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Dice is an ancient feature of many gambling games. It is not much on its own, so you need to apply it to something, for example, to a separate game. The game itself was not popular only in Asia as backgammon decks were found both in Ancient Egypt and Rome. The audience of the game grew through the Middle Ages, but then it was known in Europe under different names. For example, in France it was called ’trick track,’ in Spain it was named ’tablero,’ and in the UK its name was, unsurprisingly, ’backgammon.’ Today, backgammon is popular both in online casinos and in casual play, and both long and short versions of backgammon are in use.
Online backgammon is essentially a contest between two players. The main goal of the game is to get your army off the board in the fastest possible way. While one of the players has white pieces, the other one plays for the black.
General rules
To take part in the game, a player pays by staking some money on the line, and the size of this bet is normally regulated by the house or event rules. Players take their places at the table, and the dice is rolled to determine who makes the first move. The player with the highest result on 2D6 (2 six-sided dice) wins the roll-off and starts the game. Each player has 15 pieces, and at the start these are located in the starting zones. Each dice throw lets the players move the pieces by according to the number on the dice, and the results can be separated between the two moving two checkers or just one. For example, if a player rolled 7 and 2, they can move one piece 9 fields or move 1 piece 2 fields and another – 7 fields. If a double is rolled, the number is doubled.
Some options are not available to all pieces as it is possible to block the moves for your opponent. If there are six opposing checkers before yours, it is okay to leave it there as it is considered blocked.
It is essential to use full numbers rolled on the 2D6 because it is not possible to move pieces partially. Similarly, if there is a choice of which checker to move, your first choice will always be the one that can use a maximum number of moves.
After moving the checker full way across the board, into the so-called ’house,’ the piece is removed from the board only after the next move, depending on the numbers on the dice. So if a piece is in the 4th sector, it is essential to throw at least a four to remove it from the board.
Lucky combinations
There is no draw in this game, and the player who is first to remove all his pieces from the board, wins. There are several types of winning arrangements, depending on how the game went:
- Mars – a winning combination, where one player has already removed all pieces from the board, yet his rival does not have a single piece in his ’home’;
- Cocks – you win, while your opponent has one or two pieces in his starting area;
- Home-made Mars – when one player removes all his pieces from the board, while his opponent has all his pieces in the ’home’ area.
Depending on the combo, the player gets a set number of points, and normally each point is worth a bet at the payout.
Backgammon – key features
The short version of the game has a different board size, the way pieces go round the table and an opportunity to block the pieces. However, backgammon also has some key differences:
- Auto-double – additional feature, which is there to raise the heat. Auto-double is when the players roll the same value on the dice during the first throw – in this case, the bets are doubled;
- Beaver – this option is available, when the opponent is offering you to double the bets (dave). The player then has an option to offer a beaver, as in to quadruple the bets instead of doubling;
- Jacobi rule – this rule is there to speed up the game. This rule is used when the players have not tried to use dave in game, and are trying for Mars or Cocks combinations. In this case, if the rule is working, the players still get just one point on winning, even with complex combinations.
Backgammon – the game of generals
It is worth mentioning that backgammon is a game with authority. It is well-known, and its fans hold frequent competitions as well as world tournaments. The game with its strategic features is well worth a look. In order to win in the most efficient manner, it is necessary to have quite outstanding analytical and tactical abilities.
