Ultimate Backgammon Beginner Tips

Heather · Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 8

As I’m relatively new to this, I thought I’d pick some expert backgammon brains. What are the ultimate tips that you’d suggest for new players? Do I buy into the tutorials offered on backgammon sites? What books do I read? What are the recommended sites for newbies like me? Any tidbits will be welcome.

Stack · Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 24

Hi and welcome.

Here is what I consider the ultimate tips for beginners in backgammon, in no particular order:

1. Download GNUbg and play for free. This software program will give you a real idea of your skill level and will prevent you from making mistakes when you play for real money. Play in the tutor mode to see your mistakes. You can also get Snowie – which is considered the best online backgammon software by far – but it costs money and if you are on a budget, GNUbg will do just fine.
2. Get hold of Magriel’s books and read them from cover to cover as you would any textbook. See yourself as a backgammon student. There is no need to spend a fortune on these books. They are so popular that most good public libraries will have them, or you can try getting hold of them for second hand on the internet. It is generally understood that Peter Magriel’s “Backgammon” is the best one around, although it is slightly short on cube handling and several (very few) of his moves have errors. A good supplement would be Walter Trice’s “Backgammon Bootcamp”.
3. Seek out backgammon websites that offer instructions and tips for beginners. A popular choice is gammonline – although this site comes with a one-time registration fee of less than $50, it is definitely worth every penny. Another popular site is GammonLife, which is free and has some excellent material that targets beginners. You will find articles written by world-class players such as Frank Frigo, Walter Trice and Mary Hickey. Also, there are big name content contributors such as Nick Ballard, Francois Tardieu, Paul Weaver and Paul Magriel.
4. Look out for low stake or free online backgammon tournaments. These are a lot of fun, allow you to meet other players from around the world and give you a lot of added experience.
5. Have fun. You can sometimes lose sight of why you started playing backgammon in the first place – for the challenge and the fun involved. Don’t overlook this and everything else will eventually fall into place.