Bluffing in Backgammon
At first, the concept of bluffing in backgammon seems odd. How can a backgammon player bluff when – unlike poker, the game from which the term was borrowed – all the information is out in the open and the players can view their opponents' state at any time? Despite the openness of the backgammon board and pieces, backgammon players can gain an advantage over their opponents by doubling with uncertain positions, bluffing in other words.
Backgammon and poker share several characteristics, therefore, both games require their players to activate similar qualities such as the ability to evaluate odds while taking in account randomness, the capability to plan the sequence of a game regardless to appearances of luck and the talent to put the opponent under pressure by bluffing, among other things.
Bluffing in Poker
The term "bluffing" is borrowed from the poker terminology, where it refers to the act of betting or raising, not necessarily with a winning hand, by means of deceiving the opponents, causing them to believe the bluffer is holding a much stronger hand, and eventually leading them to forfeit the game. Bluffing is considered to be one of the fundamentals of poker and poker experts are familiar with handful of bluffing strategies.
Backgammon Doubling and Bluffing
As mentioned earlier, bluffing in backgammon is more difficult than in poker, mainly because the value of the position is visible to both players. However, by sensing the opponent's insecurity in an unclear position, you can turn the cube and encourage the opponent to drop out of the game.
Kit Woolsey's explained it better in the thumb rule known as "Woolsey's Law of Doubling" saying: if you are not sure whether to take or pass, you should always double. That way, even if doubling is not the correct move, it can still have the same threatening affect on your opponent as bluffing has in poker.
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