The Doubling Cube

The doubling cube is used in Backgammon when playing in tournaments or cash games over the Internet. It is basically a way of raising your stakes just like in Poker.

Before you roll on your turn you can throw the doubling cube at the level it is at to double the size. The advantage of this for you is that you are playing for double the stakes, the disadvantage is that your opponent now owns the doubling cube and in the future can use the cube to double the stakes further if he thinks he is in control of the game.

As the game opens, the cube stays in the middle until either player decides to use is. The roll decides the amount of points to be played for. Whoever throws the cube loses control of it.

Even though the cube is in play there are still Gammon and Backgammon points to be won if any of these are achieved. A Gammon is won when you have moved of all your checkers and your opponent hasn’t moved any off. The points won for a Gammon is 2 or double the amount of the cube. Backgammon is achieved when you have moved off all your checkers and your opponent hasn’t moved any off and still has checkers in your section of the board. The points won for Backgammon is 3 or triple the amount of the cube. These bonuses are always in play whether the cube is in play of not. If the cube or Gammon/Backgammon were not in play then the winner would achieve 1 point. When playing for money on the Internet you must turn the cube to achieve the bonus points with a Gammon or Backgammon. This is called the Jacoby Rule, invented by Oswald Jacoby.

You have two decisions when doubled. You can decline the double and lose out on the cube points if you were to win or accept the double and be in control of the cube and risk that you will win. If you win, and you have accepted the double then you win the cube points and your opponent would lose the points. If you lose and you have accepted the double then you lose the cube points and your opponent wins them.

» Continue to: The Doubling Cube part II