How to play backgammon

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Backgammon is a game for only two players, played on a board of 24 narrow triangles called points. The triangles alternate in colour and are grouped into four quadrants of six triangles each. The quadrants are referred to as a player's home board and outer board, and the opponent's home board and outer board. The home and outer boards are separated from each other by a ridge down the centre of the board called the bar.

A board with the checkers in their initial position.

The points are numbered for either player starting in that player's home board. The outermost point is the 24 point, which is also the opponent's one point. Each player has fifteen checkers of his own colour. The initial arrangement of checkers is, 2 on each player's 24 point, 5 on each player's 13 point, 3 on each player's 8 point, and 5 on each player's 6 point.

Both players have their own pair of dice and a dice cup used for shaking. A doubling cube, with the numerals 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on its faces, and is used to keep track of the current stake of the game. The object of the game is for a player to move all of his checkers into his own home board and then bear them off. The first player to bear off all of his checkers wins the game.

Direction of movement of White's checkers. Red's checkers move in the opposite direction.

Start the game, each player throws a single dice. This determines who goes first and the numbers to be played. If equal numbers come up, then both players roll again until they roll different numbers. The player throwing the higher number now moves his checkers according to the numbers showing on both dice.

After the first roll, the players throw two dice and alternate turns.
The roll of the dice indicates how many points, or pips, the player is to move his checkers. The checkers are always moved forward, to a lower-numbered point.

The following rules apply

A checker may be moved only to a place that is not occupied by two or more opposing checkers.
The numbers on the two dice constitute separate moves. For example, if a player rolls 5 and 3, he may move one checker five spaces to an open point and another checker three spaces to an open point, or he may move the one checker a total of eight spaces to an open point, but only if the intermediate point (either three or five spaces from the starting point) is also open.
A player who rolls doubles plays the numbers shown on the dice twice. A roll of 6 and 6 means that the player has four sixes to use, and he may move any combination of checkers he feels appropriate to complete this requirement.
A player must use both numbers of a roll if this is legally possible (or all four numbers of a double). When only one number can be played, the player must play that number. Or if either number can be played but not both, the player must play the larger one. When neither number can be used, the player loses his turn. In the case of doubles, when all four numbers cannot be played, the player must play as many numbers as he can.
A point occupied by a single checker of either colour is called a blot. If an opposing checker lands on a blot, the blot is hit and placed on the bar.
Any time a player has one or more checkers on the bar, his first obligation is to enter those checker's) into the opposing home board. A checker is entered by moving it to an open point corresponding to one of the numbers on the rolled dice.
If neither of the points is open, the player loses his turn. If a player is able to enter some but not all of his checkers, he must enter as many as he can and then forfeit the remainder of his turn.
After the last of a player's checkers has been entered, any unused numbers on the dice must be played, by moving either the checker that was entered or a different checker.

At the end of the game, if the losing player has borne off at least one checker, he loses only the value showing on the doubling cube (1 point, if there have been no doubles). However, if the loser has not borne off any of his checkers, he is gammoned and loses twice the value of the doubling cube. Or, worse, if the loser has not borne off any of his checkers and still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board, he is backgammoned and loses three times the value of the doubling cube.

When you buy this board game, it should come with all the rules, and how to play it, have fun and remember gambling is a mugs game, so just play it for fun.

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