Backgammon Dictionary

Over the board.

[Another furry rodent, by analogy to beaver and raccoon.]  An immediate redouble (while retaining ownership of the cube) by the player who just accepted a raccoon.

The side of the board away from where the players bear off their checkers. Each player's outer board comprises that player's points seven through twelve.  Compare: Home Board.

Outer board.

The outer board, particularly points nine, ten, and eleven.

A contiguous sequence of blocked points in which the majority of those points are in the outer board.

Points (4) won in excess of those needed to win a match. For example, if you win a game worth 4 points in a match in which you are 2 points away from winning, the surplus 2 points are overage.

Make an unnecessarily big play.

Games played face-to-face, as opposed to on the Internet or by correspondence.

To have two or more checkers on a point (1) so that the opponent is blocked from landing or touching down there.

The player who last accepted a double in the game. He places the cube on his side of the board to indicate that only he may make the next double.  See: Cube Ownership.

The player who last accepted a double is said to own the doubling cube. He places the cube on his side of the board. Only the owner of the cube may offer the next double in the same game.  Compare: Centered Cube.

A succession of events, each of which depends on the preceding event. The probability of the entire parlay is equal to the product of the probabilities of the individual events.

A prime of fewer than six consecutive points (2).  Compare: Full Prime.

Chouettes with a large number of players often permit the box to take a partner. The partnership is offered in rotation, starting with the captain and moving on down the line. If no one offers to be the box's partner, a partner may be chosen by lot from among the team members other than the captain.

Refuse a double.

To play safe in the current position but risk greater danger later in the game.  Compare: Pay Now.  See: Pay-Now-or-Pay-Later Decision.

To take an immediate risk (such as leaving a shot) to avoid the prospect of a more serious risk later in the game.  Compare: Pay Later.  See: Pay-Now-or-Pay-Later Decision.

[From a 1980's television commercial for FRAM oil filters which showed a ruined car engine and a mechanic who quipped: "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later."]  The problem of whether to take a modest but definite risk on the current turn or wait and perhaps take a more serious risk in the future.

The best possible roll; a joker.