Backgammon Players Lost in Translation

Are you listening to your gambling friends who are avid fans of backgammon and you find yourself totally clueless on what they're talking about? Relax, there's still hope that you may understand some of what they're saying. But, you have to work for it, so start now by studying some of these backgammon terms:

Head-to-Head - this is a backgammon game involving two gambling players who are in it for the money at stake, and not for just the achievement or bragging rights.

Joker - when a gambling player realizes that he or she is starting to lose in a game of backgammon, he or she fervently wishes to get an excellent roll so as to turn the tables and be at the winning side. This is called as such because it seems like a sick joke for the gambling player who's supposed to win but looses because his opponent just miraculously won because of a roll.

Kamikaze Play - this is another term for the hara-kiri play. In this play, the gambling player chooses to sacrifice some of his markers to be able to win the game.

Kibitz - this is the act of observing a backgammon game, then loudly giving remarks on the players' moves where they can hear them clearly. Gambling players do not want an audience like this because it distracts the game and may even give their strategy away.

Knockout Tournament - this is a type of elimination in which the last man standing wins. One becomes the last man standing by never losing a single game.

Money Play - this is the backgammon type of play which gambling players like the most, because there is money involved. The gambling player who wins will take home the stakes, or what we call the pot in poker, another gambling game.

Monte Carlo - this is where the backgammon world championship is held year after year.

Online Backgammon - like other gambling games, backgammon also had ventured into the world of internet where gambling players can play against each other online. This is a great opportunity for gambling players to hone their backgammon skills without spending a lot because some of the games are free, and they need not to go out anymore just to play.

Opening Roll - this jargon is used to denote the roll at the beginning of the game in which both gambling players cast a single die. The outcome of the roll will decide who goes first.