Having spent rather a lot of time playing numerous games I guess it’s no surprise that the ones that have lasted thousands of years are actually rather good.
I’m a fan of chess, but it requires a level of commitment I don’t have plus I’m not overly fond of the analysis paralysis it induces in me. Add to that, the fact (for me at least) that it needs a good hour or so to play then it is shuffled into a pile of other things I’d rather be doing with that time. Backgammon has a lovely amount of speed, strategy and luck allowing it to flow extremely well. It can be played in a single match often less that 10 minutes – where plain luck will frequently shine through – or to a number of points with the Doubling Cube thrown into the mix to really bring the skill of Backgammon to the fore. Some folks also use this element to add a little monetary spice to the game.
I have no recollection what sent me down the Backgammon path but having picked up a cheap roll-up “board” and spending far too much time playing/watching YouTube videos/etc, I decided to upgrade to something a bit better. Unfortunately my first “upgrade” was rather low quality so I bit the bullet and picked up a much nicer Crisloid board with some minor customization. I’m currently about 4 months into playing Backgammon and have discovered that I still have much to learn. The game is excellent at making everyone feel like a good player and that luck is simply going against them – it’s always a players skill, not luck, when they are doing well ;-). The truth is much easier to see when you play against XG (Extreme Gammon is the de-facto standard for perfect play and an essential purchase if you seriously intend to get better at the game). Extreme Gammon lets you know the best move and to what degree it is better. It will also give you a rating at the end in PR (player rating similar I think to a chess ELO) and let you know whether you are World Class, Intermediate, etc. I currently often get rated as Beginner, Casual Player, or insultingly “Distracted”… The truth hurts I guess 🙂
Since being suitably brought down to earth by the computer I have picked up a book to help bolster my learning of the deeper aspects of the game. I’m currently playing a local fellow who boasts 40 years experience – although admits that perhaps “only” 20 of those years are really valid. He’s obviously much better than I at the game so it’s always good to occasionally grab a win – deserved or not.
I might add a few posts in the future as a record of my journey. On Backgammon Galaxy I went down to about 1100 GR rating (however that is measured) but have since brought that back up to around 1400 where I have been staying for the past month. Hopefully this will improve as I go through the book.
Cheers,
J