CarAlarms.com 377 manual Gammons, Doubling Cube, Hints On Strategy

points occupied by the player’s pieces, then you must move the piece further along in your home table.

Gammons

If the loser has not managed to bear off any men but does not have any of his own men in the winner’s inner table or on the bar, then the winner scores 2 points. This situation is called a “Gammon”.

If the loser has not managed to bear off any men and also has at least one man on the bar or in the winner’s inner table, then the winner has made a “Backgammon” and his basic score is 3 points.

The winner’s basic score is then multi- plied by the value of the doubling cube to obtain the actual number of points scored.

Doubling Cube

Use of the doubling cube can make the game much more exciting. The cube has its faces numbered 2,4,8,16,32 and 64. At the start of the game the cube is “in the middle”, it does not have any effect at that stage.

Before he rolls the dice to make a move, a player may take the cube from “the middle” and offer it to his opponent. If the opponent accepts the doubling cube, it is turned up with the number 2 showing on it. On any of the opponents turns, before he rolls his dice, he may offer the doubling cube to the other player. If the other player accepts it, the face with the 4 is turned up and the cube is held by that player. This can continue to happen until the maximum cube value of 64 is reached.

Hints On Strategy

Early in play it is best to leave your back pieces alone, unless you can bring them out on good throws (6-5, 6-6, 4-4, or by hitting a blot). As the game moves on, you should try to make a prime which is six consecutive closed points. Your oppo- nent cannot move over a prime, so you have blocked him in, thus increasing your chances of winning.

You should hit your opponent’s men when he leaves blots far from you home table. Enemy blots in your home table are dangerous to hit, since your opponent may re-enter and hit your blot sending you back to the bar and your inner table.

As your opponent makes points in his home table you should play more cau- tiously because it will be more difficult for you to enter a man after being hit.

If you use the doubling cube feature, you should know when to offer a double. If you double too soon, your opponent’s position may improve and he will redou- ble; if you double too late, your opponent will not accept the double and your win may have missed a gammon or backgam- mon.

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