A Background on Backgammon
Want to join a game that is fun, yet at the same time challenging enough to keep you interested but not too stressful that it would seem like a chore? Why not play a game of backgammon?
Backgammon is a popular board game played by two players. A set is composed of a board with two sets of 15 round chips called checkers, a pair of dice and a doubling cube. The objective of the game is for the player to remove all of his chips from the board.
History
Backgammon dates back possibly 5,000 years when ancient Greeks and Romans played variations of the game. Boards bearing a striking resemblance to backgammon to date have been found in excavation sites of ancient civilizations.
The game as we know it today was refined in the seventeenth century in England, about the same time, the name Backgammon was adapted. Today, backgammon transcends cultural boundaries and is played online around the world at any time of the day against people of various nationalities.
Gaming
A number of clubs have been formed to cater to backgammon enthusiasts for social play. Local community clubs also organize tournaments for their members. Multiple matches can eliminate the luck factor and fairly evaluate a player's skill. Thus tournaments usually involve a series of games against the same opponent.
The online community is no exception. Likewise, backgammon has gained popularity among online users and games are set up for social play or tournaments. Gaming websites such as Yahoo! Games enjoy a large following with a high number of gamers playing at any given time.
Gambling
Online gambling has also recently extended its play to include backgammon. Variations include assigning a monetary value to a game, in which the winner takes the stake or playing until a certain score is reached. Stakes can be increased by the use of the doubling cube. If a player believes that he has the upper hand, he can demand that the game be played for twice the stakes.
The fun of it
Unlike other gambling games which are purely based on luck, Backgammon involves skill. The element of chance adds excitement to the game as the possibilities become endless and one has to consider more than one move ahead. While luck helps, it is a game that does not leave everything to chance. Your skill is pitted against another, which makes a far more interesting bet.