Scoring a Backgammon Match

Games in backgammon are usually played in matches. This means that players often will play a series of games in an effort to reach an amount of points that has been agreed upon by both parties. Since you'll be playing matches either with friends or in a backgammon club you should learn how to keep the score. Scoring matches is an essential skill when learning backgammon basics.

In a match you normally get one point for each game you win. So for example, you're playing a race to seven points you basically have to win seven games to win that match. But because of certain elements in backgammon you can win a match without having to fight your way through all seven games to win. There are ways in which you can raise the number of points you can get for each game you play.

The first way you can raise the number of points you can win in a single game is through the use of the doubling cube. Your backgammon set comes with one doubling cube, which is the cube like object that looks like a dice at first only that it has numbers on its faces. The purpose of the doubling is to enable players to bet or raise the stakes for a particular game (i.e. to raise the number of points you can win).

Initially the doubling cube will be placed in the center of the backgammon board with the number 64 displayed. Once you feel that you have the advantage in the game you can offer the doubling cube to your opponent and offer to raise the stakes of the game. If your opponent accepts this proposition then the stakes or points are doubled and your opponent keeps the cube on his side of the table reserving the right to redouble. In case your opponent passes on the chance to double he immediately loses and you win at current game value.

Other than using the doubling cube there are other ways to increase the number of points you can get for each game you play. If you manage to bear off all your checkers with your opponent unable to bear off even a single checker then this is called a gammon. You multiply the current value of the game by two after adding up any doubles made by using the cube.

A game wherein you bear off all your checkers and your opponent still having checkers on the bar or your home board is called a backgammon. In this game you apply whatever doubles you get from the doubling cube then multiply that by three.

These are a few elementary rules on scoring you should know when learning backgammon basics. The doubling cube, gammons, and backgammons affect the points you score for each game.

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