Playing Backgammon - A Beginners Introduction

Backgammon is one of the world's oldest board type skill games where skill does play a strong part in the outcome - if you're an experienced and knowledgeable player it's possible to consistently triumph over less experienced opponents. Over recent years the popularity of backgammon has been growing exponentially and each year more sites have sprung up offering the option to learn and play. Play65 is one of the leaders.

If you're a regular visitor to online casinos and like to play casino games, you'll find that online backgammon sites similarly offer safe, enjoyable, and secure playing environments. Security and support is guaranteed with 24 x 7 live support teams available to all players through live chat, email and telephone. You have options to play in tournaments for big prizes, against single players in heads up matches, or in pairs where players can team up or be randomly paired.

And if you're confident in your ability to either learn backgammon or your level of knowledge is already fairly strong, then playing online for cash prizes can add a little extra something to the thrill of the game. It's just another form of betting, but where you are the key participant rather than in sports betting where you're placing wagers on events, players, or teams over which you have no direct control.

Why Play Backgammon Online?

Entertainment is often cited as the number one reason why we enjoy online games of any type, and it's often true that this still stands even when money is at stake. If you enjoy playing backgammon in the real world, there's no reason why you equally shouldn't get a lot out of it playing online too.

All the usual benefits of playing any competitive or chance based games online apply - no need to travel, no need to dress up, and you get to enjoy the games any time you like and in the comfort of your home surroundings.

Of these I'd say the availability of games is one of the most important. You play when you want to, with a wide choice of opponents from all over the world. You get the choice of playing with cash as stake or just for fun, and you get plenty of opportunity to practice and hone your skill to be ready for cash games when and if you want to.

Where To Play

I mentioned earlier that Play65 are one of the industry leaders. On their website you get the chance to play against xxxxxx and maybe win some valuable cash prize contests. For a very high quality player these could add up to nearing a second income, in the same way that strong poker players can make a living from playing poker.

Just as with other types of betting operators, backgammon sites offer sign up bonuses and other promotions such as tournaments and VIP clubs. You needn't be too worried about coming up against clearly superior opponents, as there are options to play against opposition at your own level. Clearly you'll need to be cautious with this.

How To Get Started At Online Backgammon

Even though most sites offer free or fun games, personally I always think it's good to build up some experience in real life board games. The real board game experience is something you can not gain online. The brain functions differently, your competitor's emotions trigger your actions and if you play with people you love, the game you're playing can evoke joyful associations whenever you play it afterwards, therefore improving your observance and cognitive skills. So take your first steps in Backgammon with friends on a real life game night - maybe try out some bead-based games which are the forerunner of many types of board gaming.

However, if playing in real life is not an option then there are plenty of ways to get some practice in online. Make your choice of which operator you want to play with, download any software that's required from the site, and complete the registration of your player account. It's that simple to get started and you can be set up and ready within ten minutes or so.

If you're already an experienced player, you can probably dive in straight away and get involved in money games. For any backgammon beginner the recommendation would be to study the rules and spend plenty of time practicing. Get a good felling for the software and how it works, and build up your knowledge of strategies to use at the right time and in the right circumstances.

Playing The Game - Understanding The Rules

I'm not intending to run through the rules here. There are many other sites which have well written sections that teach you the rudiments of how to play. As a starter, I suggest you might want to read up on rules and how to play backgammon on the Play65 website.

Tips & Strategies

Once you know the rules and have some experience, the actual act of playing backgammon for money is easy and you'll find most opponents to be friendly.

Remember though that playing for money is not the same as playing for fun. Everyone wants to keep hold of their cash, and they wouldn't be playing for money if they didn't want to win. Backgammon is not about gambling in the hope that luck is on your side, it's about betting sensibly using probability and knowledge or skill levels.

For those reasons the most sensible approach is to keep to games within your skill range and against opponents with a similar level of ability. As soon as you step outside that range, you'll most likely find yourself outplayed.

As with all forms of betting, bankroll management is important. The best way to build initial bankroll is by taking advantage of bonus offers, so always be on the lookout for these. Most gaming operators - of any type where the deposit of cash is involved - give welcome and sometimes reload bonuses.

This article on the Play65.com website explores some backgammon strategies in detail, and the site also carries another article titled '40 backgammon tips' which is well worth a read through.

Playing Tournaments

Anyone who is interested in poker or casino games will know and understand the concept of online cash tournaments. In backgammon a tournament is run just the same - a collection of a series of backgammon games or matches starting out with many participants, eventually seeing those participants eliminated and ending up with one winner.

More Info & Valuable Resources

As always one of the first ports of call for in depth info on any subject is Wikipedia. The Wikipedia page on backgammon is as well written and informative as you would expect.

Backgammon.org is a well presented dedicated website that offers sections on backgammon rules, games, strategies, and tournament play.

BKGM.com is a similar dedicated site that contains pretty much everything you need to know about the game - a truly comprehensive resource.