Skillgammon
Skillgammon is a backgammon variant that involves more skill than chance that appears in the original game. This is because Skillgammon allows you to pick a die roll from a group instead of rolling the dice yourself. The rest of the rules are the same as regular backgammon rules. Skillgammon is a great game that is very challenging.
History of Skillgammon
There isn't much known about the beginnings of Skillgammon, but the game of backgammon has a history that goes back 5000 years. The exact beginnings of backgammon are unknown, but there have been versions of this game found in ancient Egypt, East Asia, Rom and India.
The more modern version of this game as well as the name "backgammon" has its roots in England. A book explaining how to play the game called "A Short Treatise on the Game of Back-Gammon" was published in England in 1743. The word backgammon itself was first found in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1650.
In the United States, backgammon was introduced in the 1920's but didn't really gain in popularity until the 1960's. Backgammon continues be be very popular with tournaments and clubs happening all over the United States. It is because of the popularity of backgammon that caused variations like Skillgammon to be made in the first place
How to Play Skillgammon
The game play in Skillgammon is very similar to backgammon. The only real difference is that instead of rolling dice, you get to pick out your dice roll from a series of choices. This turns the game from one of chance to one of skill.
There are two sides to the board, each with 12 points. The points that are closest to you are your home points. The points on your side of the board that are in the 1 to 6 positions are called the inner board, whereas the points in the 7 to 12 positions are called the outboard.
When a game of Skillgammon starts, you will have checkers already in place. The goal is to get all of your checkers onto the inner board on your side, so you can then you can start removing the checkers from the board. You do need to be careful, because if you have a single checker in a spot, your opponent can bump your checker into the middle of the board. You have to start from position 1 on the opponent's side of the board.
The strategy part comes in because you can pick from a list of dice choices which allows you to move to your side of the board or bump your opponent into the middle. Also if you pick a dice choice that has a pair of dice with the same number, you get two more moves. The first players to remove all of their checkers from the board is the winner.
Play Skillgammon for Real Money
If you already have a lot of skill when playing backgammon and find that you are also good with Skillgammon, you may want to consider playing Skillgammon in a head to head competition that offers real money as a prize. This can be a fun way to play a challenging game in your free time but having real money to show for our work.
When you play Skillgammon for real money, you still aren't playing against an actual opponent. You will be given a time period and will play against a computer opponent. The person you will be playing against will do the same. You are given points for the moves you make and the checkers your remove from the board. But points are taken off when your computer opponent makes their moves. At the end of the time limit, the player with the highest score is the one that wins.
There are several websites that you can play Skillgammon for real money as a prize. You just need to pick the website that most appeals to you and from there you can play a few practice games. This can allow you to get used to the game play without having real money on the line. It can also be a good way to gauge your skill level against another person. If you find that you are winning more than not during these head to head games, you can be secure that you will be able to win real money in the actual games. This makes Skillgammon a great game to play in your free time while making a little money on the side.
Strategy for Playing Skillgammon
Because Skillgammon is a strategy game you will need to carefully consider your moves before you make them. Because you can pick from different dice pairs, you will need to consider the board before you pick the dice you are going to use.
One strategy for playing Skillgammon is to pick the dice with the highest values. This will get your checkers to your side of the board much faster. In the same vein, it is always a good idea to pick any dice pairs that have the same number value on both of the dice because you get two extra moves. The faster you can get your checkers to your side of the board, the better shape you will be in.
You also should try and not let your checkers be the only one in a position. This is because if your checker is alone, your opponent can bump you to the middle. This can make you stuck for a few turns, depending on the location of the opponent's checkers. It also starts that checker off at the inner board on the opponent's side, meaning it will take a lot of moves to get it back to your side of the board. But if you have at least two checkers in a position, your opponent won't be able to bump you out of that position or even land there.
These are just a few great strategies to use when you are playing Skillgammon. This game takes a little getting used to, but if you are already skilled in backgammon it is an easy game to learn. If you get good enough at Skillgammon, you can even play it in competitions for real money. This makes Skillgammon a great game to play in your free time.
