How to Use a Backgammon Doubling Cube

admin · Site Admin Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 831

Whether you are just starting out in backgammon or have played casually for years, learning how to play with a doubling cube can be a great advantage. Playing with a backgammon doubling cube is a way to immediately increase the excitement of your backgammon game.

You may have noticed an extra die in your backgammon set that is not numbered from one to six. This die is numbered with 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 and it is known as a backgammon doubling cube. This cube gives either player the option to double the stakes at any point in the game.

A backgammon game begins at one point. If a player chooses to use the backgammon doubling cube, the second player can accept and the stakes are doubled to two points. If the second player does not accept, he forfeits the game and loses one point. If he accepts, the two point double he gains control of the doubling cube and can choose to re-double later in the game to four. The player can also choose an immediate re-double, known as a beaver. If the first player accepts, the re-doubling player retains control of the dice even after his re-double. If not, the first player forfeits the game for two points.

Technically, you don’t need a cube to play backgammon with doubling and doubling is unlimited although the sides of a backgammon doubling cube are not. In any event, adding a doubling cube to the game of backgammon can make the game much more interesting and exciting.