Before you can begin to play backgammon you must learn and understand the rules. Backgammon is not a difficult game to understand once you learn the rules. The basic rules for the game of backgammon are the same whether you play backgammon online or land-based.
Aim of the Game
The aim of the game of backgammon is to remove all of your checkers from the board before your opponent finishes removing his checkers. You play backgammon with fifteen checkers each.
How to Play Backgammon
To begin to play backgammon, the board must be set up with the checkers in the correct places. Each player rolls a die to determine who will begin play. Each player then rolls the two dice in turn and must move their checkers the number of points determined by the roll of the dice. If the player rolls a double, he must make four moves. Players can move only in the direction of their home field. Checkers can land on an empty point, a point that already contains the player’s pieces or on a place that holds only one of the opponent’s pieces.
Hitting
When you play backgammon you have the potential ability to hit your opponent’s checkers. If you land on a place that holds only one of your opponent’s checkers, you can hit it and send it off the board onto the bar.
Bringing In
If your checker has been hit while you play backgammon, in order to continue playing, you must first bring in your checker. You must bring in your checker into your opponent’s home field. If you do not throw a dice that allows you to bring in, you miss your turn.
Bearing Off
The entire game, when you play backgammon leads towards the moment of bearing off. Once you have moved all of your checkers into your home field, you can begin to bear off. You are able to bear off if you throw dice that allow you to move enough spaces to move off the board. The player who removes all of his checkers from the board first, wins the game.
Scoring in Backgammon
If you remove all of your checkers from the board before your opponent, you win 1 point. If you remove all of your checkers from the board before your opponent has begun to bear off any of their checkers, you win 2 points (a Gammon). If you remove all of your checkers from the board while your opponent still has at least one checker in your home field, you win with 3 points.
Where to Play Backgammon
Backgammon is a popular land-based game. Its popularity has been growing steadily in the online gambling industry and there are now many online backgammon sites where people can play backgammon for fun or for real money. Before you begin to play backgammon find the site that suits what you are looking for and learn the rules of the game. If possible practice free play before you begin to play for real money.