- The MSN Gaming ZoneBackgammon, Gambling on luck or Gambling on Skill
Save This PageIf you came here to gamble then I would recommend the Gammon Empire, which is one of the leading backgammon gambling sites on the internet, otherwise have a read of this interesting article about the luck and skill in the backgammon game
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With the increase in backgammon’s popularity and the introduction of backgammon gambling, especially on the internet, the role of luck and skill has become more and more a topic of conversation. This is especially true now that betting on backgammon can be done by gambling online for real money, as it has been played live for many years.
Large backgammon gaming sites are becoming available for online backgammon gamblers, which allow players to find a game at anytime of the day or night, all over the world. Some sites that do it well are listed on the backgammon site reviews page. Wagering money on these gaming sites is relatively intuitive and easy to follow. Backgammon is a game of chance as well as skill, online you play against another real player and not an online casion computer.
Many people wonder about the role of skill and luck in backgammon. This page will compare the luck and skill in backgammon to pure skill games, other board and card games of skill and luck, and to casino gambling games, which are normally played for money.
Backgammon versus Chess, Go, Reversi (Othello)
Chess, Go, and Reversi are all games of pure skill. There is no luck or gambling component. The best player will not always win, but it is very rare for a player to lose to a significantly weaker player when playing at their best. This is most assuredly not the case with backgammon. There is a significant luck component to backgammon, and the weaker player will often have a winning chance.
Online backgammon is fast becoming a phenomenon, after the traditional forms of gambling online such as poker and other forms of online gambling sites, so much so that it is bringing in not just more entertainment and networking more players, but throwing up new issues as well. While people are fast rediscovering a once-upon-a-time popular board game in an online, easy to use and interactive atmosphere; many are still in two minds as to whether the game can be referred to as a game of chance or not.
Backgammon chance versus casino type betting
By comparison, there is a much greater skill component in backgammon gambling than in most casino games. Some casino games, like roulette or craps, contain no skill at all, and rely purely on luck and the way you bet on your money. Certainly a player can choose to make only the bets that are least favorable to the house. (For example, a wager on the pass and don’t pass line at craps have a house advantage of only 1.4%, and by taking the free odds bet that house advantage can be reduced well under 1%. On the other hand, some gambles like the hardways, Big 6 and Big 8, etc. have house percentages in double digits.)
Other gambling games, like video poker, blackjack, and some other card games, do have a skill element. Nevertheless, skill still can only reduce the player’s losses, not actually give him an advantage over the house, when gambling over time (except in some isolated blackjack situations, if you count cards).
I for one would never play traditional casino type games. While I believe in the randomness of the dice in games of chance, I would not trust an online gaming casino. It would be so very simple to tilt the odds in the house’s favor. And online gaming servers are intentionally located in places like Cyprus and Costa Rica, because the government regulation is very lax. Do you really trust the government of some country thousands of miles away, who is making a lot of money from taxes and fees on these gaming sites, to send in computer experts to make sure the programs are fair? I surely don’t.
However, backgammon is played between two players, and the sponsoring site has no vested stake in who wins. The online backgammon gaming site gets its rake no matter which player wins. This sits much better with me personally than the site winning when certain dice, cards, etc. come up.
Backgammon gaming versus Poker, Bridge, Cribbage
I do not think there is any question but that backgammon is a game of skill and luck – like poker, bridge, and cribbage. I am not going to comment on the relative importance of skill and luck when you bet. I will say for certain though, that it depends on the amount of games played. Surely, a weeklong backgammon match will favor the stronger player more than a 4-deal game of bridge. I am quite sure that for comparable amounts of time spent playing, duplicate bridge has a greater ratio of luck to skill than backgammon. I can’t comment on the other games of chance and luck.
Some players will wager money on the game software Snowie analysis of a backgammon match. They might play a match and wager, say, $20 on the outcome of the match, and $20 on who has the lower Snowie error rate. (They usually play these games on a personal computer rather on online backgammon gaming servers.) Often the better player must handicap the weaker player. For example, a top expert might agree that the Snowie wager goes to his opponent if the opponent’s error rate is within 2 points of the expert’s.
The courts weigh in on backgammon gambling
In the early 1980’s, the state of Oregon decided to "raid" a game tournament for real money. The tournament director, Ted Barr, was charged with promoting an illegal participation in games of skill or chance for money and/or other items of value, here backgammon was the issue. In a trial which included Paul Magriel appearing as an expert witness for the defense, the court found that backgammon met the test of a game of skill.
I am not a lawyer, and I don’t pretend to know what makes a game legal or not with respect to a state's gambling law. That depends on each state's law for wagering money on a game. The Barr case is a precedent only in Oregon, but it is unlikely that a court in another state would relitigate the same issue. For now, backgammon stands as a game of skill, and not game of luck like most traditional casino games. Whether it can be legally played for real money, I do not pretend to know.
Backgammon gambling - your money is safe on the internet
Besides having the law on its side, Backgammon also has the support of financers. Backgammon players can today use varied payment options to deposit money online, as it is being understood as the safest game on the Internet. Many credit card companies and money transfer organizations today allow backgammon players to easily deposit and withdraw funds for playing the game.
So what about playing backgammon online?
Well, backgammon is a great game. One of the great things about playing it online is that you can always find an opponent, and usually one close to your own skill level. You can play casual games, serious matches, or bet real money or games, matches, or tournaments.
So now that we have established that to backgammon gambling is ok, try playing backgammon for fun or for real money in one of the leading game communities. For example, on the Gammon Empire site, you can play for free, or for a low initial deposit of $5 you can play for money, so you can play for a little amount of cash and still have the excitement of playing for real money.
If you want to play for real money there are many places to do that such as the one listed above. Your choices are listed on the site's play backgammon page. You can also read some reviews of the gaming sites online. If you are interested in serious tournament play, I recommend warpgammon. If you are looking for shorter and less serious tournaments.
If you do play for real money, please be sure to understand all the rules of the site and the rakes you will be paying. Only play for real money if you are comfortable doing so, and are aware of the issues with gambling.
Bet with your head, not over it. If you think you have a gambling problem, contact Gamblers Anonymous