Questions You Might Like to Ask About Backgammon

We'll answer some questions that come up a lot that haven't been covered in the other discussions on backgammon basics. You might think that some of these questions are crazy like talking about animals and other stuff. Other questions are practical things that relate to backgammon and its game play but all them are still part of backgammon basics.

Why are there beavers in backgammon? Beavers aren't animals in backgammon. These refer to the cube action done in the game. A beaver will occur when your opponent offers a double, you accept the double and redouble the value of the game and still keep the doubling cube. The redouble after the accepting the double and then keeping the cube is called a beaver.

Beavers are optional rules in backgammon. For it to be effective in a match you should have an agreement with your opponent to apply this rule before you play the first game.

What is the backgammon Jacoby rule? The Jacoby rule is another optional rule in backgammon but is more common among games in money play. This rule is was promoted by Oswald Jacoby and was named after him. The idea behind this rule is to avoid a long backgammon game by waiting for one player to get a gammon rather than doubling for a single point. The Jacoby rule states that gammons and backgammons will not give the extra points if a double has not been accepted by your opponent.

Where can I get replacement pieces? Backgammon pieces don't last forever. You should expect to lose checkers, chip or crack your dice, or damage your cups and doubling cube. You don't have to throw away the entire set since some pieces got lost or broken, you can always go to a store, or the one you bought your set from, and ask for replacement pieces. You can also go online and check out suppliers in your area. Another resource is a phone book so you can call manufacturers or suppliers.

How do automatic doubles work in backgammon? Again, this is another optional rule in backgammon. Some people allow automatic doubles and some won't so you should also come to terms with this with your opponent. Here's how they work in backgammon. The value of the game doubles automatically during the opening roll. You can get an automatic double if both players get the same dice outcome or similar value in the opening roll. If you happen to get ties twice then you double the value of the game twice. So you can win more than one point even before you offer a double during the game.

Who's this Crawford guy in backgammon? You'll encounter the Crawford rule when you play on tournaments. This rule states that during a tournament one player just needs one more point to win the match the next game will not use the doubling cube. The leading player loses the next game then the doubling cube is put back to play in the following game.

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