Backgammon and Gambling

Gambling has been an attraction of backgammon from its earliest beginnings. Tabula, an ancient version of backgammon dating back to the Roman era was played for gambling purposes. Gambling in backgammon didn't actually start with the Internet.

Giving it a closer look, backgammon as a game for gambling isn't actually that obvious to us since when we were kids when we see a backgammon board we come to think of it as a board game like chess. There are those of us who grew up playing chess or checkers on one side of a board game, then flipping it over we see a wonderful array of triangles but never seem to understand how backgammon was played.

A boost to the gaming concept behind backgammon came about with the introduction of the doubling cube in the 1920's. Nowadays, backgammon sets would always come with the cube and would include rules on how to use it during a game of backgammon. The cube action rules eventually would introduce the concept of gambling to new players.

Principle behind the use of the doubling cube as a method of gambling is pretty simple. Initially the doubling cube would be at the center of the backgammon board. Showing that no one has control over the cube. If players see themselves in a better position they would usually raise the stakes and offer the doubling cube to their opponent. This appears much like raising the wagers at a casino card game.

If the opponent accepts the offer to double the stakes, that player gets to keep the doubling cube on his side of the board. Showing that that player is the one who has the right to raise the stakes one more time. If the opponent would rather decline the offer to double the stakes, he loses this backgammon game, but only loses at least one point if they are playing a backgammon match or a race to a certain number of points.

The stakes in a backgammon game can be raised over and over. But there are certain rules to how many times the stakes in a game can be raised.

The advent of the Internet has given backgammon and its subsequent gambling aspect another boost. Nowadays, players don't really have to pay an entry fee to join a club or to purchase a backgammon set (though the really hard core backgammon players and enthusiasts would really spend cash to have an expensive and exquisite backgammon set).

There is no mistake about it, gambling is still one of the key features of backgammon. It may be a race game, but gambling is at the heart of any backgammon game played out there.