Have You Tried Greek Tavli?

Backgammon, much like many other board and card games, has its share of variations. I suppose it is but natural to see other variants of games crop up. Human nature dictates change and over the centuries, people have created slight (or sometimes drastic) changes to the game of backgammon.

If you are interested in the Greek version of backgammon, read on. This version is called tavli, which is actually derived from a Greek word meaning board. The interesting thing about tavli is that this variation itself has three other sub-variations, which actually make up the whole game. When playing tavli, the players usually play several sets using the three sub-variations.

The first sub-variation of tavli is called portes. This is the closest game to the backgammon that we normally play. The initial set up of the board is the same. However, the differences lie in the fact that the doubling cube is not used and that there is no backgammon.

The second sub-variation is called the plakoto. This is quite different from the standard backgammon from the get go. Another difference lies in the fact that you do not hit checkers in this version. Instead, you trap your opponent’s checkers.

The third sub-variation is called fevga. There are other different points when playing fevga.

One common thing about the different variations of tavli, however, is that they are normally played for fun only. There is usually no money involved. Of course, if you want to add your own twist to the game, there is nothing from stopping you.