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Backgammon Articles
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Backgammon Handicap
Backgammon does not have any official handicap system as board games such as chess and go have. Nevertheless, when two unequal backgammon players meet, there are several handicap methods used in order to even out two players of different skill levels.
The term handicap refers to creating a simulated advantage to one of the participants in a game or a competition by means of balancing the uneven starting conditions, usually by rewarding the less advantageous player or team extra points, improved opening point, etc. Since backgammon also does not have one formal rating formula (as chess has, for example), it is not always clear who is the stronger player, especially when playing backgammon online, where rating manipulations are not a rare practice.
In online backgammon rooms, it is acceptable to charge an extra commission from players with a large gap between their rating points. That way, the favorite player to win would face a potential fine for setting up a seemingly easy win, while the underdog agrees to take a bigger fiscal risk.
In live backgammon play, it is acceptable to let the less skilled player to make the opening roll. It is also common to allow them to open the game with an advantageous roll (like 6-5 or 4-2, for example) and even give them a single opportunity to reroll when an undesired pair of numbers is rolled by the dice.
When playing backgammon for money, sometimes it is agreed to enable the weaker player to pay most of the stake (about 70-80%) in case he loses. Yet if the weaker player wins, what can definitely happen in backgammon, he would still earn 100% of the final stake.
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