The Doubling Cube Continued...

Example of using the doubling cube in online Backgammon:

You first throw the cube and achieve 6. Your opponent accepts the cube. He then doubles you to 12. You have to decide whether to accept this double. If you decline you lose 6 points but don’t risk anymore. If you were in a bad position and accepted the double then you risked losing 12 points. If you accept the double, you take possession of the cube and can double the stakes further if you wish in future throws if you feel you are in a good position. Obviously Gammons and Backgammons play a major part in scoring a lot of points in this game. If the cube has been rolled and a Gammon is scored then the points are doubled and trebled for a Backgammon so if you are in a good position then it’s worth your while to double and keep on doubling. The risk is if you lose then you stand to lose a lot of points.

When you have accepted a double but you know you are in command of the game then you would introduce the beaver. This is when you double straight back after you have accepted a double. This is where the game becomes highly competitive and where there is a lot at stake. If your opponent feels he is in command then he could introduce the Racoon. This is called Racooning the Beaver. Basically doubling straight after another. This could be tricky pushing the points very high where either a lot of points or money is at stake.

Tournaments don’t have Beavers or Racoons. A tournament is played to a set number of points and the first player to achieve that is the winner of the match. Beavers and Racoons are only played in money games. In tournaments you can achieve the maximum points needed to win a match in only a few games by doubling the cube. Matches can be won very quickly by using the cube.

The cube in Backgammon adds to the whole excitement of the game. The gamble when playing for money lies in the cube. You must take or decline the cube wisely if asked and double the cube sensibly when you own the cube or you risk losing lots of money or points. If the gamble pays off you stand to win lots of money or gain lots of points. Overall Backgammon can give you hours of fun and enjoyment but you must play the game with an intelligent mind and you could see yourself becoming highly respected.