Backgammon Strategies

Literally thousands of years old, backgammon is a game played around the world. The presence of online backgammon on online casinos has sparked a resurgence in the game's popularity. Although one might believe that backgammon is a game of chance hinging only on the roll of the dice, this could not be further from the truth. Just as poker is a card game which requires a tremendous amount of skill, backgammon is the same. Let us examine some of the basic strategies to being an ace.

Blocking
If backgammon hinges at all on the roll of the dice, take control of your opponent's dice. By filling as many points as possible in your home board with a minimum of two checkers per point, you create a major obstacle if your opponent has a piece on the bar. Any lost turn due to their inability to move off the bar is one turn closer you are to winning.

Priming
Priming is blocking to the extreme. Having multiple checkers on six points in a row is priming. When you can create a prime in your home board, your opponent's checker is stuck on the bar, putting victory well within your reach.

Anchoring
To anchor in backgammon is a defensive strategy of holding points in your opponent's home board. The reasoning is twofold: one, this gives you a chance to hit one of their blots late in the game, keeping them from the bear off; and two, it gives you a safe zone if one of your checkers is sent to the bar, allowing you a place to re-enter the board.

Distribution
Distribution is another important backgammon strategy to get the roll of the dice on your side. Any turn wasted because you can't move a checker is a turn closer to victory for your opponent. The more widely your checkers are distributed, the more likely you will be to use every possible dice combination. It's amazing how "lucky" the dice will seem when you have a greater number of options. This of course does not mean that you should have single checkers spread across the board, making you vulnerable; however, five or six pieces on one point is excessive and does not help you.

Flexibility
Recognizing how good (or how bad) your rolls are at the beginning will help you understand what approach to take in the game. High rolls on the initial rolls can get you out of your opponent's home board in a hurry, enabling you to outrace him to the bear off. On the other hand, if your opening rolls are poor, you may need to rely on defense. In this case, blocking may be your only help, setting a trap and hoping for a blot to keep your opponent from getting off the home board when he is about to win.

Utilizing these simple strategies will make your online backgammon and online casinos experience a good one, no matter how the dice come up.