 There are all kinds of situations in backgammon that mirror poker as the fates of each opponent are dictated by the roll of dice or the falling of a card. In backgammon as compared to poker, games can turn around again and again as each game is much longer.
In poker there are four rounds of betting that follow the dealt cards, flop, turn and river but in backgammon a typical game can be 20-30 moves with the cube in play and sometimes many more.
Backgammon is akin to baseball in that it can go on indefinitely whereas a poker hand is over in a few minutes generally.
It is the number of moves in each game and the resiliency of your game winning chances, which makes backgammon such an exciting and nerve-wracking game.
In poker you could for example have pocket kings and be far in the lead as the flop came KdKs2c. Your opponent could have Jd10d and hit Ad on the turn and Qd on the river to make a royal flush.
The odds of that occurring would be 2 outs in 47 times 1 out in 46. That is 2/2162 or 1080/1. That is sufficiently a rare occurrence however bad that may be that is as bad as it gets in poker.
In backgammon the beats or (suck-outs) can be much more brutal or exciting depending on what side you are on. In position 10 here is an example of an extraordinary game I once witnessed.
The odds of my friend winning this game were calculable by determining the parlay of multiple events that were necessary to lose. He was Black on roll and won this game. What was necessary for him to win here?
He had to stay out with 11, 22, 21 or 12 (4/36). His opponent had to roll an ace (but not 11) 10/36. He had to stay out again 1/36. His opponent rolled a double 1/6. He hit the checker 11/36 and he won the game 1/14.
Let's string those numbers together and see how that compares to our runner-runner royal flush situation. 4/36 (1/9) x 10/36 (5/18) x 1/36 x 6/36 (1/6) x 11/36 x 1/14= 1/320,654. Imagine Phil Hellmuth losing this game and explaining the odds to the television audience.
This is an exceptional example of course and rarely happens but I have witnessed and experienced bad beats and incredible suck-outs over my many years of playing backgammon. The only thing that comes close in poker in terms of those odds is being dealt two cards to a royal flush and then flopping it. The odds of that occurring are 649,739/1. Amazingly in my 5 years of playing poker I did flop a royal flush in hearts at the Bicycle Casino during a tournament.
I'm not trying to scare you off of playing backgammon, quite the contrary. I'm just showing you that backgammon is a game of incredible resiliency and one in which you are never out of it until it is mathematically impossible which as you witnessed in the previous example is most every game.
While poker can have a suck-out and re-suck on the river, backgammon, the swings can go on and on and games can be incredibly exciting.
Another reason why poker players might like to try backgammon is that is a game of constant action. You always have something to do since it is a head to head game.
In poker most decent players fold about 85% of the time and while your time is well invested during those hands to pay attention to the betting patterns tells and counter-tells of your opponents, that can be wearing over time and not as exciting as if you were in the hand yourself.
In backgammon every other move you have something to do as you will roll the dice and move the pieces in response to what your opponent does on his turn.
I have spoken to many top poker players and many of them enjoy backgammon more than poker because of those factors.
Another difference between poker and backgammon is bluffing. While bluffing does exist in backgammon by interpreting your opponent's body language, attitude, and your experience playing against him, it is basically an open information contest in which your decision to continue the game you are in is based on odds alone.
In poker of course bluffing is a good part of the game. While this can be intellectually stimulating, it can be somewhat frustrating when you guess wrong and fold a winner or make a "dumb" call on the turn when you were drawing dead.
I don't advocate poker players give up poker to play backgammon. Quite the contrary, I play both games and enjoy both games for their own qualities but from time to time I take a break from backgammon and try my skills at poker.
Poker players might have the same need to try a different game in which they can't be bluffed out. That to me is one of backgammon's enduring qualities in that you win and lose on your own merits as a player and aren't subject to being tricked by your opponent.
For those of you poker players who still love to bluff, it exists if only in a much more subtle way in backgammon as I have bluffed out many less experienced backgammon players by sensing their lack of comfort or by some harmless table talk to get them to do the wrong thing
It's a good idea to have a different game to play once I in a while and the variety of backgammon and its excitement can help you refresh yourself when you are ready to play some more poker.
Live poker is generally spread in multi-handed games nine or ten players. Sometimes games get shorthanded but there is rarely heads up play unless you get to the final two players at a tournament.
Live backgammon has three main variations that give you decent alternatives in your playing conditions. You can play against one opponent head to head. You can play in a chouette where one player plays against another and individuals on the side can bet on one player or another.
In addition backgammon players can play tournament games where players play to a set number of points and the first player to reach that number wins the match. Players advance in tournaments like the draw sheet of Wimbledon until there are two players left. The winner of that final match is the winner of the tournament.
Players who lose in early matches generally play in either a second chance bracket or a consolation tournament, which gives players who lose one match an additional chance to win cash prizes.
The drama of a backgammon match is extensive. I have experienced such highs and lows during individual matches and tournaments as you must run the gauntlet of pending disaster on each tournament, match, game and move.
In backgammon you move towards a victory or try to ward off defeat by making tactical decisions within the greater strategic whole.
I have experienced brutal losses having lost won games one after another to see a victory end in defeat but also have won from some amazingly difficult positions as I did in the finals in Los Angeles coming from 14-0 down to fifteen to win the tournament.
It's all part of the game. If you won all the time how much fun would that be anyway. The experience of the struggle is part of what makes backgammon an exciting game to play.
Many of the players I play with have been playing for decades and one player who is a regular in our game has been playing for 78 years. I doubt that if the game weren't interesting and exciting he would have played for 78 days.
Another fun way to participate in backgammon is in a doubles tournament. This contest faces two teams of two players against each other. You may discuss strategy with your partner and your opponents will discuss their decisions as well.
Watching good doubles teams play against each other is a great lesson since you get inside the minds of these top players and see their, though processes in action. In poker games this isn't practical, as hidden information would preclude any public discussion of strategy.
The closest poker gets to this is watching televised poker where selected experts weigh in on the decisions made at the table. This can be interesting and educational but sometimes I have seen the "expert's" rationale fit the situation and not be sound advice.
Backgammon as well as poker can be played live or online. There are quite a few sites to play at and you can play for free at most of them. You can watch good players play at GamesGrid and learn from their moves. The good players generally have ratings over 1800 but some may be below that.
Poker has had a tremendous increase in popularity in the last few years and I'm sure that with an influx of new poker players trying backgammon that we can share the limelight with poker in the world's imagination.
Play well and have fun.
Steve Sax
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