When should I double in backgammon?

A player may double any time it is his turn and he has not yet rolled the dice. A player who is offered a double may refuse, in which case he concedes the game and pays one point. Otherwise, he must accept the double and play on for the new higher stake.

What is the rule for doubles in backgammon?

If a player rolls two of the same number, called doubles, that player must play each die twice. For example, a roll of 5-5 allows the player to make four moves of five spaces each.

Do you have to roll doubles to get off the bar in backgammon?

Do I have to bear off a checker if I don't want to? The rules require that you use both numbers of your roll (all four numbers of a double) if possible. If you can make moves which do not involve bearing off, you are free to do so. Otherwise, you must bear off if that is your only legal play.

What does it mean when you double in backgammon?

An offer made by one player to his opponent during the course of the game (on that player's turn, but before he has rolled the dice) to continue the game at twice the current stakes. The opponent may refuse the double, in which case he resigns the game and loses the current (undoubled) stakes.

What is the 25% rule in backgammon?

What is the 25% rule in backgammon? The basic rule of doubling: If you expect to win at least 25% of the time, then you can (and should) accept a double. A player who is offered a double may refuse to accept it, in which case they concede the game and pay one point.

Backgammon Doubling Cube, explained by Grandmaster Marc Olsen

What is the 8 9 12 rule in backgammon?

Backgammon Glossary/8-9-12 Doubling Rule. A guideline for cube handling in pure race positions. You should double if the opponent's pip count exceeds yours by 8% or more, and redouble if it exceeds yours by 9% or more. Your opponent should accept the double if his pip count exceeds yours by no more than 12%.

Why is the 5-point so important in backgammon?

The 5-point is deep in your home board and along with the 6-point provides an effective barrier to entry when your opponent is trying re-enter from the bar. If your opponent rolls high (6 or 5), for instance, they will fail to re-enter and as a result, will waste a significant number of pips.

What is the best strategy in backgammon?

What happens when you roll double 6 in backgammon?

A player who rolls doubles plays the numbers shown on the dice twice. A roll of 6 and 6 means that the player has four sixes to use, and he may move any combination of checkers he feels appropriate to complete this requirement.

What is the secret to backgammon?

Priming. Priming is a backgammon strategy that involves making a "prime," or connected series of made points along the board. Many experts consider this the essential strategy when trying to learn how to win at backgammon.

Do you need to roll the exact number to bear off in backgammon?

To bear off, you have to reach an imaginary point located just outside of the board. To bear off one man, you need the exact dice to just remove it. This means that to bear off a man on the 3 point, you need to roll a 3. The farthest men can always bear-off, even if the dice is greater than the checker position.

What happens if you roll doubles 3 times in backgammon?

When you roll doubles in backgammon, you get to move 4x the number that appears on the dice. For example, if you roll double threes, you can move “three” four times, totalling 12 pips.

What is the Crawford rule in backgammon?

The Crawford rule states that if one player reaches a score one point short of the match, neither player may offer a double in the immediately following game. This one game with no doubling is called the Crawford game.

What is doubles rules?

In doubles, you and a partner play against a team of two players on the other side of the net, using the full court between the baselines and the doubles sidelines. If you are on the team that serves first, either you or your partner may begin the match by serving the first ball.

What is the rule of 8 in backgammon?

A single roll is then considered to be valued at 8. To apply the rule of 8 you take the difference in the pip count between the two players and divide that value by 8. This gives you the number of rolls the player is in front or behind.

What is the Jacoby rule?

The Jacoby Rule, which states that in money play gammons and backgammons count only after the cube has been turned, is named after him. He wrote several books on various card games, with a particular interest in gin rummy and canasta.

What happens when you roll a 1 and 2 in backgammon?

The dice combination of one and two, called acey-deucey, has special significance. Upon throwing acey-deucey, the player first moves a piece the three spaces to which he is entitled. He then selects any doublet and moves accordingly, mindful that a doublet, as in backgammon, is taken twice over. He then rolls again.

Is backgammon more luck or strategy?

Backgammon is a game of skill, and the more skill you have, the more likely you are to win. That is proven time and time again in tournaments and match results. But it is proven only in the long run. In the short run, just about anyone can beat anyone given enough luck, and when you have dice, you have luck.

Is backgammon good for the brain?

Improves memory and cognition

Backgammon can boost memory and cognition abilities in people of all ages. Through playing board games, the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus are given a workout. These areas are responsible for memory formation and complex thought processes.

What is the best opening role in backgammon?

The 3-1 opener is by far your best roll. There are three reasonable ways to play this roll: 24/21, 13/11 (splitting using the 3 and bringing down a builder using the 2). 24/22, 13/10 (splitting using the 2 and bringing down a builder using the 3).

Is backgammon an intelligent game?

1. Bolsters Cognitive Skills & Memory. Most table-top strategy board games require a degree of cognitive skills, memory, and intelligence in order to win. As such, playing Backgammon can help improve one's cognitive skills as the gameplay requires a lot of critical thinking and problem-solving.

What is the most common roll in backgammon?

Rolling two six-sided dice is common in many of the most popular board games, including Monopoly, Backgammon and The Settlers of Catan.

What is the average number of moves in backgammon?

This means that, on average, a player has about 31 to 35 legal moves at their disposal at each turn. By comparison, the average branching factor for the game Go is 250.

What does 64 mean in backgammon?

The 64 means that the stakes have not been doubled yet. (Most doubling cubes do not have a 1, so the number 64 is understood to represent 1). The position of the cube, halfway between the players, indicates that both players have access to it. That is, either player can make the first double.

What is the luck skill ratio of backgammon?

For a single game, around 10%. For a 5 point match, perhaps 30%. For a 1000 games, more than 95%.