The Basics of Dominoes and Backgammon
 |
If you’re looking for a fun game to play at Christmas with the family, why not go for something traditional and entertaining like Dominoes or Backgammon?
Here are guides to the basics of each game.
Dominoes
A domino is a small plate object with numbers representing the potential results of rolling a pair of dice. For the purposes of gameplay, these numbers can be used in many different ways. In the most common sets, the highest number a set of dominoes will reach is a pair of sixes. Typically, (including blanks) this means there will be twenty eight potential pairings of numbers.
When talking about one particular domino, you refer to it in terms of its number of pips, in ascending order. So for example, for a tile with 6 pips on one end and 2 on the other, it would be known as a “two, six”.
To describe how many numbers of pips a domino has, the terms “heavy” and “light” are used. So, a “six six” is heaviest, and a double blank is the lightest.
Dominoes are thought of as belonging to suits in the same way that cards in a deck are. Doubles belong to one set only, whilst the rest belong to two – there will usually be seven suits in total for an average set of dominos which span from blank to six.
The dominoes should always be shuffled before starting play, to make sure that everyone playing receives a random selection. This is done most easily by laying them all down face down on a table and moving them around the surface until they are all mixed up. Now you know the basics, you can find out how to play some of the many games for dominoes by searching for “All Fives”, “Fortress”, “Sebastopol” or “Solitaire”.
Backgammon
A game for two people, Backgammon is very challenging, fun and perhaps one of the oldest board games still widely played today. Games typically don’t last too long, so it’s still a good one to enjoy with the family over the festive season.
Different people refer to the pieces with different names, so for continuity’s sake I will call them checkers.
The surface of the board is made up of 24 long triangles, or ‘points’, which are usually in alternating colours. The 24 are thought of in four groups, and for each player two of these groups are known as the home board and two the outer board, with this reversed for the opponent.
There is a barrier between the two sides called a bar.
The board’s triangles are numbered from one to twenty four, with the leftmost being ’1 point’ and the rightmost being ’24 point’. The opposite is applied to the opponent’s board.
The organisation of the checkers on the board must be as follows. 15 checkers for each player. 5 checkers on each 6 point, 3 on each eight point, 5 on each 13 point and 2 on each 24 point. Each player should have a pair of dice with an additional doubling cube.
Entertainment Weekly (1-year auto-renewal)EW is your all-access pass to Hollywood's most creative minds and fascinating stars. They're the first to know about the best (and worst) in entertainment, and with their sharp insight and trusted voice, they keep you plugged into pop culture. It's where buzz begins.
PlayStation 3 Dualshock 3 Wireless Controller (Black)PS3 DualShock 3 Wireless Controller - Black
Related Videos:
Making Home made Carp Baits Addictive To Fish!
Conscious Dreaming – Wake Up Your Dreams!
Amazing Secrets Of Chakra Meditation Therapy
Backgammon Feed
What do you think about this write-up?