118 Gambling - How to play Backgammon

How to Play Backgammon

In the game of Backgammon, there are 2 players who play against each other. The aim of the game is for the players to move their own checkers to their area on the board and then remove them.  The first player to take away all of their checkers from the board is the winner.

Backgammon is played between 2 players using a board which has 24 triangles known as "Points". These points have 2 colours which basically help the players to visualise their moves. The board is split into 4 smaller boards known as "Home boards" & "Outer boards".  The "Bar" runs in the middle of all of the boards to separate them.

Both players have their own 15 checkers (one has the colour red and the other white).

Every point on the backgammon board states a different number for every player. Each player will begin to number these points from their home. The initial point of the white player is situated on the lower right hand side of the board. This point is also the 24 point for the red player. The game has 2 regular dice which has 6 sides.  The game also has a "Doubling cube" which has numbers like 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 on it which is basically used solely to higher the stakes.

In order to start the game, each player must throw the dice. The results from these throws will decide who starts first (normally the player who has the higher result) as well as the first move depending on the results of both dice.
If it occurs that both players have thrown the same amount then they will need to throw again.

Following the first turn, both players will throw the two dice on alternating turns.

MOVING THE CHECKERS - The way the checkers are moved is decided by the dice result, the roll will show how many points the checker is approved to move. They will also move in an anti clockwise direction.

The rules of movement of the checkers are that the player is not permitted to move their checker to a point which is already being used; the moves are chosen according to the dice - there are a lot of possibilities for movement using the same roll of dice (For instance, when a player rolls a 4 and a 6 they could move their checker 4 moves and another checker the other 6 moves, or they could move one checker both 4 moves and then 6;  "Double"- When both of the dice show the same number the player has thrown a double. This means that he will play the number shown on the dice double (4 times); the player has to move their checkers whenever the board lets him, and he must use every move that is decided by the dice.  If just one number is able to be played, the player has to move this number, or if every number could be played but not together, then the higher number has to be played. When every number cannot be played, the player will lose his turn.

When a player lands on their opponent's blot, it is called a "Hit" meaning that the opponent's checker will be moved to the bar.

When a player has checkers on this bar, their first move, before they can make any other moves, must be to enter this checker on the bar of the opponents' home board.  The checker may enter according to the dice roll if the point is open.

If both of the numbers are not open, the player will lose their turn. If the player has a number of checkers on the bar, and can only enter one, due to the other number not being open- they are not allowed to use their other number.  Only at the point when all of their checkers are off the bar, can the player start to move their other checkers around the board.
When a player has gathered all of their checkers on their home board they are ready to start "Bearing off". One of their checkers is removed when a number rolled equals the checker's point. If there is not a checker on this point which the dice has shown- the player will have to make a move using a checker which is situated at a higher point.

If this point has no checkers they can bear off their checker from the highest point they can.
The first player that bears off all of their fifteen checkers is the winner!

This is known as Gammon.  When the other player had not started to bear off their checkers it is known as backgammon.