What is a backgammon point?

admin · Site Admin Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 862

Once you've mastered the basics of backgammon, you will need to learn how to score. Scoring is important in any game, but especially if you are playing for money.

There are three ways to win in backgammon. The standard win, in which the first player to bear off all their checkers from their home board wins, receives one backgammon point. A gammon - where your opponent has not yet begun to bear off while you have finished - receives two points. And the highest-ranking win, a backgammon, receives three points. If you manage to bear off all your checkers while your opponent still has some checkers in your home board, or on the bar, you have earned yourself a backgammon and three backgammon points.

Points for scoring are not to be confused with backgammon points, the triangular spaces on the board. Over the years, backgammon has acquired a whole terminology of its own, which you will pick up as you go along. Some websites have glossaries to aid you with all the jargon.

Certain points on the board have specific names. The 'midpoint' is your point number thirteen, next to the bar on your opponent's side. You start the game with five checkers on this point. Your number seven point is also known as the bar point. This is an important space as you can use it to block checkers that are trying to escape from your home board. The ace point is your number one point - you start out with two checkers on your opponent's ace point.

These terms are widely used when discussing backgammon strategy, so keep them in mind.