“E” Backgammon Terms

The first few moves of a game, before the players have settled on a particular game plan.

A comparison of the cost of doubling slightly before opponent's drop point versus doubling slightly past opponent's drop point. This number varies depending on the score of the match, the level of the cube, and the chance of gammon in the current game. It is useful in determining how aggressively a player should double to avoid losing his market.

The open point directly in front of a prime.

The average number of rolls required to bear off all your checkers multiplied by the average pip value of a roll (49/6 pips). A player's EPC is equal to his actual pip count plus the wastage of the position. For more information, see article by Walter Trice and post by Douglas Zare. The EPC is also known as the Trice Count in honor of Walter Trice (1949–2009).

A double made at or near the point of maximum effectiveness, when the opponent would be correct to either accept or refuse.

To abandon an ace-point game to avoid losing a backgammon (2) or a gammon.

A tournament event in which half the competitors are eliminated each round until just one player remains.  Compare: Round Robin Format.

A method of rating players devised by Arpad Elo for the U.S. Chess Federation in 1960. Most backgammon ratings systems are based on Elo's method; for example, see FIBS rating formula.

Equivalent-to-money-game equity.

The phase of a game which starts when either player begins to bear off.

To move a checker from the bar to an open point in the opponent's home board according to a roll of the dice. When a player has a checker on the bar, this is his only legal move.

Effective pip count.