Online backgamon Glossary
Your
complete backgamon Dictionary
Just start playing backgamon and have no idea what people you are playing are saying half the time? Been playing backgamon for awhile but still get stuck by some experienced player's mastery of backgamon jargon? If you are looking for a particular backgamon 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
R
Raccoon : Accepting a Beaver and offering another double at the same time while retaining possession of the cube. Beavers are fairly rare but seeing a Raccoon is even more unlikely.
Race : The object of the game is to race around the board and bear off all of your checkers. backgamon essentially boils down to a race with various strategy to win the race thrown in.
Rail : See Bar.
Railroad Tracks: See Candlesticks.
Recirculation : Keeping checkers in play by having them hit and re-entering them in your opponents home board. Recirculation is often a necessary element of a well timed backgame.
Re-Cube Vig (Recube-Vigorish): The added equity attained by possessing the ability to Re-Double if the opportunity arises. There are some cubes you would not accept if it were not for the Re-cube Vig.
Re-double : After accepting the cube and doubling the stakes of the game, a player can then re-double the opponent, again doubling the stakes. If you accept a double when your opponent is two away from winning, you have nothing to lose with a Re-double.
Re-enter : See Enter.
Reference Position: A position where the equity or chances of winning are known. This position can be used to help evaluate similar positions. Having a few reference positions for various types of games will go a
long way in helping you make cube decisions.
Refuse a Double (Reject a Double): See Pass.
Return Shot: The shot your opponent will have back at you after you have hit them. If you hit loose in your inner board, your opponent always has a return shot.
Rim : See Bar.
Roll : To throw the dice, or the numbers thrown. An opening roll of
3-1 is usually used to make your 5 pt.
Roll Out : Taking a position and playing it out many times to get a
better idea of what will typically occur during a game. Bots are often used to do rollouts as they can accomplish this task very quickly and give an accurate estimate of a position's equity.
Rolling Prime: A special technique for advancing a prime around the board. You can achieve a rolling prime by slotting the next point you want to make and using your extra checkers to make the point.
Roof : See Bar.
Root Number: A particular roll (usually doubles) that causes an inner board or prime to crunch. If you are stuck behind a 5 point prime with poor timing, a root number like double 4's can be disastrous.
Runners : The two pieces starting on the opponents 1 pt. It is usually
an early objective to get your runners moving and escape or establish
an advanced anchor.
Running Game: A strategy whereby a player tries to move their men home as quickly as possible, avoiding blockades and being hit as much as they can. Weaker players have a better chance of winning if they
use a running game strategy and avoid contact.