Sports From Around The World

This is the next installment in a world of incredibly fun sports games played with dice. In the first installment I taught you how to play the college version of “Dice Football”. That was the simplest of all my dice sports games. Now it is time to start getting a little more complex. As, in all my dice football games you will need two dice, notebook paper and a pen or pencil.

You will recall that in the college version you got your box score set up so that you can begin the game and just take turns for four quarters. In the pro version the top team is always the home team and they always go first in the first and third quarters only. In the second and fourth quarters the visitor team goes first which allows the home team the advantage of “coming back” to win.

Both teams will only get three rolls of the two dice per quarter-instead of the five rolls per team in the college version. This discrepancy in rolls is due to the fact that it is much harder to score points in the pros than it is in college football. Oddly enough, it is also harder to shut out a pro team than a college team. That will be reflected in the field goal section below. You always allow the two teams to make their rolls (3) in the quarter all at once. In short, both teams roll two dice three times for each quarter of the game. Remember, the home team goes first in the first and third quarters only!

Just like in the college game scoring occurs when the two dice hit “doubles”. That is a touchdown and it’s worth six points. For the extra point you would roll two dice also-unlike the single one dice roll in college. If the dice roll results in “snake-eyes” (a pair of ones), the extra point is missed. Remember, you get three rolls of two dice per quarter per team.

Just as in the college game field goals can be attempted whenever one roll of dice results in a total of either a ten (4 & 6) or eleven (5 & 6). At that point you roll one dice to see if the field goal is good. When you attempt a field goal in the pro game and you roll a one, two, three, or four the field goal is good. Roll a five or six and that means you missed.

This is an example of how the pro game can break down. The home team rolls the dice two times before a pair of “fives” result…Touchdown! The home team rolls one dice and it results in a four…extra point is good-seven points total. The visitor then takes two rolls before rolling an eleven, which is a field goal attempt. He then rolls a two which means that the field goal is good. The total score at the end of the first quarter is home-7, visitors-3.

Neither team scores again until the fourth quarter. The visitor goes first and rolls once before rolling a ten. He rolls a six on his field goal attempt which means that he missed. Then he rolls doubles on his third and last toss and makes a successful extra point roll. His final score in the game is 10 points. Then the home team rolls three times and scores “doubles” on his last roll. He makes the extra point and wins the game with a final score of 14 to 10.

If the score ends in a tie just alternate one roll of two dice between the two teams until someone scores. In the next article I’ll teach you about handicapping the college and pro football dice games which allows you to play entire seasons and get “real-time” results. Till then, keep on rolling.

John DeJong is the creative designer for NotMeUSA. He’s been writing humorous advertisements for over 25 years. All the funny t-shirts, fun pill bottles, and gag spray bottles were created by him. You can see all his designs by visiting

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If you want to learn to play backgammon and you already know how to play checkers it would be piece of cake as it is very muck like checkers. Basically it is the same concept except some little differences. The board set up is quite simple and you can have a backgammon game ready to be played in a couple of minutes.

Backgammon set up is easy. Both the game pieces and the board come in the same box. The more experienced players may already own a complete set with board and game pieces; they could choose to personalize it.

You can purchase the boards from any game store or department. They are pretty cheap and are perfect gifts for your kinds or friends.

Into a backgammon box you should find a board and thirty checkers of two colors. Take out the board from the box and split the game pieces by color, one color for each of the two players. They will be placed on the board in a specific order before the game starts.

Also in the box should be a pair of dice which will be rolled and each player will take turn and move his checkers with the number marked on the dice to the opposite end of the board.

Each player will try to get all of his fifteen checkers to the home board and then bear them off. The first player to bear off all of their checkers wins the game.

It is a very fun game that you can even play on the go. The board set up is fun and easy and the clean up is even faster. If you choose for a travel board, they are smaller and more compact so they are easier to keep in the car or in the office so you can play the game whenever and where you please. The game cases are useful for keeping all the pieces together so you don’t misplace them.

You can even choose to have your game board and checkers custom made. They can be made of wood, plastic or even glass if you want. And if you like to play a lot you can have them made from lasting material so they don’t get worn out for several years.

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The game I played between two players. It’s a pleasant activity and a great way to spend time, at home or if you are on the go. Backgammon rules don’t change no matter where you play the game. Every backgammon set has a sheet with directions that show you how to play and describe all the rules.

To start the game you first set up the board. Your opponent sits on one side of the board and you on the other, opposite of him. Each player throws a single die; the player throwing the higher number now moves his checkers according to the numbers showing on both dice.

The direction in which you move your checkers is counterclockwise. A checker may be moved only to an open point, one that is not occupied by two or more opposing checkers. The numbers on the two dice constitute separate moves. A player must use both numbers of a roll if this is legally possible.

The first player to bear off all of their checkers wins the game.

The dice must be rolled together and land flat on the surface of the right-hand section of the board. The player must roll again both dice if a die lands outside the right-hand board, or lands on a checker, or does not land flat. A player who rolls doubles plays the numbers shown on the dice twice. A roll of 6 and 6 means that the player has four sixes to use, and he may move any combination of checkers he feels appropriate to complete this requirement.

You may move any of your game pieces you wish but remember that the object of the game is move all your checkers into your own home board and then bear them off.

This game is fun to play and easy to learn. There are a lot of rules to the game, so it usually is a good idea to keep the directions and rules for the game nearby so that if you get stuck, you can get the help you are looking for.

There can be some rules that may change if you are in a backgammon tournament or challenge. But they don’t modify the basic meaning of the game; usually they only change the scoring system in the tournament.

You can also play backgammon online. It’s the same as at home only that you don’t see your opponent and you may be playing for money, but the general rules are the same.

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Backgammon is a game for two players, played on a board consisting of twenty-four narrow triangles called points. The triangles alternate in color and are grouped into four quadrants of six triangles each. The quadrants are referred to as a player’s home board and outer board, and the opponent’s home board and outer board. The home and outer boards are separated from each other by a ridge down the center of the board called the bar.

The points are numbered for either player starting in that player’s home board. The outermost point is the twenty-four point, which is also the opponent’s one point. Each player has fifteen checkers of his own color. The initial arrangement of checkers is: two on each player’s twenty-four point, five on each player’s thirteen point, three on each player’s eight point, and five on each player’s six point.

The object of the game is move all your checkers into your own home board and then bear them off. The first player to bear off all of their checkers wins the game.

To start the game, each player throws a single die. This determines both the player to go first and the numbers to be played. If equal numbers come up, then both players roll again until they roll different numbers. The player throwing the higher number now moves his checkers according to the numbers showing on both dice. After the first roll, the players throw two dice and alternate turns.

The roll of the dice indicates how many pips the player is to move his checkers. The checkers are always moved forward, to a lower-numbered point.

A point occupied by a single checker of either color is called a blot. If an opposing checker lands on a blot, the blot is hit and placed on the bar. Any time a player has one or more checkers on the bar, his first obligation is to enter those checker(s) into the opposing home board. A checker is entered by moving it to an open point corresponding to one of the numbers on the rolled dice.

Once a player has moved all of his fifteen checkers into his home board, he may commence bearing off. A player bears off a checker by rolling a number that corresponds to the point on which the checker resides, and then removing that checker from the board. Thus, rolling a 6 permits the player to remove a checker from the six point.

Even though backgammon has many rules and regulations it’s a very interesting and fun game for all your friends and family members and it’s very easy to learn as all that rules aren’t difficult to understand.

Find more about Backgammon and Backgammon Directions.

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Backgammon is a game that can easily change because of the variety of moves possible at one point. If you are a rookie then some of the tips are ment to teach you how to play and other to provide you some prospect of the game’s strategy and help you win.

During the game try to stay focused on your moves and try to picture the next move. Don’t hurry and thing twice before making a move, and always watch your opponents moves very carefully.

Try to anticipate the other player’s next move and move in such a way that you don’t give him any advantage.

Don’t try to play too aggressive. Revise your strategy and try to put your own pieces to safety rather than attacking the pieces of your opponent. The most important thing is the win not to hit off all of his pieces.

If the other player gets points early in the game try sticking to him and don’t let him get too much ahead.

Try placing your pieces in strategic locations on the game board so that you block your opponent’s moves. This way you gain a big advantage and get very close to winning the game.

Try to always have an even number of pieces on the slots so that you avoid being hit by your opponent. This way you avoid losing important points. If you are to make a decision between hitting or getting a point you should hit but only if after that you can’t be hit in return. You will take off one of his pieces and will give you an advantage.

The bar point is known for giving your seven points. This is a risky position, which is why it is more valuable. If given the choice, head over and take a four or five point because these are more secure areas, where you can’t easily lose your pieces as you can in the seven position.

When you roll the dice they will tell you how many pieces you can make and what moves can and can’t be done. Always keep an eye on the dice and be sure that both you and your opponent move according to what they show.

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The rules of backgammon have been the same for many years. Many people have been playing the game and taking the challenge of backgammon and many off them realized that the rules are quite simple and fun. This may be the reason for the increasing popularity of this game.

The object of the game is move all your checkers into your own home board and then bear them off. The first player to bear off all of their checkers wins the game.

The roll of the dice indicates how many points, or pips, the player is to move his checkers. The checkers are always moved forward, to a lower-numbered point.

A checker may be moved only to an open point, one that is not occupied by two or more opposing checkers. The numbers on the two dice constitute separate moves. For example, if a player rolls 5 and 3, he may move one checker five spaces to an open point and another checker three spaces to an open point, or he may move the one checker a total of eight spaces to an open point.

A player who rolls doubles plays the numbers shown on the dice twice. A player must use both numbers of a roll if this is legally possible (or all four numbers of a double). When only one number can be played, the player must play that number. When neither number can be used, the player loses his turn.

At the end of the game, if the losing player has borne off at least one checker, he loses only the value showing on the doubling cube (one point, if there have been no doubles). However, if the loser has not borne off any of his checkers, he is gammoned and loses twice the value of the doubling cube. Or, worse, if the loser has not borne off any of his checkers and still has a checker on the bar or in the winner’s home board, he is backgammoned and loses three times the value of the doubling cube.

At first all these rules may be tricky and pretty hard to remember so if you get confused just take the instructions and read them again. Anyway the more you play you’ll see that it will be really easy to remember all the rules.

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Many peoples have played backgammon for many years as it is a very old game. Not too many people, though, know the history of this game but I can assure you a lot of things can be very interesting if you find the time to look it up. And if you are a vivid player this information would probably interest you.

Backgammon is one of the oldest games know to us that is still played today. Historians say that in Europe, it was first played somewhere in Greece but it has it’s origins from the Middle East countries of Kuwait and Iraq. Backgammon is almost 5000 years old.

In those times the territory that is now Kuwait and Iraq has been populated by the Sumerians who had a very strong culture. Some of their greatest creations are the wheel and the math system. They are also considered by historians the creators of the first written language.

The Sumerians designed the first version of the backgammon board and also came up with the pieces used for the game. Proof of this invention has been found recently by some historians.

The game was then played only by royal party or nobles but now it is for all social classes and especially for all cultures.

Both the Egyptians and the Romans played the game, but it wasn’t called the same in that times. They played the game in the same general purpose only that the boards were different and some of the rules.

Several centuries ago, in some societies backgammon was banned. For example in Japan the game was considered illegal. This can never happen today as the human rights are very important and the game is totally harmless.

In the 1960’s the popularity of backgammon had a boost. Very many people from all over the word became interested in this game and started playing it.

Today because of the huge progress of electronics and computers in general we don’t have to have a backgammon board to play the game. If you have access to the Internet, then you can play backgammon with the click of a mouse. There also are electronic backgammon games that you can play when on the go, in your car at work or even at home when you don’t have somebody to play with.

When you play online you can play with anybody you want to and the best thing is that you don’t see your opponent. And of course you gain a lot of experience that you can use when playing with your friends or family or when you participate in competitions.

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Multiplayer backgammon is played online, where you can have many people from various areas of the world playing the same game, at the same time. Where will you find these types of games being played? In casinos, in game rooms, and where people like to gather to play free games. Backgammon can be played fast for those who are advanced or in a slower manner for those who are beginners.

The object of the game is to put all your pieces on the opposite side of the board, where the points without having your pieces moved off the board, and getting the most points. You can lose some of your pieces, having the opponent take some of them and still have the most points because you are taking off the other player’s pieces at the same time during strategic moves. If your moves are blocked you can lose a turn, or at the same time, if you are blocking your opponent’s moves they will miss a turn. You will always be learning the game from others and having fun.

How does a multiplayer game start? Each player is going to be given fifteen pieces, red or white, and all the pieces are the same. The inner most portion of the board is where you want your red pieces to be as these are where the points from nineteen to twenty four will be located, which will help you win the game in the long run.

The points from one to six are for the white pieces, and they are marked on the board. Moving all your pieces to the inner portion of the board, and then moving them off and out of play is going to make you the winner if you do this first. The middle of the board is also known as the vertical area.

When playing backgammon online you find many games going on at one time. Multiple games are set up so many people can play at the same time. One can find that tournaments may take place online as well. Multiple boards going at one time over the course of a few days, and then who wins on those boards will determine who plays next and what time the next match will be set at. Now this is backgammon at its most exciting stage many will say.

Multiplayer games are exciting even if you are not playing the game yourself. You can watch other games, learn strategies and find out exciting new ideas on how to play the various types of backgammon that are out there.

Once you are ready to start playing a game, you can enter a playing room online. Then you will wait for another player to enter the room. When there are two players in a backgammon room online at a game site, you then play backgammon. There are areas where one can play backgammon by yourself, but if you want a partner online is an easy way to find a partner.

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Backgammon pieces look similar to those of the checkers. They are usually round in shape and serve the same purpose as checkers do. Backgammon pieces can be anything from plain plastic that you can find in any store with any normal backgammon set to specially made ones. Whatever your backgammon pieces are made of, I am sure that they serve their purpose.

Usually the pieces for the game come with the backgammon board. These come as sets and can be found in any board game aisle. They are not expensive and make great gifts for any child or even adult that is new to the game. You can also find almost any of the pieces for sale on the Internet.

If you are looking to give someone who has been playing the game for a while, the gift of backgammon, then maybe you want something a little more special. If you want to do this, then look into special pieces for their backgammon game.

You can purchase beautiful pieces or chips made with unique metals and colors. Some are hand made or carved by craftsmen. A serious backgammon player would love the quality that is put into the manufacturing of these hand made creations. This would be the perfect surprise for any board game lover.

Along with the pieces, you can even find special backgammon boards or sets. There are compact sets that can be used for traveling or even at work. There are also handcrafted boards made from wood. These have beautiful details and are so unique that you can be sure that the receiver does not have one already. What a great gift for the backgammon lover.

A wonderful touch to any backgammon gift would be for it to be personalized. Have their name or a special date engraved on the board or box for the game. This makes any gift more special and more memorable.

If you are wandering where to find unique pieces or sets for backgammon, it is very simple to find. If you are having no luck with stores, you can always turn to the Internet. Ordering online is very simple and almost everyone had done it at least once.

If you do not want to use the Internet, then there are catalogs that specialize in this kind of thing. You can usually find backgammon set there and you can always have them personalized later.

It really makes no difference what the pieces to your backgammon game are made of, or decorated with, just as long as they play the game.

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Playing backgammon with friends and family makes a great past time. This is time when you can make memories and have fun with your loved ones. It can also be about competition. There is no better competition then when it is about backgammon. Having backgammon tournaments with your family and friends will be fun for everyone and give you the practice that you need to become better.

Backgammon is a game that is played between two players. However that does not mean the only two people can play. If you are having game night with the family, then you can get everyone involved.

A fun and exciting way to play backgammon is to have tournaments. You can have a couple different boards set up through out your game room or living room. Have different members of your family play opposite one another and then have the winners play the winners and the losers play the losers. This would be considered a tournament of backgammon. If you are good at the game you may be playing at the winners table.

These tournaments are just for fun of course and something that would bring you and your family closer together by doing. You can make memories and have fun with a little competition at the same time.

If you are someone who plays backgammon often, then you may already be in tournaments with other backgammon players. There are different social clubs that participate in backgammon and have certain nights where they all get together to have tournaments. These tournaments may have certain awards presented to the champions. This is just a fun and exciting twist to the game of backgammon.

The people who participate in the tournaments are serious players and play the game for all that they are worth. There are players that wager money just like you would for poker and blackjack. These players are out for one thing and that is to win.

If you having a hard time finding anyone to have a tournament of backgammon with, then you can always go online. There are sites that offer tournaments or information about tournaments on them. These sites are great and can even help you with strategy and tips to become a better player for when you are playing with the family.

There is always somewhere to play backgammon. Whether it is in your living room or at a club or even on the Internet, you will have a great time playing the game.

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