Backgammon quick tips and hints for online play
Some things you might, or might know when playing online
backgammon:
When bearing off, you don't have to roll exact numbers if you have
checkers on your first and second points and you roll 4-3, you can
move two pieces from your second point.
If you don't have a checker at the point shown on your dice, you must
move one of your other pieces on a higher-numbered point so that it's
closer to bearing off. If there are no checkers on higher-numbered
points, you re allowed to bear off from a lower-numbered point.
Take this example: The Black player has rolled a 5-3 and wants to bear
off a piece, if possible. Initially, they cannot use the 5 to bear off
piece on the 4th point because they must first move the piece on the
6th point closer to the tray. In this case the 3 to do this, and then
the 5 to bear off the piece on the 4th point.
If you have other legal moves available, you are not required to bear
off, but it is to your advantage to bear off whenever possible.
If during bearing off, one of your checkers is hit and placed on the
bar, you must get that checker back into your inner board before you
can continue bearing off.
If you bear off all 15 of your checkers before your opponent, you win
the game.
Some hints about the doubling cube:
The doubling cube is used to determine the stakes of the game.
Although the cube initially reads as '64,' its actual value at the
beginning of the game is 1 point.
On your turn and before you roll the dice, you can click on the
doubling cube this challenges the opposition to double the stakes of
the game. The computer then passes the cube to the other player, who
must now make a decision:
Accept the double and continue the game at a twice the stakes (2
points), or
Refuse the double and concede the game for its current value (1
point).
If your opponent accepts the double, he or she now has control over
the cube and the stakes of the game are doubled to a value of 2
points.
This now becomes a game of cat and mouse, as the doubling cube is
passed from one player to the next with each given the option to
'redouble' at any time before they roll the dice. This redoubling can
continue back and forth up to the maximum value of 64. Any player who
refuses either a double or a redouble concedes the game to the other
player for the last doubling value that was accepted. So it is really
important to consider your next move with every double or redouble.
If you bear off all of your checkers before the other player has borne
off any of theirs, not only do you win the game: but you have
'gammoned' your opponent. Which means your game is worth twice the
value of the doubling cube.
If you bear off all of your checkers before the other player has borne
off any of theirs, and while they have at least one checker left in
your home board or on the bar, you have 'backgammoned' your opponent.
A backgammon is worth three times the value of the doubling cube. On a
64 maximum value that can be very expensive for the loser.
But hey that's all part of the excitement isn't it?
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