How Not To Suck At Backgammon: 5 Essential Tips

Backgammon is played across the world and has been popular since the 17th century. One of the reasons that this table game has enjoyed enduring popularity is its unique mix of chance and strategy. If you've ever seen people playing backgammon and wanted to give it a try, you may be wondering how to even begin. There's no doubt that with all its different techniques and tactics, backgammon gameplay can seem a little confusing to the beginner player.

If you're keen to play, but don't want to suck at backgammon when you get started, it's helpful to brush up on the basics. Taking the time to familiarize yourself with the more advanced backgammon strategies will equip you well for your first win. Keep reading to find out how to play to win, the mistakes to avoid, and essential tips for every backgammon beginner.

Mastering the Basics of Backgammon

Backgammon is played by two players on a backgammon board. Each player starts with 15 checkers. The basic aim of backgammon is to move the 15 checkers around the board and onto your home board. The winner of the game is the first to bear off (remove) all their checkers from the board.

To win the game, the player must:

• Move all their checkers onto their home board.
• Bear off each of their checkers by rolling a number on the dice that corresponds with the point the checker is positioned on.

The player needs to implement basic play strategies to beat their opponent. Basic strategies include:

• Blocking their opponent by positioning consecutive checkers to inhibit their movement in the game. This is achieved by building 'primes' - which are walls of consecutive points on the board. Or, by creating a 'golden point' which is a five-point anchor on your homeboard, making it difficult for your opponent to build a block against you.
• Hit blots by targeting single checkers, as they will need to be moved to the bar, slowing your opponent down in the process.

Advanced Strategies for Winning

Once you have mastered the basics of backgammon, you can move on to the more advanced strategies used to win the game.

Advanced backgammon strategies use tactics such as slowing down your opponent by keeping their checkers on the bar or blocking them. This enables you to advance your own game by moving around your home board much more quickly, while preventing their progress. The following strategies can be used to help you move your checkers and bear off more quickly, keeping you in the lead, or claiming it back when you're behind.

Holding Game

Creating an anchor on your opponent's home board puts you in a favorable position to hit a blot or to lie in wait for them to become vulnerable when moving back onto their home board after they have been hit.

Blitzing Game

Blitzing games are also known as attacking games. This fast-paced game strategy involves moving as quickly as possible across your home board, while also hitting your opponent's checkers. This is an effective way to keep your opponent on the bar while you progress your pieces across your home board.

Priming Game

This involves creating blocks on the board to prevent your opponent's pieces behind the prime moving.

Back Game

When you're falling behind in the game, it's helpful to implement the back game strategy. Using this strategy involves establishing anchor points on your opponent's home board to obstruct their moves and buy yourself time to make hits.

Avoiding Common Backgammon Mistakes

When you're learning, it is easy to make mistakes, so being aware of the most common errors made by beginner players is helpful. Here are some common backgammon mistakes to avoid:

Leaving Your Checkers Vulnerable to Hits

Try not to leave single checkers on a point. These are known as a blot and are vulnerable to being hit by your opponent.

Stacking Too Many Checkers at One Point

Leaving a single checker open to being hit is a big no-no, but it's also vital that you don't stack too many checkers on a single point. Spreading out your checkers so that there are no more than two on each point will provide you with more options for your moves.

Don't Be Too Cautious at the Start

Being too cautious at the start of the game can lead to problems further on. While it's helpful to be cautious, it's also wise to work on developing your game at the beginning to set you up for success.

5 Essential Tips for Backgammon Beginners

When it comes to mastering backgammon, there's a lot of information to take in. To make it simpler, here are five essential tips that every backgammon beginner needs to know:

1. Play to Your Position

Once you have learnt a new backgammon strategy, it's natural to want to put it into play right away. However, it's much better to choose a strategy based on your current position and to stay flexible and adapt when needed.

2. Constantly Monitor Your Progress

There's no room for complacency during a game of backgammon, so you will need to constantly monitor your progress to stay on top of the game. Staying alert will help you to avoid putting yourself in vulnerable positions and your checkers being sent to the bar.

3. Keep Practicing

The best way to not suck at backgammon is to keep practicing. Of course, you won't always have a board with you or a willing opponent to play against. But that doesn't mean you can't keep working away at improving your gameplay. Instead, you can play backgammon online to build your skills and increase your familiarity with the game.

4. Observe Your Opponent

Observing your opponent closely will give you an idea of their tactics and the strategy they are using. You can then counter this to prevent them gaining an advantage.

5. Don't Give Up Too Soon

Finally, make sure that you don't give up on your game too soon. As backgammon combines luck and strategy, there is often a way back to a spectacular win even when you're stuck in a difficult situation. Using a back game is a helpful option in this situation, and could turn things around.

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.