might be extended to 3 or more players. Below is a mockup of my current idea of what the board might look like. The concept could technically be extended to any ...
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Backgammon move notation - Is there an official, rigorous specification?
I have recently become completely obsessed with Backgammon and I would like to learn more about the "Magriel notation" (link) used to formally describe a game of BG.
So is there a definitive, formal ...
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Can you play your numbers in Backgammon in a way to block one of them?
First of all I apologize if my question is hard to understand, I'm not familiar with Backgammon glossary.
Let's say you rolled 3 and 6. In a certain situation the only way to play both 3 and 6 is to ...
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Backgammon best strategy for clearing my home
All my checkers are in my home, all my oponent's checkers are not in my home.
I roll the dice.
Assuming I can't take out checkers, what's my best strategy of advancing them? e.g. when this is my ...
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Is it possible to go from a Backgammon opening position to a Nackgammon opening position in 6 moves?
Is it possible to go from a Backgammon opening position to a Nackgammon opening position in 6 moves? And if not, how many turns would it take?
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Backgammon: Jacoby rule with doubling cube?
As per my understanding of Jacoby rule will be applied when doubling cube is not used during the game.
If I select Jacoby rule for the game and If either of the players uses the cube, Will Jacoby ...
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Backgammon stacking rule
When can we stack checkers one on top of other on a single point?
Is there a rule that stacking allowed only when a position has more than 5 checkers? Can I stack the checker when a position have ...
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Backgammon bearing off rules
Suppose I am bearing off and have two checkers left, one on the 6 point and one on the 4 point. If I roll 5 and 3, is it legal to move the checker on the 6 point to the 3 point and then bear off the ...
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How do I Make this Backgammon-Spinoff more Level and Fair?
I call it March-Fall Gammon, or M-F Gammon for short. Played with regular backgammon board, chips, and dice. Game consists of 2 parts: The March and The Fall. Start with a clean board, roll, and ...
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When to leave the 20 point?
I'm relatively new to backgammon, and something I often struggle with is deciding when to leave the 20 point once I've made it. Furthermore, I also sometimes struggle with whether or not to leave the ...
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In Backgammon, when can the dice be doubled?
I basically understand the principle of doubling: using the doubling cube to double the stakes of the current game. I'm not sure when the dice rolled can be double for 4 moves. Is that only when the ...
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backgammon scenario
When bearing off - there is one checker in the 6 spot, 0 in the five spot, several each in the 4, 3, 2 spots. There are 2 opponent checkers in the one spot. The roll is double 5's. I can't move the ...
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Proper Opening Moves
What are the most common opening move for 6,2 and 6,3?
It seems the logical move is to take a runner and move 8 or 9 pips. However, after playing a lot lately online I notice people also like to ...
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Probabilities: Backgammon - final move
So I was playing a lot of backgammon lately, and I noticed something. It seemed like I was "going out" on doubles more often than not. And my initial reaction was "Shouldn't that be, at best, a 1 in 6 ...
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In Backgammon, why is the match length almost always odd? And why are 9-point matches twelve times less popular than 7-point matches?
I was wondering what was the ideal match length, and I came across those statistics:
Matchlength : Total Matches
1 : 350
2 : 59
3 : 634
4 : 12
5 : 1184
6 : 1
7 : 492
8 : 1
9 : 42
...
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Why is 'equity' much more commonly used than 'winning probability'? What is the mathematical formula that links 'equity" and 'winning probability'?
In backgammon, people always speak about 'equity', but never about 'winning probability'. To me, 'winning probability' seems much more simple and much more intuitive than 'equity'. So why is 'equity' ...
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Rule Example in Backgammon
I don't know of a scenario that is an example: if either number can be played but not both, the player must play the larger one. Can someone please explain when this rule should be used.
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Different backgammon variation name
In my country and in Greece we have three variations of Backgammon. The basic one that is played all around the world and two others. I am looking for the name of on of the two different ones and if ...
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Backgammon with negative value dice [closed]
What if we had a pair of dice for each player. 1 dice with positive values(1 to 6) and the other with negative values(-1 to -6) instead of both dice with positive values?
So the player who rolls the ...
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Is it ever better pass and not hit in backgammon?
I'm learning how to play Backgammon with GNU Backgammon and I noticed that the hints sometimes give better odds for a move WITHOUT a hit. Can anybody explain this for me?
1. Cubeful 2-ply 13/7 ...
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When would you "slot" points in backgammon?
In backgammon, substantial value is placed on making consecutive points in your home board. So much so, that some players would use say, an opening 6-2 to place a lone, exposed, man on the five point, ...
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Backgammon Statistics To Know
I recently committed to memory the likelihood of "Entering from the Bar" in a game of backgammon. i.e.
1 point defence - 97%
2 point defence - 89%
3 point defence - 75%
4 point defence - 56%
5 point ...
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Best way to improve ourselves when playing against a computer
It's often said by world-class Backgammon players that the best way to improve one's play is to analyse one's games with a computer program such as gnubg, JellyFish or Snowie.
gnubg has a "tutor mode"...
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When is a backgammon not a backgammon?
So here is the basic idea: My opponent has put one of my checkers on the bar and begins bearing off. A turn or two later, I get a lucky roll and move off the bar, putting one of my opponent's ...
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Clarifying Bearing off
At the end of the game (bearing off), which of the following moves are valid?
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In backgammon, can you resign, and how can you tell when you should?
In backgammon, there comes a time when all pieces have passed each other; there is no more interaction, you are simply rolling it out until you can bear off all of your pieces. If one player is well ...
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