4 ms·

Started looking at backgammon after reading your comment. I find it fascinating. I'm probably going to go ahead and invest some time learning it. Thanks. I fou

Started looking at backgammon after reading your comment. I find it fascinating. I'm probably going to go ahead and invest some time learning it. Thanks. I found this section on the Backgammon Wikipedia page relevant to this discussion: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backgammon#Legality https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backgammon#Legality

snarf21 6y ago
And to be clear, there is a lot of gambling on backgammon. Add in the doubling cube and it is similar to poker.
- OskarS 6y ago
  There's gambling on backgammon in the same way there's gambling on chess (or any game): sure, you can play for money, but that's not really the usual way to do it. Nothing in the game requires it. Backgammon clubs work essentially like chess clubs. And no, the doubling cube does not make it similar to poker. The doubling cube is just a way to add another element of risk/reward to the game. In poker, you literally have (fake or real) money in front of you and the entire point of the game is moving that money into the pot and trying to win the pot to gain more money. There's nothing comparable in backgammon.
OskarS 6y ago
Yeah, Backgammon is rad, I really enjoy playing it. It's also an incredible tool to teach both probability (given that you use two dice, and understanding the probabilities of dice events is crucial) and risk/reward judgment calls. It teaches many of the same lessons of poker, but without the gambling aspects. As for the section on that page, you could make the same arguments about monopoly, or any game that uses dice. Backgammon can be played for money like any game, but it's not the usual way to play it, and it's not integral to how it functions. Indeed, the conclusion of the judge in that case was that it was NOT gambling, but a game of skill.

4 ms·

Started looking at backgammon after reading your comment. I find it fascinating. I'm probably going to go ahead and invest some time learning it. Thanks. I fou

by hannofcart 6y ago

snarf21 6y ago
And to be clear, there is a lot of gambling on backgammon. Add in the doubling cube and it is similar to poker.
- OskarS 6y ago
  There's gambling on backgammon in the same way there's gambling on chess (or any game): sure, you can play for money, but that's not really the usual way to do it. Nothing in the game requires it. Backgammon clubs work essentially like chess clubs. And no, the doubling cube does not make it similar to poker. The doubling cube is just a way to add another element of risk/reward to the game. In poker, you literally have (fake or real) money in front of you and the entire point of the game is moving that money into the pot and trying to win the pot to gain more money. There's nothing comparable in backgammon.
OskarS 6y ago
Yeah, Backgammon is rad, I really enjoy playing it. It's also an incredible tool to teach both probability (given that you use two dice, and understanding the probabilities of dice events is crucial) and risk/reward judgment calls. It teaches many of the same lessons of poker, but without the gambling aspects. As for the section on that page, you could make the same arguments about monopoly, or any game that uses dice. Backgammon can be played for money like any game, but it's not the usual way to play it, and it's not integral to how it functions. Indeed, the conclusion of the judge in that case was that it was NOT gambling, but a game of skill.