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![]() Backgammon Rules - Playing the Backgammon Game by Ran Baror Backgammon Rules are the same for the real world and for the internet backgammon. In order to understand how to play backgammon, you must read all the instructions and understand all the rules as explained. In Backgammon, there are two players playing against each other. Their Objective is to move their checkers to their territory on board and then take them out. The first to remove all his checkers off the board wins the backgammon game. ARRANGING THE BOARD The game is played between two players on a board with 24 triangles called "Points". The points have two colors which only help you to visualize your moves without any meaning to the colors. The board is divided into 4 smaller boards- "Home boards" and "Outer boards". The "Bar" separates all the boards and runs in the middle. Each player has its own 15 checkers (there are two colors – red and white). Each point on the backgammon board has a different number for each player. Each player starts to number the points from his home. The first point of the white player is located on the lower right side of the board. This is also the twenty four point for the red player. There are 2 regular dice with 6 sides and a "Doubling cube" that has the numbers 2, 4, 8,16,32,64 on it and used only to higher stakes. STARTING THE GAME Each player throws a dice. The results of the dice determine who starts first (the player with the higher result) and the first move according to the results of both dice. If both players have the same result, they need to throw again. After the first turn, each player throws two dice on alternating turns. MOVING THE CHECKERS The movement of the checkers is determined by the result of the dice, the roll show how many points ("Pips") a checker is allowed to move. The movement of the checkers on the backgammon board is anti clockwise. RULES OF MOVEMENT 1. It is not allowed to move a checker to a point which is not "Free/ Open". A free point means it's not occupied with more than 1 opponent's checker. 2. As explained earlier, the moves are decided according to each separate dice. There many possibilities of movement for the same roll of dice. For Example, when a player has a roll of 4 and 6 he may move a checker 4 moves and a different checker the other 6, or he can move the same checker 4 moves and then another 6 (or 6 moves and then 4) only if the intermediate point is free. 3. "Double"- When both dice show the same number. If a player throws a double he will play the number on the dice double (in total 4 times). For example, A roll of 2 and 2 gives the player four two's to use. 4. The player must move the checkers whenever the situation on the board allows him to, and use all the moves determined by the dice (even if it is a double). If only one number can be played, the player must move this number, or if each number can be played but not together, the higher number must then be played. When all the numbers cannot be played, the player loses his turn. HITTING "Blot"- a point that is occupied with only one checker. If a player lands on an opponent's blot, it is a "Hit" and the opponent's checker is moved to the bar. ENTERING Whenever a player has checkers on the bar his first move, before he makes any other moves, must be entering the checker on the bar to the opponents' home board. A checker can enter according to the role of the dice if the point is open. If both numbers are not open, the player loses his turn. If the player has more than one checker on the bar, and succeeds to enter only one, because the other number is not open- he is not allowed to use the other number- only when all checkers are off the bar, a player can start moving the other checkers around the board. FINAL STAGE- TAKING OUT THE CHECKERS When a player gathered all his checkers on his home board he is ready to start "Bearing off". A checker is removed when the number rolled matches the checker's point. For example, when a 2 is rolled, the player can bear off a checker standing at two point. If there is no checker on the point the dice show- the player must make a move (if legally possible) using a checker situated on a higher point. If there are no checkers on higher point the player can bear off the checker from the highest point possible. A player doesn't have to bear off if he can make a legal move. If the white player started to bear off, and the opponent hits him, the white player must enter his checker from the bar as usual when a checker is hit and move his checker back to his home board before he can start to bear off again. The first player to bear off all his fifteen checkers is the winner! This is called Gammon, and when the opponent didn't yet started to bear off his checkers it is called backgammon Article Source: ArticleRich.com How to Play Backgammon Online by Ran Baror Backgammon is the oldest game known and it is very popular all around the world. In the past you needed a board, dice and gammons. And something else of course - two players sitting and playing against each other. Today, with the development of the internet you no longer need the other player to sit in front of you, he can be playing from the other side of the world, and you can even play against the computer. Why play on the internet if you can play with a real board and dice? First of all, it doesn't have to replace each other; actually most of the best online players keep playing the real game. The internet can't really replace the feeling of throwing the dice or seeing your opponent's face as you throw yet another double, but the internet can give you what internet gives best- online backgammon, 24 hours a day, without the time being wasted on arranging the game and without thinking where to put the backgammon board when your boss sees you. The fun about playing backgammon online is the availability to play as long as you wish, even for 3 minutes, against players from all over the world. Playing online can even makes you richer- but this is only for the professional players. If you do a survey among the online backgammon players, you would be surprised to learn that most of them play regularly online and rarely offline. Step 1) Choosing the online site- The internet has a wide variety of online sites. We recommend you begin with the big sites who offer backgammon games for fun and not only money. If you don't speak fluent English, look for a site that has the instructions in your language as well. A quick search in Google will give you the results, just click in and see whether the site looks professional or not, the professional ones will have games for money and for fun, schools, FAQ, support team. If you really are paranoid just fake a question and see if they contact you back. Keeping, at least in the beginning to the big and commercial sites makes you safer and will have more added values later on. Don't give any credit card details or any other detail except an email, and download the program. Step 2) Learn How to play backgammon- The online backgammon rules are the same as the offline. For those of you who don't how to play, you can read the article on our site on how to play backgammon and almost any backgammon site has the rules. Most of the professional sites have schools for backgammon; this is a recommended way to learn quickly how to play- the computer shows you which moves are recommended for every dice. Step 3) Playing against a real person- In this stage you play only for FAKE MONEY! After you register, you are awarded with the minimum points. Each time you win a match you earn more points depending on the level of your opponent and the points you agreed before. . The player's level of expertise is determined by his points. The site will offer you free of charge to enter "rooms" and ask players to play with you. Step 4) Playing for real money- You should be well trained before you start playing with your money. It is recommended to play in the backgammon schools in the advance mode, play for fun a lot and learn from other players by observing other matches. The sites accept most of the credit cards since backgammon isn't considered gambling. The site collects a fee from the winner of each match in percentage and depends on the level of the players, the sums, and the differences between the levels of the players. In other words, basically the fee is higher the bigger difference in the player's level as an incentive for players to keep to their own league. When you feel you are ready, it's time to choose an opponent. Beware, although the level of each player is determined by its points, not all is what it seems. Although the points give you a perspective on the level of the player, it can lead to under valuate your opponent. Always remember that even if the best backgammon player in the world is playing, even he as a new player on the site starts with the minimum points and works his way up. In the past, some of the professional players tried to trick other players to play with them by registering under a different name and so starting with minimum points, but today only one player is allowed on each credit card, so rarely will you meet professional backgammon players who borrow their friend's credit card. Article Source: ArticleRich.com |