Online Vs. Live Tournament Play

Blitz · Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 18

I’m thinking about entering some live backgammon tournaments this year. I’ve never participated in a live tournament and I have no idea how to prepare myself for it. Is the competition level in live tournaments similar to the competition in free tournaments online? Do you think that participating in free online tournaments would help me to practice for live tournaments? Any advice would be great, thanks.

Blunder · Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 7

I would say that the competitors in live tournaments are probably considerably better players than those who play in free online tournaments. After all, in these live tournaments there is often quite a bit of money at stake and it is generally the more confident players that are willing to play in these types of circumstances.

Playing in free online tournaments is fine, but don’t be blinded by the fact that you might be a top player in these tournaments. You could be shocked to find that the competition will be much more difficult in the live tournaments. There are also online tournaments that have entrance fees online and these generally have a bit tougher competition.

I would also suggest that you start out with less prestigious live backgammon tournaments with lower entrance fees so that you can get used to live tournament play and assess your level. You’ll see what live tournament play is like and you can work your way up from there.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you luck. Live tournament play can be a blast, so enjoy!