Backgammon Strategy Games Terms Part 3

Backgammon Strategy Games Terms, part 3 completes the backgammon glossary. Backgammon players, veteran and new players alike, will likely agree that this game should be categorized as one of the strategy games.

Backgammon Strategy  Games Terms: M

• Made Point: a point with 2 or more men on it, which ensures that it can't be hit.
• Men: the backgammon pieces or checkers, also known as stones.
• Mid-point: the 13 point.
• Mixed Roll: term for a roll of the dice that displays 2 different numbers, example is 3-4.
• Mix Up/Blot Hitting Contest: term for a game within a game where both players go up against their blots to score an advantage point on the board.
• Move: refers to moving pieces forward by a dice roll, bearing off or entering from the bar.
• Move Around the Corner or Move Down: term for moving from a challenger's outer board to player's outer board thereby crossing the mid-point. 
• Move In: 2 steps here, either moving from the bar to challenger's home board or movement from a player's outer to home board.
• Move Off: term for bear off.
• Move Out: motion that involves the opponent's home board to his/her outer board.
• Move Up: term for moving forward within the challenger's home board.
  

Backgammon Strategy Games Terms: O

• On the Bar: jargon for a piece that is hit and awaits re-entry to the game.
• Open Point: refers to area of the board that does not have 2 or more opponent's checkers.
• Outer Board: this is the place that dice are rolled and points 7 to 12 for any player.
• Outer Table: part of the table closest to the player and that is next to his home board. Numbered 7-12, it is also called the outer board.
• Outfield: referred to as the outer board and points 9, 10 and 11.
• Outside Prime: term for a series of blocked points usually on the outer board area.
• Own the Cube: that doubling cube is yours once you accept your opponent's offer.
• Owning a Point: when you line up 2+ checkers on a point, you have denied your opponent that position.
  

Backgammon Strategy Games Terms: P

• Partial Prime: valued at less than 6 points.
• Pass: player who says no to a double.
• Pick Up: you have just hit a blot. 
• Pay Now: occurs when the risk-taker type of player makes an early move versus later in the game.
• Pip: determines checker movement on a backgammon board. Example, a dice roll of 6-2=8 pips.
• Pip Count: a player starts with 167 pips and from that tally; it can be determined how many pips are required to win the backgammon game.
• Play: refers to a dice roll that then determines the subsequent checker move.
• Point: one of the triangular-shaped spaces on the board, where the backgammon checkers are placed.
• Point on a Blot: smooth move where a player hits the challenger's blot with 2 counters resulting in a point.
• PRAT: backgammon strategy games term for Position, Race and Threats, whereupon doubling decisions are made.
• Pressure or Squeeze: strategic move that puts pressure on an opponent to protect their blot.
• Prime: a consecutive row of four or more made points that block or hinder the opponent's options to move. Six points row is called a full prime.
• Prime Fighter: a player who accepts a double when she/he has one or more checkers stuck behind a prime.
• Pseudo Prime: a prime only four or five points in length.
• Pure Play: refers to technique focusing on making key points and building a prime.
• Pure Race: portion of the backgammon game where the winner is determined by the first player to bear off as no further contact between opposing checkers is probable.
  

Backgammon Strategy Games Terms: Q - R

• Quads: refers to a dice roll of 4-4 as four-of-a-kind in poker is termed a quad.
• Raccoon: jargon for an immediate redoubling once a player accepts a beaver.
• Racing/Non-Contact Position: when both opponents' checkers have passed each other and no further hits are possible, there is a race to see who will reach home and bear off their checkers first.
• Rail, Roof or Bar: refers to the center of the board dividing the home and outer boards where pieces are put once they are hit.
• Re-Circulate: strategy of deliberately leaving blots open to hits to protect another board position.
• Re-Double: occurs after the cube is offered/accepted as double.
• Re-Enter: backgammon strategy games term for playing a hit checker from the bar into the home board.
• Refuse a Double: offer is declined resulting in surrender of the game.
• Return Shot: when a player is hit and re-enters hitting one of the opponent's checkers.
• Roll: action of tossing the dice.
• Rolling Prime: action of moving rear checkers to the front.
• Root Number: term for a dice roll combo resulting in a collapsed position.
• Run: you are outta there with at least 2 checkers from your opponent's home board.
• Runner: refers to player's rear-most checker.

Backgammon Strategy Games Terms: S

• Safe: term for advantage position where no checkers can be hit.
• Safety Play: strategy move to protect your checkers from being hit.
• Sandbagger: player who, in the quest to win cash or prizes, overstates their backgammon capabilities.
• Save a Gammon: time to bear off one checker or more to prevent gammon or backgammon.
• Secure a Point: backgammon strategy reference to covering a blot.
• Set-up: refers to the original placing of checkers to begin the game.
• Shark: lingo for a skillful backgammon player.
• Shift Gears: tactical move to switch the game plan.
• Shift Points: action of moving checkers between points with the roll of the dice.
• Shot: refers to hitting a blot either with both dice=indirect shot or one die=direct shot.
• Shut Out: strategic advantage position where a challenger's piece on the bar cannot re-enter the game and he/she is forced to wait it out until a point opens.
• Single Game: refers to a game that ends without a gammon or backgammon and the winner gets the initial stake X value of the doubling cube.
• Single Shot: this is a blot that can be hit.
• Slot: to move one checker onto a point, with the intention of adding another to it later, thereby 'making' it.
• Slot and Split: to drop in a counter in your home board and separate runners.
• Slow Board: occurs when no checkers are on the high points resulting in a long bearing off situation.
• Snake Eyes: dice roll of double 1's.
• Spare: an extra checker on a made point, which can be moved without endangering the point.
• Split: action to separate two checkers on a made point.
• Solid Prime: refers to a full prime with no gaps.
• Stacking or Candlesticks: to assemble several pieces on a single point. Also known as railroad tracks or building pyramids.
• Stake or Money Play: refers to the amount bet. At the end of the game, this amount is multiplied by the value of the doubling cube and further multiplied by 2 if the loser is gammoned or X3 if backgammoned.
• Stay Back: backgammon strategy games term refers to a move to station one or more checkers in the challenger's home board.
• Straggler: a rear-most checker move into the home board that is stalled because of an opposing checker.
• Stretched or Stripped: situation where there are almost no spare pieces leaving the player in a possible hit position.
• Strip a Point: refers to taking all but two checkers from a point.
• Suicide Play: action of leaving a blot exposed to re-position checkers.
• Swing: refers to the point span between winning and losing a game.
• Switch Points: move to release a point to make another in the same move.
  

Backgammon Strategy Games Terms: T - Z

• Take: game action of continuing to play after having been doubled.
• Timing: the state of play as it affects a certain player. Generally it refers to maintaining a position when behind in the race to the finish. Timing can be called tempo.
• Under the Gun: refers to a blot in the challenger's home board that is within direct range of three or more of the opponent's builders, thus in danger of being pointed on.
• Unstack: action of removing at least one checker(s) off a heavy point.
• Wash: player strategy of switching points to hit a blot.
  

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