Backgammon 101
Combine the complexity of a chess game with the randomness of a poker game and you'd have something like backgammon. Its opening set-up is simple, but pick up a dice cup and your backgammon board will instantly unfold an array of possible formations and strategies. But before you become an expert strategist, you are a novice, and that means learning all the ins and outs of how to play backgammon. Welcome to Backgammon 101, courtesy of BackgammonPlus.com.
In this guide to backgammon playing, we look at some of the most important aspects of the game of kings, from the way dice rolls are broken down into checker moves to the role of blots in backgammon strategy (hint: they're important). Also included is basic information on how to set up your checkers at the start of the game and how to bear them off at the end.
Glossary Of Backgammon Terms
To play the game, ya gotta know the lingo. Learning the lexicon of backgammon will not only reveal to you the meaning of some colorful and interesting terms, but it will also make you a better backgammon strategist. In this short glossary of backgammon terms, we provide the definitions of words such as anchor, candlesticks, gammon, and blot. And no, "blot" is not something you do with paper towels when you spill your drink on a backgammon board.
Backgammon Tips
Backgammon is a game of luck in the same way that poker is a game of luck: the action may depend on the dice or the cards, but smart players have a knack for winning, no matter the odds. Our backgammon tips will help you to develop an advanced backgammon strategy that will put your opponent on the defensive - and on the bar (we meant the backgammon bar, but if you're near a mini-bar, a few consecutive gammons could put your opponent on that, too).
Backgammon Etiquette
Etiquette may not be something that's commonly associated with board games (Monopoly, for example, can get downright violent), but backgammon is an historic game with a well-established pedigree. Minding Ps and Qs is the least one can do when playing the game of kings. So in the interest of politeness and civility, BackgammonPlus.com offers this backgammon etiquette article, which addresses such issues as talking, dice rolling, and illegal moves. We'll let your mom deal with the gum chewing.
Backgammon Strategies
Backgammon may use dice, but it is first and foremost a game of strategy rather than a game of chance. Even when they're not getting the best rolls, smart and experienced backgammon players will often find a way to win through smart positioning and offensive and defensive tactics. Becoming one of those smart and experienced players takes practice, but studying backgammon strategy tips like the ones in this article can provide a shortcut to success.
