Back a winner with backgammon
I always back a winner and that’s precisely why backgammon is my game. This is more than a mere board game comprised of rolling the dice. It’s a game of strategy with a twist of luck. You see the object is to move your checkers across and off the board. But you’ve got an opponent going toe-to-toe with you in a race against the clock. Indeed the game takes precious little time to set up – if you are using real pieces (online versions are already set up). And playing the game takes between 5 and 30 minutes. With the details out of the way, it’s off to the gaming itself.
How much does luck play a part?
My friends are always asking me how much of a factor luck plays in the game. To be truthful, it’s a big component, but it’s not the be all and end all of it. Even the best rolls of the dice will not guarantee a perfect game, because strategy must come into play too. You’re always trying to block your opponent’s progress in backgammon, so that type of mindset will not be revealed by the dice you have cast. As far as I’ve seen, skill, wit and luck make up the dynamite trio that will almost always place you in a better standing. As you’re playing and gaining advantage, so too can you raise the stakes in the game. The game is typically played in matches where wins are awarded to players who reach specific points minimums.
The backgammon board and its points
Backgammon boards have twelve triangles that are otherwise known as points per side. In total there are 24 triangles which take up both sides of the board. The setup is interesting: 2 checkers are placed on the 24 point, 3 on the 8 point, 5 each on the 13 point and 6 point. Both players must maneuver their checkers off the board – in opposite directions – from the 24 point triangle to the 1 point triangle. There are various terms and references for the points on the board, but the gist of it is that there are inner board and outer board components. When playing online backgammon the action is already neatly laid out and it gets going in an instant. The graphics are crystal clear and the animation is superb.
For Starters – Download backgammon into your computer
Quick Backgammon is a nice game where you can play against the computer on mid-level difficulty. The original homepage is long gone, but you can still download the game from caiman’s archive. The graphics & sound might not be top quality, but the core game is right there.
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