B

Back Game - Sometimes spelled Backgame. A strategy employed by a player who is substantially behind in the race but has two or more anchors in the opponent's home board. The player holds both anchors as long as possible, forcing his opponent to bear off awkwardly. The plan is to hit a shot late in the game, then trap that stone behind a prime.

Backgammon - A game of backgammon in which the losing player has not borne off a single stone and still has one or more pieces in the winner's home board.

Backgammon Board - Backgammon is played on a board consisting of twenty-four narrow triangles called points. The triangles alternate in color and are grouped into four quadrants of six triangles each. The quadrants are referred to as a player's home board and outer board and the opponent's home board and outer board, with the home board also called the inner board. The home and outer boards are separated from each other by a raised area in the center of the board called the bar.

Back Man - Runner; a player's rearmost stone.

Baffle Box - A device through which dice are dropped to randomize a roll. The dice are deflected and jostled about as they fall through the box.

Banana Split - A very bad strategy consisting of breaking a point in your home board, leaving two blots.

Bankroll - The amount of money you have available for betting, or the maximum amount you are willing to lose in a session.

Bar - The raised ridge down the center of a backgammon board dividing the home board from the outer board. Stones are placed on the bar after they have been hit.

Barabino - [Named after backgammon expert Rick Barabino.] A roll of 5-4 from the bar used to make an anchor on the opponent's five-point.

Bar-Point - A player's seven-point, so named because it is physically adjacent to the bar.

Battle of Primes - A position in which both players have stones trapped behind an opponent's prime.

Bear In - To move a stone into your home board prior to bearing off.

Bear Off - To remove a stone from the board according to a roll of the dice after all of your stones have been brought into your home board.

Bearoff - The last stage of the game during which stones are borne off.

Bear On - To be within six points of. For example, a stone on your 13-point bears on points 7 through 12.

Beaver - An immediate redouble by a player who just accepted a double. A player who beavers turns the cube up one level and retains possession of the cube.

Behind in the Count - Having a higher pip count than your opponent.

Behind in the Race - Having a higher pip count than your opponent.

Bertha - To mistakenly play the roll of 6-5 from the opponent's one-point to your mid-point without seeing that the opponent has made his bar-point and blocks your way.

Big Play - A bold or aggressive play when a safer but less constructive play is available.

Binache - Beaver.

Blitz - An all-out attack on enemy blots in your home board aimed at closing out your opponent or a quick elimination tournament consisting of short matches.

Block - A point occupied by two or more stones held for the purpose of hindering the opponent's progress. Also called an anchor.

Blockade - A series of blocks arranged to prevent escape of the opponent's runners. The ideal blockade is a prime of six consecutive blocks.

Blocking Game - A game plan where the primary strategy is to build a strong blockade.

Blot - A single stone sitting alone on a point where it is vulnerable to being hit.

Blot-Hitting Contest - An exchange of loose hits in which both players try to gain a key point.

Board - On a backgammon board, one of the four quadrants that make up the playing area: your home board, your outer board, the opponent's home board, and the opponent's outer board.

Board Layout - Starting Position.

Board Setup - Starting Position.

Bold Play - A strategy that leaves one or more blots that the opponent can easily hit.

Book a stone - Cover a blot.

Boxcars - A roll of two sixes.

Boxes - A roll of two sixes.

Boys - A roll of two sixes.

Break - To break a point, break a prime, or break one's board; breaking up strength.

Break a Point - To remove a stone from a point that contains only two stones, leaving a blot.

Break a Prime - To open one or more points in a prime.

Break Contact - To move past the last of the opponent's stones. Further hitting or blocking is possible and the game becomes a pure race.

Break One's Board - To open one or more points in your home board after having made your board.

Broken Prime - An incomplete prime with a gap in it.

Builder - A stone brought into your outer board where it bears directly onto one or more key points that you want to make.

Build One's Board - To make points in your home board.

Bump - Hit a stone.

Bump and Pass - Pick and pass. This is illegal in some forms of backgammon.

Bump and Run - Pick and pass.

Bury a stone - To play a stone deep within your home board where it has no value.

Busted Back Game - A backgame attempt that fell apart when the backgame player was forced to move stones deep into his home board so they could no longer contain a hit stone.

Button Up - To a blot safe by bringing it together with another stone.

Bye - The position of a player in a tournament who goes on to the next round without having to play a match. Byes are often awarded in the first round of a single elimination tournament to make the number of advancing players a power of 2.