Doubling Cube and Match Play       Help

Multi-point matches and doubling cube are supported in Backgammon GC.

Backgammon is usually played for an agreed stake (number of points) per match. Doubling makes sense only if a match involves more than 1 point. Each game starts with a cube at one. During the course of the game, a player who feels he has a sufficient advantage may propose doubling the stakes. He may do this only at the start of his own turn and before he has rolled the dice.

A player who is offered a double is allowed to refuse, in which case he concedes the current game within a match and lose the current number of points. Otherwise, h e must accept the double and play on for the new higher stakes. A player who accepts a double becomes the owner of the cube and only he may make the next double.

Subsequent doubles in the same game are called redoubles. If a player refuses a redouble, he must pay the number of points that were at stake prior to the redouble. Otherwise, he becomes the new owner of the cube and the game continues at twice the previous stakes. There is no limit to the number of redoubles in a game.

To allow yourself the opportunity to double even when no legal moves are available, select the preference option called 'No auto-rolls'. This will have to be done at least 1 move prior to doubling. Using this option will result in confirming all moves -- even those where no legal moves are available.

Doubling Cube FAQ

Question #1 2pt Match, if I'm losing the game (and the cube has not been doubled) and my opponent offers to double the cube and I refuse, do I lose the entire Match or is there another game or games played till the point equals 2?
Answer #1 When you refuse the double here, you are only losing 1 point - same match continues [with the start of a game] with the score 1-0 in favor of your opponent

Question #2 How do points and cube relate to each other?
Answer #2 Cube is NOT analogous to points.
When cube is set to any value [other than initial 64], this value is only meant to multiply OTHER normal gained game points.
Without the cube, the game within the match can earn 1 point [normal], 2 points [win with gammon] and 3 points [win with backgammon]
If the cube was set to 2 during the above game:
* normal [1 point] win in the game will be worth 2 points
* gammon win [normally 2 points] will be worth 4 points
* backgammon win [normally 3 points] will be worth 6 points

Crawford Rule

If a player comes within 1 point of a match, the next game is a 'Crawford round' and doubling is disallowed for this subsequent game only. The Crawford rule seeks to avoid giving the losing side an unfair advantage of doubling with no risk involved.

Clarification of Crawford Rule:
When one of the opponents is within 1 pt of winning the match, the answer to the question whether the doubling is allowed or not allowed depends on whether the 'Crawford round' game was played or not.
If a player comes within 1 point of a match, the next game is a 'Crawford round' and doubling is disallowed for THIS ONE subsequent game only.
During the Crawford round, NO doubling is allowed. After the losing side wins that Crawford round game, doubling is again allowed even if the winner is within 1 pt of winning the match.

Matches versus Point-Games

In standard backgammon match play, games are not played for a fee per-point. All matches are played for a fixed number of points: from 1 point to 15 points. Matches can consist of 1 or more games.

Winning a single game (even with Gammon or Backgammon) does not guarantee a win in a match - it just adds to the winner the points that count towards the current match. E.g., winning the 1st game with a Gammon in a 5pt match with the final doubling cube at 2, adds 2 * 2 = 4 points to the winner, making the total score in the match 4:0. At this point, however, the match is still not won -- 5pt. are needed for a win.

Using doubling cube in multi-point matches is done for a different reason than in per-point play: using the cube raises point-stakes for a game in progress within a match.