“T” Backgammon Terms

An entire backgammon board.

One of the four quadrants of a backgammon board; for example, your inner table or outer table.

The English name for the Roman game Tabula.

A generic term for any game played on a backgammon board.

A system of betting where the players' stake in a game is limited to an agreed fixed amount. The idea is to protect the players from losing more money than they have at hand. It also evens the playing field when one player has more money at his disposal than the other.

A Roman game similar to backgammon in which players use three dice instead of two, and move around the board in the same direction. The game was also popular in England where it was known as Tables.  See: How to Play Tabula.

Short-term, calculable aspects of the game, as opposed to strategic considerations. Tactics in backgammon include: hitting blots, making points, clearing points, and avoiding unnecessary risks.

To start to throw your dice before the opponent has picked up his own dice to finish his turn; to roll prematurely.

Accept a double.

A way to settle a difference of opinion about whether a position is a take or a drop by playing a series of games starting with the position in question. The player who believes the position is a take plays the taking side owning a 2-cube and gets one point added to his score for each game played.

Bear off.

The minimum game winning chances at which it is correct for a player to accept a double; the point at which a player is equally well off accepting a double or refusing a double; a player's drop point.   Compare: Raw take point.

Hit a blot.

A Persian game similar to Western backgammon (1).  See: How to Play Takhteh.

A game popular in Bulgaria in which players pin opposing blots rather than hit them.  See: How to Play Tapa.

A Turkish game similar to Western backgammon.  See: How to Play Tavla.

The Greek name for games played on a backgammon board. These typically include Portes, Plakoto, and Fevga.  See: How to Play Tavli.

Tournament director.

The first strong neural-net backgammon program (1991), written by Gerald Tesauro.   See: Temporal Difference Learning and TD-Gammon and Learning from the Machine.

In a chouette, the players lead by the captain who play against the box; the captain and his crew.

A checker-play decision which primarily depends on tactical considerations. See post by Adam Stocks.  Compare: Positional Play.

An inadvertent clue as to whether you will be taking or dropping if offered a double. See post by: Tad Bright.