Learning how to play backgammon doesn’t have to be an arduous task. In fact, learning any game can be simple and fun and can create exciting opportunities for winning cash and making new friends. The following information will help you to learn the backgammon rules as painlessly as possible in order to start playing this fun and sociable board game. You’ll learn the object of the game, how to use the die to move your checkers and how to use the doubling cube if you want to try backgammon gambling.

The first thing you need to familiarize yourself with is the backgammon set up. Each player has 15 checkers which are placed on triangular points on the backgammon board. The board is separated by a bar that runs through its centre. Two die are tossed at the beginning of each player’s turn and the pip count they display represent the total number of spaces a player can move one or two of his checkers each turn.

When you play backgammon, your aim should be to move all your checkers around the game board toward your home board and then bear them off before your opponent does. If you successfully do this, you have won the game.

The color of your checkers will dictate in which direction you move them. If you are playing with white checkers, you will move them counter-clockwise in a backgammon game starting from the bottom left of the board and moving to the top left. If you are playing with black checkers, you will move them clockwise from the top left corner to the bottom left. You can move either one checker to represent the total pip count on both die, or one checker for each dice.

In a backgammon board game, checkers can be moved to any point that is empty. You can also place checkers on a point already home to one of your own checkers or on one that is home to one of your opponent’s. If you make this second move, you are effectively “hitting” your opponent’s checker. A hit checker must be placed on the bar that separates the board and played back into the game using the die. This must be done before your opponent can move any other checkers toward his home board. As your object is to clear the board of all your checkers in the fastest way you can, it is advisable to hit as many of your opponent’s checkers as you can.

Bearing off is the name given to the final process in internet backgammon. Once all your checkers are safely in your home board, you need to roll the die to remove them from the board.

If you’re interested in trying your hand at online backgammon tournaments, it is worthwhile learning a little about the doubling cube. This helps to raise the stakes by increasing the wager the amount of times shown on one of its six faces. If a player wants to increase the wager, he simply offers it to his opponent.

The goal of the backgammon game is through dice rolls and movements to remove all of your checker pieces from the board. Each player starts with fifteen checkers and through different moves those checkers need to be removed from the board.

The Board

On the board, each side of the board has a number of different triangles on it; twelve to be exact in alternating light and dark colors. These triangles are referred to as points and are connected to each other from 1 to 24 forming the path of a horseshoe from one side of the pathway to the other, with the 24th point being the point furthest from the removal point relative to each player. Each player places their checkers with two on their 24th point, five on their 13th point, three on their 8th point and five on their 6th point. The first six points are referred to as the inner board, with the next six being called the outer board.

Game Play

Backgammon starts with the players each rolling a die to see who goes first, with the higher roller going first.

Each player?s turn will see them roll a pair of dice and then follow through on their moves according to what is on the dice. This means that if a player rolls a three and a six, then they must move one of their pieces forward three spaces and another piece forward six spaces. They can alternatively move one piece forward six spaces and then move the same piece forward three spaces so long as both of those moves are legal moves in and of themselves rather than being legal combined for a nine space jump.

A move is legal if the point that the piece being moved lands on is either a point that is previously unoccupied, a point that is occupied only by the player?s own pieces or alternatively a point that is occupied by at most one of the enemy player?s pieces. If the point is occupied by more than one opponent piece then the move is not legal and is not allowed.

If a point is occupied by one of the opponent player?s pieces, then that piece is considered as being knocked out of play and must be placed on the central area that divides the two halves of the backgammon board. On that player?s turn, they then roll for each knocked out piece to bring that piece back into play in one of the six points closest to their starting gate, with the six points of possible starting positions corresponding to the roll on the dice. It is impossible for a player to move pieces in play until they have brought all of their pieces back into the game.

If you’re new to the game of Acey-deucy, the following rules should help get you started playing this simple and fun version of backgammon. If you’re a backgammon enthusiast, you can check out Acey Deucey and start improving your skills before you take on real live opponents.

Acey-ducey shares many similarities with the common game of backgammon. Players begin a game with the same number of checkers and dice. Two home boards on the backgammon board act as the destination to which each player wants to bring his checkers before bearing them off the board altogether.

However, the initial setup of the checkers differs to that in common backgammon rules. Each player must play all of his checkers onto the board instead of starting with them on the board as they do in backgammon. To get checkers onto the board, each player must roll two die. The aim is to get doubles or Acey-deucey, which is when the pip count is one and a two. When a player rolls Ace-deucy, he must move one of his checkers one space and a second checker two spaces. He then receives another turn and must move double (four times) the amount of his choice. A player must move all of his checkers onto the board before he can move those checkers already on the board.

For the purposes of this version of backgammon, a player must roll again each time he rolls a one and a two, or when he rolls doubles. However, several other variants of Acey Deucey exist. One of these stipulates that the player must roll the die again after making acey deucy and use that number to dictate his doubles. Another variant says that if the player cannot move the total amount of doubles after rolling a one and a two, he forfeits his turn.

To make this backgammon game even more difficult, players must roll an exact amount to bear off each checker. If you roll a six and a five, you can only move those checkers that are positioned on your six point and five point, not a checker that is on your four point. This rule can make for some nail-biting finishes. Despite the variations acey-deucy offers on standard backgammon, a player must still be first to remove all of his checkers from his home board in order to win.

Two commonly played versions of Acey-deucy exist; one American and the other European. The American version is thought to have been developed during World War One, where it became popular with sailors and navy personnel. The European version borrowed many of its rules from the American version. Both games are played for fun only, unlike the game of backgammon which is regularly gambled upon. The doubling cube found in backgammon is redundant in Acey Deucey and there are also no points awarded for backgammons or gammons. Instead, the game is considered a pure game of skill due to the difficulties players must face in bearing off exactly and playing all their checkers onto the board before being allowed to move them toward their home boards.

While there are many games in the world that demand a great deal of time and effort in order to learn the basic, but the backgammon board game is not one of these kind of games. The fact that one of the earliest recorded board games continues to increase in popularity after thousands of years of playing history, should be sufficient testimony to how accessible the game is to new players. Games with complex rules or games that require items that are very hard to come by would not have survived the test of time. However, the endurance of backgammon can be seen as indicative of the fact that most people have no difficulty when they decide to learn how to play backgammon.

Players also find that it is easy to find the backgammon board, counters, dice and dice shakers that constitute the backgammon setup. If they are sufficiently inventive they can improvise their own board and pieces as the original backgammon players surely did all those thousands of years ago when the game was first devised. More likely than making their own backgammon set up, players have no trouble locating a games or toys shop selling backgammon sets to suit their pocket or they can also order a backgammon set online. Whether they are interested in spending just a few dollars, or hundreds of dollars for a more exclusive set, they will find a good range of options available to them. Another popular choice today is acquiring a virtual as opposed to a physical backgammon set. There are quite a few Internet sites offering free backgammon. All that is needed is to locate one of these sites and activate the backgammon download to transfer the backgammon software to your own personal computer. In this virtually effortless manner, a players with an Internet connection acquires an attractive 3-D virtual backgammon set that compares favorably with what they might buy in the shops.

After the backgammon set is acquired, there are a number of ways in which new players can acquaint themselves with the backgammon instructions and start to develop a backgammon strategy that will enable them to gain the maximum enjoyment from their game. A good way of learning how to play backgammon is by watching how experience players conduct their game. Most players would not object to spectators observing their play as long as they do not interject with remarks or advice. Many areas also support backgammon clubs where the game can be learned in a more formal setting. The Internet sites supporting backgammon downloads also provide detailed backgammon rules and offer the chance of competing against a sophisticated backgammon computer that can be adjusted according to the skill level the player desires. Thus a new player can start off playing at the most basic level and as their skills and strategy develop, they raise the level of play. For those who want more extensive written materials, many bookshops and libraries stock books explaining the rules of the game and containing strategy tips in great detail

It is not hard to find games whose rules seem to take literally ages to learn, but backgammon is not one of these! The very fact that millions of children around the world have no difficulty when it comes to learning how to play backgammon illustrates that getting to know the backgammon setup and rules is really child’s play.

The backgammon set is easily recognizable to most of us from our childhood years. Most people know the basic items that are required in order to play the backgammon game. To begin with, we need a backgammon board which is a flat piece of wood, plastic or some other material, divided into twenty-four narrow triangular divisions known as “points”. Each of the points has an alternating color, traditionally black and white but other color schemes are equally acceptable. Down the center of the board there is a ledge that is know as the bar. Each player must have fifteen round checkers or counters. Again, like the board they are traditionally distinguished from each other by one set of checkers being colored black and the other set white but other color combinations are not forbidden. Finally, last but not least dice and a dice shaker must be included in the backgammon package. These items are all that the rules of the game demands to complete a backgammon setup and start playing.

For those playing backgammon online, all these equipment specifications can be dispensed with. All the player has to do is to log on to one of the online backgammon sites and download the game. Internet backgammon brings to your computer an attractive, 3-D backgammon set that matches in appearance the better quality types of sets you could buy in a store. Although they are popularly associated with backgammon gambling, the online backgammon sites do a thorough job in providing full information on how the game is played and in offering demonstration games that allow new players to quickly acquire the understanding of the rules and the playing skills they need to get the most out of their games.

For those who do not have Internet access, there are still many opportunities to learn the rules of the game by observing experienced players, joining a backgammon club or getting books out of the library. Assuming, as we can in the vast majority of cases, that the new player is familiar with the backgammon sets and all its components, the rules they must concentrate on are those concerning the object of the game and the legal ways in which this can be achieved. The key aim of the game, being the first players to remove all their checkers to their home area of the board and from here off the board, stands out in its simplicity. Most players also find the rules governing the moving of pieces quite straightforward. For example, movement proceeds according to the dice throw and the players who gets the highest score makes the first move.

Except in certain circles, the game of backgammon doesn’t get much attention these days unless the version being played is the online version. But that’s not the way it was 5,000 years ago when players in Mesopotamia first created this exciting and strategic board game. Few people realize that backgammon existed even before the game of chess was created, making it one of the oldest games still played in modern times.

Little about backgammon has changed since its earliest days. The game itself has survived countless civilizations including the Persians, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. This is evidenced from the many games that have been discovered by means of archeological excavations. The layout of the board has changed as previously it consisted of 3 rows of 10 squares. For a time it was called Senat. Since then, however, the only other significant change has been the addition of the doubling cube, thought to have been added in the early 1900’s. The doubling cube made the game more interesting and added an element of intrigue.

As with most things in life the Internet breathed new life into the game of backgammon, with virtual game rooms springing to life almost as fast as virtual poker and other virtual games of chance. Today, finding others who share a passion for the game is easy. All players need to do is log on to any of the established backgammon web sites any time of day and they’ll find players around the world looking for partners. To draw attention to these sites, operators have started offering cash prizes and other alluring bonus offers and their tactics are working.

If you’ve never played a game of backgammon, you really don’t know what you’re missing. It’s not hard to learn and once you do, you’ll find that the game is somewhat addicting. With each new round, you’ll learn something you didn’t know before, and as you do, your ability to effectively strategize will increase. So next time you’re bored, find someone who knows how to play backgammon!

The popularity of backgammon gambling, in particular via online backgammon, gives rise to the question what are the attractions of backgammon gambling? It is important to understand that, contrary to what we might imagine, backgammon gambling did not originate with the Internet but it has probably been a key element since the backgammon game came on the scenes thousands of years ago. The game of Tabula, which was the name applied to backgammon in the Roman era was played exclusively for gambling purposes.

Getting closer to our own era, the introduction of the doubling cube in the 1920’s provided a major boost to backgammon gambling. It has now become almost mandatory feature of many backgammon sets and has expanded the backgammon rules and backgammon instructions with details of how the cube should be legitimately used. For example, the doubling cube should be positioned centrally on the gaming table with the number 64 displayed uppermost, and each player can challenge the other player to double the stakes. If one player wants to offers a double, they turn the doubling cube to its next higher value and offer it to the opposing player. If the opponent accepts this double, they take the doubling cube and place it on their side of the board, thereby assuming control over the doubling cube.

Although backgammon has a long historical association with gambling, it is obvious that the appearance on the screen of backgammon software has greatly broadened the reach of backgammon gambling by providing access to the game seven days a week and twenty-four hours a day. Internet backgammon gives anyone with a connection to the Internet the opportunity to make a backgammon download that gives them the ability to play the game from the comfort of their own computer. There is no need even to spend any money on acquiring a backgammon set or joining a club since online backgammon puts players in contact with fellow backgammon enthusiasts from around the world.

The motivations for backgammon gambling have not changed a great deal over the long period of the game’s history. How to play backgammon is something that the average player soon picks up and once they acquire the basic skills, the excitement of the game encourages them to proceed from the level of novice to enthusiast. The placing of stakes on the game makes it more interesting to play backgammon in that it raises the motivation to play a good game and think out carefully your backgammon strategy. Certainly there are also some players that are very confident in their gaming skills and for them the prospects of the generous prizes available on Internet backgammon sites may become a leading factor in their interest in the game. Yet, in the great majority of cases, although very few players can honestly say they enjoy losing, the prospects of a good, entertaining game probably remains their major motivation and if gambling adds to their entertainment, so much the better.