Forum Archive : Miscellaneous

What is backgammon? From:   David C. Oshel Address:   dcoshel@pobox.com Date:   18 August 1997 Subject:   Re: How do you play backgammon Forum:   rec.games.backgammon Google:   5t9t4q$4t42@odie.mcleod.net Backgammon is an ancient pagan game which embodies the ages-old conflict between forces of Light and forces of Darkness. Fifteen checkers advance around the board, going from triangular point to triangular point according to the cast of two dice. They are opposed in their advance by fifteen checkers marching in turn in the opposite direction. A single checker on a point, which is one of the 24 triangular landing places which, together with the bar and tabletop, comprise the board (or "tables"), is at risk, and may be forced to start its march over if an opposing checker lands on that point. (Some ancient versions of the game merely immobilize the blot, instead of sending it back.) When all fifteen checkers, or "stones" according to players from another tradition, are within the last six points, they may bear off, or leave the playing area. The first player to bear off wins. All the rest is parochial detail, quickly learned. Backgammon is a sucker's game when played for money. There are only two kinds of players, sharks and fish. It is the business of the sharks to educate the fish who think they are sharks. Less-well-trained biologists may object that all sharks are fish, but in fact the division between the bony fish and the cartilaginous sharks, skates and rays is so ancient that such objections can be dismissed outright as mere rationalization or bragadoccio. If you have bones in your body, you are a fish. If you can roll six when you need six, especially when using precision dice and a baffle box to lull your prey into that comfortable sixth sense of false security, then you are a shark. David C. Oshel dcoshel@pobox.com Cedar Rapids, IA, USA http://pobox.com/~dcoshel/ "Tension, apprehension and dissension have begun." - Duffy Wyg&, in Alfred Bester's _The Demolished Man_   Did you find the information in this article useful?           Do you have any comments you'd like to add?

 

Miscellaneous

Backgammon computers  (Graham Bayne+, Mar 2005) 

Backgammon in famous paintings  (Dan Scoones, Mar 2000) 

Backgammon versus poker  (Peter Hallberg, June 2006) 

Backgammon's popularity  (Anon+, Sept 2003) 

Board orientation  (Daniel Murphy, Mar 1999) 

Calculation versus instinct  (Kit Woolsey, Jan 1998) 

Checker play versus cube play  (Gregg Cattanach, Oct 2004) 

Checker play versus cube play  (David Montgomery, Jan 1998) 

Copying positions from books  (Stick+, Nov 2005) 

Famous people who play  (Carem Wiklicm+, Dec 2002) 

Free lesson  (Donald Kahn, Apr 1999) 

General tips  (Hank Youngerman, Aug 1998) 

Giants of Backgammon list  (Raccoon+, Mar 2006) 

Handicapping  (Kees van den Doel+, Aug 2003) 

Handicapping  (flash, Aug 1998) 

Handicapping--Pass or pick a roll  (Michael J. Zehr, Dec 1997) 

Handicapping--Rerolling 5-4  (Mary Hickey, Feb 2004) 

How bots rate you  (Phil Simborg, Mar 2010) 

Initiatives by local clubs  (Raccoon, Mar 2006) 

Is online gambling legal in the U.S.?  (Chuck Bower+, June 2006) 

Maximizing earnings  (Stanley E. Richards+, Oct 2005) 

Money management  (Carly Robson+, Jan 2009) 

Money management  (Gnoh Mon+, July 2004) 

Money management  (Adam Stocks, Jan 2003) 

Money management and the Kelly Criterion  (Stuart Thomson+, June 1999) 

Notation  (Dean Gay, Feb 2000) 

Notation  (Kit Woolsey, July 1995) 

Position cards  (Francois Hochede, Jan 2004) 

Posted diagrams are scrunched up  (Dale+, Sept 2000) 

Top women players  (Tami+, Nov 2006) 

Typesetting backgammon  (Jason Lee+, Apr 2006) 

What is Zbot?  (Douglas Zare+, Dec 2003) 

What is backgammon?  (David C. Oshel, Aug 1997) 

Why do people play for money?  (Hank Youngerman+, Sept 2005) 

World Champions  (John Bazigos, June 1994) 

rec.games.backgammon mini-FAQ  (Daniel Murphy, Mar 1998) 

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