Backgammon versus Chess

I love backgammon too, though don't really understand the bidding part. I like to play on zooescape.com under my nickname of ATJ1968

Backgammon is a much faster paced game with more ups and downs compared to chess.  Some chess masters have given up chess for backgammon because they got tired of having to memorize hundreds of openings necessary to compete at the higher levels.

I used to play in a lot of chess tournaments but now play backgammon almost exclusively.  Even though there is memorization when it comes to probability and strategy it is nothing compared to chess and one can become fairly proficient at backgammon even as age creeps up on you.

One last point.  Though the best backgammon programs are better than world class players (not by a wide margin like chess), humans can still manage to win matches against the machine though not very often.

The longer the match the less luck is involved.  That is why championship matches play to 21.  Without the cube I agree that backgammon is mostly luck.

Apples and oranges

I believe the best book for someone starting out is "Backgammon for Blood" by Chris Bray.  Then find a site online that you like and start playing.

Another excellent and classic book to start is Paul Magriel's "Backgammon" 

https://www.amazon.com/Backgammon-Paul-Magriel/dp/1593860277/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Considered by many as the Backgammon "bible" and is really worth the money IMHO

There is no "bidding" in Backgammon.  There is a doubling cube, which is used when you are not playing isolated games, but rather are playing either to a certain score, or if you are playing for money.

The way it works is, at the start, the cube is off the board.  The doubling cube has 6 sides, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64.  If you are playing for points or for money, here's how it works.  Let's use a $1 bet as the basis for this per game.

Either player, if they feel like they have a great enough advantage to win, whether it be way ahead in total pips, a number of opponent's chips far back, or some other reason (I wouldn't say playing the "back game" is the time to double), that player can set the Doubling cube at 2.  He must do it before he rolls.

The opponent then has an option.  Surrender $1 and give up, or accept the double, at which point the doubler rolls.  The opponent of the doubler possesses the doubling cube.  ONLY HE can double to 4 at any point in the game.

A few moves later, he captures two of his opponents chips and fills in another slot in his home with double 6's.  Only way in is a 2 with 2 chips on the bar for the opponent.  He fails to roll a 2.  The guy now doubles to 4.  Opponent has a choice.  Surrender $2 (the previous doubling cube value) or play on.  If he plays on, doubler rolls, and the guy that accepted the double to 4 possesses the doubling cube and ONLY HE can double to 8 at any time.

The doubling cube can never go past 64, and always alternates between the players.  Declining a double means you surrender the previous double value.  You decline the 32 double means you surrender $16 (or 16 points in a points game).

When the game ends, the person that bares off all of his chips wins.  How much he wins depends on 3 things:

1) The amount of the bet.  In this case, it's $1

2) The doubling cube.  Let's say in this game, it's at 4

3) The opponent's situation with his chips.

The board has 24 pips.  The last 6 that you have to get them to on your side in order to start baring off is called your home.  You start with 5 chips on  your home 6-column.  Your opponent's home is the 6 pips on the opposide side.

REGULAR WIN:  If you bare off all 15 chips, and your opponent has bared off at least 1 chip, even if he has one captured after that and is on the bar and can't bare off any more until that chip gets back around, you score a regular win, and you multiply the bet by the doubling cube, which would be $4 in this case.  Your opponent must pay you 4 dollars.

GAMMON:  If you bare off all 15 chips, and your opponent has failed to bare off a single chip, BUT, he has no chips in your home, which are the back 6 pips from his perspective, you score what is called a GAMMON, and you get double the points or dollars, so in this example, $1 * 4 Doubling Cube * 2 Gammon is $8 that you win.

BACKGAMMON:  If you bare off all 15 chips, and your opponent has failed to bare off a single chip, AND he has at least 1 chip in YOUR HOME, it's scored a BACKGAMMON, and awards triple that of the doubling cube, so in this example, $1 * 4 Doubling Cube * 3 Backgammon is $12 that you win (or 12 points in tournament mode.)

Difference is you can be a great backgammon player but if the dice are running against you it won't help. Same with bridge, definitely a game of skill but get a bad run of cards and you're dead no matter how good you are. 

I prefer backgammon to chess.  But, in general, backgammon attracts gamblers while chess attracts searchers for truth.

There was a court case in 1982 where the vice squad arrested Ted Bar for running a backgammon tournament.  Former world champion Paul Magriel testified in that case and it was decided that backgammon is a game of skill and not a crap shoot.  The same ruling was found in 1976 in Alabama.  Ed Collins wrote an article on it.

http://www.edcollins.com/backgammon/backgamb.htm

Backgammon is a fun game but I prefer chess!

There is as much skill involved in backgammon as there is in bridge.