Backgammon: It's Not a Game of Luck
Backgammon, unlike slots, craps, or roulette, is not just a game of chance. Actually, it’s a game of both luck and skill. Like bridge, poker or chess, you need to be a couple of steps ahead of each play. Each play you make is predicated on past plays and likely moves your opponent will make. Some say that it takes more smarts to play Backgammon than id does chess or bridge and they may be very true. In Backgammon, there are 21 possible dice rolls so you have to consider 21 various ways the game can swing. In chess or bridge, you only have two or three possible moves at each turn. Sure, it’s challenging, but anything less is just a game. There is ample opportunity for a player to make some very big money, especially in tournaments. Some tournaments can guarantee a winner $50,000, $100,000 or more. There are more than 3,000,000 Backgammon players who play online and it’s not unusual to find as many as 20,000 players online at one site at any particular time.
Backgammon originated in Mesopotamia and was played (and still played) with ferocity in places like Israel, Turkey and Greece. In fact, there is archeological evidence that the game was played in the biblical town of Ur, the birthplace of Abraham. The game was usually played on wooden tables, using pebbles, instead of round pieces, and dies made of stone or wood, and it was quite similar to other Egyptian, Sumerian, Roman and Persian games. It is not a gambling game, as many people believe, but it is a game which involves war strategy; in many cases it can be more difficult as chess.
The Persian/Turkish term for Backgammon is shesh besh, which means 6 and 5. You will find in most countries that speak Arabic, the game is referred to as Play65. You will also see this term if you search the web for Backgammon sites. Most Backgammon sites will show you how to play and most software Backgammon tables are very user friendly. Some games start as low as $5 but you can find some that punch out $50,000 or more per month in prize money. Best thing about the game is the ability for you to play anyone in the world. As the game is accessible online, you can pit your skills against Michael in Israel, Lek in Thailand, Ali in Turkey or Phyllis in Canada. No one says you have to jump into a big money game with the idea of winning the farm. Like other games of skill, get your feet wet. Start slow, learn the game. Get a feel how other people play the game. Learn from playing against the experts and near-experts and apply that knowledge to future play for greater profits.
Want to go for the top dollar tournament events? You can try joining Backgammon for money tournaments. In these multiplayer sessions, you can play against several players from around the world and increase your chance to win lots of money. You should also be aware of how the tournament is structured in order to get an idea of your chance at it.
A good recommendation is to start playing in small tournaments, competing against anywhere from two to six players. In these tournaments, earnings start at a minimum of $300 but winning up to $50,000 in cash is not unusual.
Stay away from sites that require you to pay to download their software. Legitimate Backgammon sites encourage you to download their game software for free, and they offer all kinds of technical help to make sure you download it right.
Play for FREE and learn before you earn.
While Backgammon was popular a long time in the Middle East, but it wasn't as popular as it is nowadays. Actually it started to gain popularity since the 1920s, when the doubling cube was introduced in the game. So the doubling cube increased the fame of the Backgammon game and since then it has been perceived as a gambling game, and very soon in America appeared clubs where people had the opportunity to play it. In the 1970s Backgammon became a caprice, being played in tournaments well paid for everybody. Since then the popularity of the game has decreased, but it is still played by a lot of people, and Backgammon clubs can be found everywhere. Nowadays, it is a game of great attraction on the Internet, where it can be played online.
Know the rules before playing the game.
You don't need luck when you know the board.
Playing to win isn't hard,
Strategy tips to learn before you can earn.
You must choose the most appropriate tournament for you.
Winning Strategies for Backgammon
Find out what doubling is all about.
Backgammon Around the World

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