Backgammon

Players

• 2
  
  

Equipment

• Backgammon board with 24 points

• 15 checkers (pieces) per player

• 2 dice per player + 1 doubling cube
  
  

Objective

Move all of your checkers into your home board and bear them off before your opponent does.

Setup

• Each player places:

  • 2 checkers on the 24-point

  • 5 checkers on the 13-point

  • 3 checkers on the 8-point

  • 5 checkers on the 6-point

• Players sit opposite, moving in opposite directions around the board.

Gameplay

1. Rolling to Start

   • Each player rolls one die. Higher roll goes first, using both dice as the opening move.

2. Movement

   • Players roll 2 dice and may move:

     • One checker the total of both dice, or

     • Two checkers separately, each by one die.

   • A point occupied by 2+ opposing checkers is blocked.

   • A point with only 1 opposing checker is a blot and may be hit.

3. Hitting and Entering

   • If you land on a blot, that checker goes to the bar.

   • A checker on the bar must re-enter before you can move any other pieces, using the opponent’s home board points.

4. Bearing Off

   • Once all 15 checkers are in your home board (points 1–6), you may start removing them:

     • Roll a die → remove a checker from the matching point.

     • If no checker is on that point, you may use it to bear off the next highest occupied point.

   • First player to bear off all checkers wins.
     
     

Doubling Cube

• Start by agreeing to the stakes, say a $1 game.

• Before rolling, a player may propose doubling the stakes.

• Opponent may accept (take the cube) or concede the game.  The number on the doubling cube is how many times the orginal stake is increased.

• The cube can be re-doubled, always passed to the player accepting.

House Rules

• Beavers - Upon receiving the doubling die, the player may immediately redouble it and still keep it for future use.
  
  

Scoring

• Single Game: Winner bears off all checkers first.

• Gammon: Opponent has not borne off any checkers → double score.

• Backgammon: Opponent has not borne off any checkers and still has checkers in the winner’s home board or on the bar → triple score.

• Double and Triple games are multiplied by whatever is on the doubling cube at the end of the game.