Backgammon Gambling

Backgammon is a gambling game. That is, as well as being able to play it for "fun," you can also make wagers about each game. The players agree on the amount to be wagered on each game. The stakes can be doubled during the game using the doubling cube, a dice-like cube with the numbers 2,4,8,16,32,64 on its six sides. At first, the number 64 is showing, meaning that the stakes are at one unit. The number 64 is used for either one unit or 64 units, since there is little chance of confusion about which is which.

Either player can make the first offer to double the stakes. After that, only the player who accepted the last double, called the owner of the cube, has a chance to double the stakes again. Each time a doubling takes place, the cube is rotated to indicate the new value. Of course, at any time, the player being offered the double may refuse, in which case he or she lses the game at the last previous level of the stakes. An additional complication results whenever a gammon, which doubles the payoff, or a backgammon, which triples it, occurs. If you do not know what these terms mean, click on the words above.

Most sites which allow gambling also allow you to play for "fun" (play money) as well. While this can be very interesting and rewarding in its own right, playing for real money is generally more exciting and can be very materially rewarding if you are an expert player. Beginners are cautioned to be careful, since you can also lose a lot of money due to the nature of the doubling cube. Start with small stakes and progress upward as your skill increases. Also, note that experienced players can also be very successful at hiding their prowess, a factor that enters into all gambling games. Finally, be aware that the house takes a rake, a small portion of all winnings.

Most backgammon gambling sites also hold tournaments, either single elimination...where losing a single game knocks you out of the tournament...or double elimination...where you must lose twice to be removed. The entry fee to these tournaments usually depends on the size of the prizes for winning and can be very large. Most sites also allow other methods to earn the right to participate in tournaments, such as accumulating points for simply participating.

Below is a list of some of the most popular backgammon gambling sites.