The Art of Doubling
Backgammon game is played for a stake established by the players, per point. Each game begins from one point. During the game, a player who considers that he has an obvious advantage may propose the doubling of the stake. He can do this thing only at the beginning of his own turn, before throwing the dice. A player who was offered a double game may refuse, and the game finishes, and he loses only a point. Thus, he must accept the doubling, and the game will continue with an increased stake. A player who accepts a double becomes the holder of the dies (or of the doubling cube) and only he can propose the next double (the doubling of the game stake). The consecutive doublings during the same game are called redoubling. If a player refuses a redoubling, he has to pay the number of points which represents the stake which had to be doubled. Thus, he becomes the new holder of the dies and the game continues with a double stake, compared to the previous one. There is no limit concerning the number of redoubling actions upon the stake. Double Game A game is a double if the player who loses didn't succeed to eliminate a single piece either. In this case, the player wins double points indicated on the doubling cube. The Rule of Doubling Backgammon is the only game in which is used the dice to double the game. The match is defined by a number of points which the player must have, to win the game. The number of points for a single game depends on the rules and on the doubling cube's value. The cube can be found on the right side of the table and its initial value is 1. When the cube is used in a game, each player has the possibility to start his move throwing the dice (actually doing a normal move) or with an offer to double the game using the cube. If the offer is sent, the opponent can choose to receive the offer, which means that the points obtained for that game double with 2 instead of 1; or he may refuse, which means that he loses the game and the opponent will have his points doubled. If the offer is accepted, the cube becomes its holder's and it will appear on the side of this player, having a double value. After the first doubling is accepted, the value of the cube may be 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64. Then the holder of the dice may offer the redoubling which means that the following doublings will be sent alternatively between the players.
Crawford Rule The Crawford rule was established by John R. Crawford and it says that when any player needs only a point until he obtains a victory the opponent can't announce a double in the next game. This type of game, in which the double is forbidden, is called Crawford game. From the scientific point of view, even if a double is announced and accepted by the player who gets closer to the victory, it will be cancelled because a point or two will hardly make any beneficial difference for him. Moreover, the one who loses might take advantage out of the double. But if Crawford game is not clear concerning who wins or loses finally, then all the doubling and redoubling rules will be implemented again in the following games. This rule is accepted all over the world. Even the rules and the procedures of the Backgammon championship in the USA apply Crawford rule in the final phase of the championship.
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