And…what is the difference? Playing online vs. with a board. A real, not a virtual board.

Well, duh…

The only difference between Backgammon and Online Backgammon is that instead of sitting with a player face-to-face, you take a seat in front of your computer, without being nervous, and this way you can concentrate on your  strategy.

And that’s a good thing.

This depends of course on you, whether you are emotive or not. In case you are, it’s much better for you to play Online Backgammon, as there is no one who could ever look deeply in your eyes and maybe try to figure out what your next move is or what are you into.

You just think about your checkers moves, trying to use the most appropriate strategy, the atmosphere is pleasant and the surroundings are relaxing.

It’s just you and the computer screen. Isn’t this convenient for you? You have the chance to play against the computer, or, you can even play Online BG with other real players from around the World.

You can also chat during the game if you wish It all depends on the website.

As we have said above, in case you are a beginner, do not underestimate yourself, as far as you can get the information you need regarding Online Backgammon.

But beware.

If you go to a site and play for free… don’t be fooled into playing for real money.

Until you are ready to do so.

Make sure that you know the consequences and that you make the right choice.

As a piece of advice, it’s better for you to play Online Backgammon for free at first, without placing any bet in order to get used to its process.

Only after some time, when you feel that you are prepared to deal with a real player or with the computer, you can begin playing for a sum of cash.

Backgammon is extremely spread over the internet and it’s important for you to choose the right and most efficient website for playing your favorite game.

So have fun and learn how to play the game online.

In past postings, I have talked about some cool free BG sites to practice on.

The story was about a New Haven lawyer named Marcy Kossar who is getting back into competitive backgammon playing.

Good for her.

Kossar, we understand, is an avid backgammon player.

But for her, it’s more than a hobby.

She travels to competitions throughout the country where top players battle for money and pride.

Part of the reason she can do this is that her kids are in college.

She’s always played competitively, but now she’s really getting back into it.

“I’ve always been a games and puzzles person,” said Kossar, the director of development at New Haven Legal Assistance and in charge of raising funds for the organization.

She told the Law Journal, “I needed something else in my life [after her three children went to college], and this was like second nature,” she added.

Over the Fourth of July weekend, Kossar traveled to a 64-player tournament in Detroit where she ended up netting $1,000 after paying her travel expenses.

She plans to participate in six more competitions between October and next March, including the prestigious national tournament in Las Vegas in November.

“When you win, you feel really lucky and it’s a lot of fun,” Kossar told the Journal. “Plus, you get to meet people that you’d never meet in your life.”

Kossar started playing the game competitively when she was living in Washington, D.C., in the early 1980s.

Back then, clubs and bars held weekly backgammon nights and the local games were played with $5 and $10 at stake.

She stopped playing for nearly 20 years to raise her children, and when she re-entered the competitive backgammon world two years ago, she noticed a significant change.

“The ability of the players had increased dramatically,” she said, because of the ability to play online against computers and other people around the world. “There are now computer programs available that analyze all of these moves in a game and tell you whether there was a better move you could make.”

Now it’s a lot more fun for someone with her intellectual capacity.

Now, she can analyze her own moves.

Ain’t that cool?

Watch for her at a tournament near you.

I love BG. It’s fun to play. I love to strategize (is that a word????)

So it’s important to note the important factors that can make your game more competitive. Some of these are so simple. So forgive me for that, you more experienced players.

A basic then: adopt a specific strategy.

If you have no strategy when playing backgammon you are likely to fail. When playing against anyone you have to apply your strategy according to the pace of the game.

Don’t rush things; take small steps and slowly you will reach the desired result.

You can not play the game with random moves.

Carefully calculate and study each step that you make and when you are confident about your move you can proceed in your action.

When up against a tough player be sure about your decisions and try not to be distracted by anything, During the whole game you have to be very concentrated and be certain that you play according to the right strategy.

But before all of this make sure that you fully understood the rules because this is extremely important when you are playing against someone that is very experienced.

A lot of persons when are playing online backgammon are asking why they suck.

In most cases it is because the rules were not fully understood and the proper strategy was not adopted.

Watch carefully the moves of your opponent. In this way you will learn what strategy the opponent has applied and you will know what you have to do in order to beat him and become successful.

When you play the real version of backgammon there is involved the psychological factor.

There are subtle gestures that are important in obtaining the victory. It’s important to have a poker face and when you do something wrong and your opponent doesn’t see it try not to look affected by the mistake.

Be aware of your body expression.

Although you are very nervous about the game try to relax yourself and don’t let anyone to see your weakness.

Although the game it’s very old the basic tactics that where used when the Romans played it are still applied today.

Despite of the fact that the game during it’s long existence has suffered some modifications basically the strategies and the tactics have remained almost the same. Around the world there are several variants of backgammon. The basic structure of the game is kept but there are some small changes that makes the game different compared to the original version. With the game a little bit different also the strategies are a bit modified.

Whether playing backgammon in it’s German version or Spanish you always have to stick to the rules and of course to the strategies. Playing with random moves you will not become successful.

Got it? Now go out and play.

Because I can’t assume that everyone who reads this knows how to play, I like to run some tips postings.

For experienced players, I’ll get back to tournament news next time.

Backgammon is game that is played across the board by players at multi-levels – from the amateur to the highly professional.

In most cases, your safest bet is to bear off your checkers from the board without thinking too much about it. Your best strategy would be to remove your checkers with both dice, instead of considering things such as equal distribution, or the likes.

If you want to avoid restricting your future options in the game, a good tip is to refrain from placing your checkers on low points early on in the game – especially points 1 and 2.

You can redouble immediately after your opponent has doubled. It is to your advantage to own the cube – thus preventing the opponent from being able to redouble. You should also double (if you can) if you are about to lose the match, if your opponent wins the game at the present cube value. You are risking nothing by doing so.  Remember also, as a rule of thumb, that you should accept a double when your chances of winning the game are at least 25%.

You should aim for a downward sloping formation when removing checkers from the backgammon board. Bearing in mind of course, that you cannot hit, or be hit, you should aim for an uneven distribution when positioning your checkers to bear off from the board. Aim for a larger stack on point #6, with a slope down to #3 or #4. This avoids the necessity to use your higher numbers (eg. 5 or 6) to bear off from a #4, for example, later in the game.

It is usually wise to avoid abandoning your anchors or holding points when you are behind in a backgammon game. Be a little patient and wait for your shot, as this may be your only chance of winning the game.

If you are not sure about which move to make, hitting is usually a good choice. This is especially true when it relates to the opponent’s side of the board and could be a determining factor in the race.

Making a loose hit is sometimes less effective than creating a key point. Thus, it is important to lock up your permanent assets in the game.

When you are playing a backgame, there are two important things to remember. Firstly, you should aim to recirculate your checkers. You can avoid crunching your board and improve your timing when getting hit. Secondly, increase your chances of hitting by creating shots (by opening up points). Also consider each and every one of your opponent’s rolls.

It’s alwayhs a good idea to race in the game when you are definitely ahead. Trust your racing advantage and break contact.

Nuff said.

If you’ve been reading these posts for the past year or so, you know that I have never pretended to be an expert in anything. [If I was, I'd be winning cash in tournaments around the world.]

I am a reporter. And when I don’t know something I go to experts who do.

What you should know about me is I love Backgammon. I also love to gamble, play poker, blackjack…watch the horses run.

Back to BG.

In response to viewers who want to know how to win… I asked some folks about the starting game.

In the beginning, it is sometimes prudent to hold off  from attacking and build your game. Other times you’ll need to attack full steam.

Within the very starting of the game you wish to be aggressive, quick and straightforward. If you’ll reach your early game targets it’s going to facilitate you a large number later.

Here are some of those early targets. First, create points on the homeboard.

There are two reasons why this can be important.

It can throw off your opponent’s game by limiting his probabilities to enter from the bar if you hit his checker.

If you make to additional points his probabilities are much worse to get back to the game than if you’d have only the six-point.

And, by creating points in your home board, it also means that those checkers are already prepared for bearing off when the time comes.

Some points are more vital than others.

If you maneuver your checkers to the edge of the board you limit yourself as to which checkers you’ll move.

On your home board the most vital points are the five-purpose, then half dozen and four-purpose and then the three-purpose in this order.

If you manage to block points seven through twelve you will see how difficult it is for your opponent to flee his back checkers.

In addition, making any points between 7 and twelve are wonderful storage points for bringing the checkers in to your home board.

Another goal is to escape your back men.

From the start, move your back checkers up slowly towards your home board. Try to keep them in relative proximity to the rest of the checkers.

Doubles are terribly good for bringing the rear men towards your home board.

So do yourself a favor. Keep focused and work towards early game results.

You won’t be sorry you did.

Next time, perhaps we’ll look at the middle game.

Does this help?

Let me know.