Doubling

The doubling cube with the numerals 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 on its faces serves to double the stakes. They may rise to 128, 256 and so on. But it is not advisable to double more than once or twice as the value of the game rises enormously.

It is important to judge at all times the extent of your advantages and disadvantages.

Either player can propose doubling any time during the game. A player seeing his advantage proposes just before he rolls the dice, turning the cube to 2. The other player accepts or concedes the game, in which case the first wins the stakes agreed upon before the proposal.

An opponent likely to lose should refuse the offer and pay rather than doubling the loss.

An opponent may accept if he believes in his own chance to win the game. He pulls the offered cube to his side of the bar and they play for twice the original stakes. Only the player who accepted the last double may re-double. To do so, he proposes and turns the cube to 4 (four-fold stakes).

Proposing

• At the beginning of the game: place the doubling cube centered between the players, 64 facing up: The game will be played for 1 point.
• If you believe in your advantage in the game, turn the cube to 2 and offer it just before you roll the dice.
• If the opponent accepts, continue to play for twice the original stakes. If he refuses, the game is over. You take the stakes.

Gambling - the money game

If the participants wants to play for money:

• Assign a monetary value to a simple win (see ? Counts in the End game section).
• Decide when to stop playing: play to a certain score or until either player chooses to stop. The score is the accumulation of points a player has won in a series of games.
  Example for a score of 11:
  
  

  Simple win	1		1
  Backgammon	3	Doubling one time	6
  Simple win	1		1
  Simple win	1		1
  Gammon	2		2
  Total:			11

  
  The player reaching the decided score first, wins.
• Decide when to pay: at the end of each game (a) or when you stop playing (b).
  • (a) The loser pays the winner the agreed original stake multiplied by the value of the doubling cube and further multiplied in case of a gammon (by two) or a backgammon (by three).
  • (b) Total the points after each win. The loser pays the winner the agreed original stake multiplied by the total.

Variants

There are many variants to standard backgammon rules, some only followed in certain geographic regions, others add new tactical elements.

A good way to learn backgammon is to practice at an online backgammon site. Visit BG Room online multiplayer backgammon to practice for free without stakes, or to play with real money. It is possible to play with very small stakes, which adds excitement to the game while still being a cheap form of entertainment.

One benefit of playing with real money is that the opponents are often more polite and less likely to leave the game before it is finished.

All content is © Emil Svensson

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