“D” Backgammon Terms

Doubling cube.

Two thrown dice with identical numbers on their upper faces.

One blot which can be directly hit two different ways, or two blots each of which can be directly hit one way.  Compare: Single Shot.

Doubles.

Doubling cube.

A cubical block, slightly larger than a regular die, with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 marked on its faces. It is used for keeping track of the increase in stakes of the game and the player who next has the right to double. The cube starts in the middle with the number 64 facing up (representing a value of 1). When you offer a double, you turn the cube to its next higher value and pass it to your opponent. If he accepts your double, he places the cube on his side of the board and becomes the owner of the cube. After the first double of a game, only the player who last accepted a double may make the next double. Rules that affect use of the doubling cube:  automatic doubles, the Jacoby rule, and beavers.

Offering a double in anticipation of a good roll.

The range of game winning chances which are both a proper double and a proper take.

The range of game winning chances which would be a proper double and a proper take if neither player could use the cube again.

An early-game move of a checker from the mid-point to the same player's outer board.

The random pairing of competitors in a tournament to determine who will play whom or who will get byes.

Refuse a double.

[From the server message:  Player xxx drops connection.]  A player on a backgammon server who avoids a reduction to his rating by intentionally leaving a match he is about to lose before the result recorded.

The maximum game winning chances at which it is correct for a player to refuse a double; the point at which a player is equally well off accepting a double or refusing a double; take point.

In a chouette, an agreement between two players after a double by the box that one player will accept the double, the other will refuse, and they will share their combined earnings or loss.

Double ducks.

A form of tournament play in which in which multiple pairs of competitors play with the same dice rolls in separate games and compare their results.  See: How to Play Duplicate Backgammon.

In a rollout, the use of the same sequence of random rolls with different candidate positions. The idea is that lucky rolls for one position will tend to be lucky for the other position as well, and luck will be less of a factor in the outcome. See post by David Montgomery.

See: Duplicate Backgammon.

A position in which the same number can be used constructively in more than one way. For example, when your opponent can use a 5 to hit either of two blots, his 5's are said to be duplicated. All else being equal, a position which duplicates the opponent's good numbers is better than one which does not because it means the opponent has fewer good rolls in total. See post by Simon Woodhead.

A backgammon variant in which the players start with all their checkers off the board.  See: How to Play Dutch Backgammon.