Tips backgammon

IN backgammon, you are trying to get your pips home whilst preventing the other person from doing so before you.

You can run- try to get all your pips home as fast as possible

You can block- make it hard for the other player to get their pips home

You can do a combination of the two- blocking and running in response to your dice rolls. Luck is a huge aspect of backgammon, so responding to your dice rolls is important.

In general, you want to avoid getting put on the bar (being a blot, when you have one pip alone on a point and your opponent lands on it, meaning you have to start over with it) but sometimes, it can be strategic, such as when your opponent have lots of blots in their home court. Don't just "bump" people onto the bar without considering your own situation.

The points- going from the one colour to the same is always an even number; going to the other colour is an odd number.

You have lots of pips in your home court to help you block it- there are some classic blocking roles- 6/1, 3/1, 4/2, 5/3. Learn the classic moves, and it makes play easier. For example, a 5/6 gets the 1 pip in your opponents home court to the opposite end of the board.

It helps to watch your opponent- if they are running, try to block. If they are blocking, run. It doesn't always work, but ... it's one way to approach the game.