Online Backgammon Glossary
Your
complete Backgammon Dictionary
Just start playing backgammon and have no idea what people you are playing are saying half the time? Been playing backgammon for awhile but still get stuck by some experienced player's mastery of backgammon jargon? If you are looking for a particular backgammon term just click on the letter below and scroll down until you find it.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
G
Gain -Loss Table: A method of calculating equity in a backgammon match to aid in a doubling decision by looking at the match equity of passing the double, taking the double and winning, and taking the double and losing. If the equity gained by taking and winning is 3 times the
equity lost by taking and losing, it is correct to take the double. A gain loss table is an easier way to help make cube decisions than to calculate and compare equities for every situation.
Game : Single: bearing off all of your checkers before your opponent does. Double or Gammon: bearing off all of your checkers before your opponent bears off any. Triple or Backgammon: bearing off all of your checkers before your opponent bears off any, and still has a piece in
your inner board or on the bar. If the cube were at 2 during a game of backgammon a single game would be worth 2 points, a double game (gammon) would be worth 4 points and a triple game (backgammon) would be worth 6 points.
Gammon : A Gammon occurs when you bear off all of your checkers before your opponent has taken off any checkers. If you win a gammon you win twice the number of points that are indicated by the cube. Sometimes in match play after a big swing in equity it is correct to play on for the gammon without doubling.
Gammon Price : The cost of going for a gammon versus winning a single game.
Gammon Price = (WG - W) / (W - L) where WG is number of gammons won, W is single wins, and L is losses. In money games, a play should
win you twice as many gammons as it gives losses, if not, the gammon price is too high to make that play. At various match scores the gammon price may change dramatically.Going for the gammon often takes a bold play that may lose you the game. When deciding if it is wise to go for
the gammon, one must always consider the gammon price.
Gammon Rate: The percentage of games that will end up in a gammon or backgammon. The gammon rate could be calculated by doing a rollout of 100 games and determining how many of those ended up in gammons or backgammons.
Gammon Vigorish: The additional equity gained from a position because of the possibility of a gammon. Even though you may have a 25% chance of winning a game, it may be correct to drop a double when you will be gammoned on 50% of the games that you lose.
Gammonish : A term used to describe positions that are more likely to end up scoring a gammon for one or both players.When behind in the match it is usually advantageous to play for more gammonish positions to catch up in score with a win.
Gap : The space between established points. Usually referred to during Bear Off. A gap will cost you half a roll during the bear off if the
number rolled is the same as the point that you have the gap on.
The Girls : A roll of double 5's. Two sets of the girls at the beginning of the game can lead to an awkward position.
GNU : A backgammon bot much like Snowie and Jellyfish based on the GNU open source project meaning it is free for download by anyone. GNU is thought to be just as strong an opponent as Snowie and Jellyfish and you can play GNU powered bots at Gamesgrid with a membership.
Golden Point: The opponents 5 pt. The golden point is the best defensive point you can own at the beginning of the game.
Go Out: Achieve the desired number of points in match play to win the match. There is no need to double your opponent if you will already win enough points to go out without it.
Going Forward: To attack by building forward points, constructing a prime, and putting your opponent on the bar. If you have very little chance of winning a game by going forward it is correct and attempt to win from a backgame.
Gravita Take: Taking a double you shouldn't take in a high stakes money game, because you don't want to give up the stake you are playing for with the intention of not paying if you don't turn the game around and end up losing. Typically you will only ever get one Gravita take as you will quickly earn the reputation of not paying and likely have to hide from the people you were playing.
Guff (Guffy): See Ace Point. Named after a good player even though they always made the 1pt. earlier than needed.
GWC : Game Winning Chances in a game of backgammon.