Backgammon Money Play: The Initial Stake

There are different styles of playing backgammon in competition. One such style is backgammon money play. Unlike other styles, the games participants play in this form of play are considered individually, and not in a series. The fact that each game is counted individually means that participants place bets on the result of every single game. Backgammon money play enables predetermination of a bet, even if the outcome may not be certain. Once a game is completed, the winner collects a sum of money from the loser. The winners take is basically the predetermined stake times the value of the doubling cube. A player can wager amounts on individual points in a game. The other alternative is to place a collective wager on the result of the game.

The Jacoby rule is the standard rule followed in this form of play. The Jacoby rule ensures there are no scenarios in which players can dodge doubling to continue playing for a possible gammon when all the pieces of the losing player are still on the board. Besides the Jacoby rule, other regulations in backgammon money play include automatic doubles and beavers. Automatic double is a scenario wherein both players have the same number on their first rolls of the dice. It results in the stakes doubling. One game of backgammon money play may have only one automatic double. A player who accepts a double and promptly doubles up the stakes again is called a beaver. In such a scenario, the rival player can either refuse to accept the redoubled stake and forfeit the game or continue playing at four times the initial stake. You can play this game either online or offline, i.e. traditionally.

Backgammon is exciting because the final amount of money a player can win depends actually on not just the original stake of individual participants, but on the roll of the dice. The final roll of the dice can cause the stakes to increase by many times the original amount, thus adding to the zing in the game.