Backgammon: Five Advanced Tips (Lesson 48)

In this short lesson, I provide FIVE advanced tips to take your backgammon to the next level.

TIP ONE: Consider all rolls
TIP TWO: Play bold when no gammon risk
TIP THREE: Understand match equity
TIP FOUR: Do not underestimate ‘Too Good’
TIP FIVE: Escape your back checker when you can

[tgwnn]

I started watching them in random order, these are addictive! ❤

[JeffErdmann]

The more I play the more I love backgammon & the more I learn the more I need to learn! How did such a simple game get so complex & deep?

[neilwaldock]

Position 4 certainly is an unusual one, 7 men back and too good! In a situation like this it may be worth doubling, as it's only slightly too good, and you never know, green may well take if they are not very familiar with situations like this. Also, a loss of equity of -0.018 for white may be better than future equity losses through a difficult containment game. Get it over and done with and move on to a new game that you feel more comfortable playing. But then which one of us knows it's only a 0.018 error? Maybe Dirk does, but I certainly don't!

[tgwnn]

It's very unlikely that I'll use this in the near future but I'm glad I know Neil's numbers (or Turner's formula) so I could see immediately that passing is right

[armchairsportsman]

I feel like many of these positions deserve 20 minutes over a real board rolling em out. Especially the last one! With test bias I thought 137 87 deserved contemplation but thats what ill be rolling first just to see how bad that play is relative to everything else. Thanks Dan!

[viperite]

In the second example why isn't there a gammon risk for white? Especially if he gets hit. I would rather move 13 to 8 and try to hit and set a block/

[kdmq]

2:35 Damn is this white's first move? XD