Favorite Backgammon Books

Here's a list of favorite backgammon books that we put together with some friends from DG -- as well as a "Poll Area" we used to have set up at http://www.zroundtable.com .

• Backgammon - 2004 Edition by Paul Magriel - truly a classic and considered to be a "bible" of one of our favorite games. By Magriel, one of the biggest names in the game.
• 501 Essential Backgammon Problems by Bill Robertie - this is a nice format. You can study the problems -- and soon you get a feel for how you should be thinking in various situations.
• Classic Backgammon Revisited by Jeremy Bagai - A well-received book with good reviews. Jeremy looks at some "classic" thought in the game (when the game was popular in the 70's/80's) and brings the game into the 21st century with good analysis aided by Snowie, GNU, Jellyfish -- and other software/analytical tools.
• Backgammon for Blood by Chris Bray - Great for beginners as well as intermediate and advanced players. A quick and juicy read, as the title suggests. Packed with info!

Gammon Tip -- Doubling Cube

After I played at DailyGammon for a while, I was stuck in the 1800 range. I "chatted" with a good player who said the vast majority of players could improve their game by being more aggressive with the doubling cube.

Novices should learn more about how the doubling cube works. Most intermediate and some advanced players will see a big jump in their game by being more aggressive and doubling when they have a "material advantage" and especially if there's a "gammon possibility."

My DG friend was correct. Within a few months, I saw my rating increase by almost 200 points! The cube can help you lock in the 1 point for sure, or double the value when you have the advantage.

More technical details on the doubling cube are beyond the scope of this blog -- but here's a great article with more details about the doubling cube.