The popularity of backgammon gambling, in particular via online backgammon, gives rise to the question what are the attractions of backgammon gambling? It is important to understand that, contrary to what we might imagine, backgammon gambling did not originate with the Internet but it has probably been a key element since the backgammon game came on the scenes thousands of years ago. The game of Tabula, which was the name applied to backgammon in the Roman era was played exclusively for gambling purposes.
Getting closer to our own era, the introduction of the doubling cube in the 1920’s provided a major boost to backgammon gambling. It has now become almost mandatory feature of many backgammon sets and has expanded the backgammon rules and backgammon instructions with details of how the cube should be legitimately used. For example, the doubling cube should be positioned centrally on the gaming table with the number 64 displayed uppermost, and each player can cha
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15 Dec
Be smart, play smart, learn how to play casino craps the right way!
The Lay bet is for the 7 against your chosen number (i.e., the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) and the payoff is according to true odds. It’s the opposite of the Buy bet, much like the Don’t Pass is the opposite of the Pass line. For example, if you Lay the 10, you hope a 7 shows before the 10; whereas, if you Buy the 10, you hope a 10 shows before the 7.
The Lay bet pays off according to true odds, which are: 1:2 for the 4 and 10, 2:3 for the 5 and 9, and 5:6 for the 6 and 8. For example, the payoff odds for Laying the 10 are 1:2, which means you have to bet more money than you win. For every two dollars you bet, you win one dollar. It’s like the Don’t Pass where you have the advantage over the house because there are six ways to make a 7 and only three ways to make a 10. Therefore, you have to put up your fair share, which is twice the amount you hope to win. So, if your $20 Lay bet on the 10 wi
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9 Dec
Learning how to play backgammon successfully is probably easier to do today than in any other period of the backgammon game’s five thousand year history. We can imagine in the Ancient world the game was taught from father to son, or people learned the game by watching others play. There were no books of backgammon rules, not least because printing had not yet been invented, but also very few people could read. Closer to our own times, the game has been, and still is learned by many schoolchildren from their friends, and backgammon clubs have become quite popular.
Since the first backgammon regulations were published in the 1740’s there has been a gradual increase in the literature available about the game, and the last seventy years have seen many more guides to good play and tactics published. However, the introduction of the free backgammon game on the Web has dramatically increased the opportunities for both learning and playing the game far beyond those ava
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28 Nov
You think, “Tip the dealers? What? Losing money to the casino isn’t enough, now you tell me I have to give money to the dealers?” Yes, you should tip dealers, especially when they’re helpful. In the casino business, a “toke” is a tip. Dealers call tippers “George” or “live,” and non-tippers “stiffs.”
Dealers typically work for minimum wage (or close to it) plus tips. I compare them to restaurant servers because they provide a service and they rely on tips for their livelihood. The service that dealers provide includes properly handling your bets and winnings, answering questions about the game, being courteous and friendly, and just making your craps play more enjoyable.
Craps dealers typically share tips instead of keeping what they get. This makes your job of tipping a bit trickier. Ideally, you want to maximize tips for good dealers and minimize tips for bad ones. In terms of craps dealers, “good” versus “bad” isn’t necessarily a measure of
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28 Nov
