Taking Your Backgammon Game to a Higher Level

by Phil Simborg
16 March 2009

Phil Simborg

I know many players who take backgammon seriously. By this I mean they really care about improving their game and they want to play at the highest level they can. By the way, I consider myself to be in that category.

What I find really interesting is that some people in this category are clearly getting better year after year, while others don't seem to be making much progress at all.

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Subject: Re: Taking Your Backgammon Game to a Higher Level

From: Jeffrey

Date: 17 Mar 2009 20:45 EST

Dear Phil: Very nice discussion. I have been thinking for a while now how applicable the lessons of backgammon are to life (and politics for that matter). How many bad life decisions are made out of fear? The backgammon correlate is making a move that looks safer but is actually far worse in the long run. The critical need to avoid ego, and especially emotion, when making important decisions. How excessive ego obstructs learning. The ability to weigh risks and benefits is vital in my profession of medicine, as it is in backgammon. Sincerely, Jeff Willis

Subject: Re: Taking Your Backgammon Game to a Higher Level

From: PhilSimborg Member has a photo available

Date: 18 Mar 2009 01:30 EST

Remember: "Sometimes the greatest risk is to take no risk at all." That certainly applies to backgammon play.

Subject: Re: Taking Your Backgammon Game to a Higher Level

From: ronhav

Date: 19 Mar 2009 12:32 EST

An interesting article, but I think anyone who takes backgammon "seriously" must be a sad case and, worse, probably doesn't enjoy actually playing very much!

Subject: Re: Taking Your Backgammon Game to a Higher Level

From: PhilSimborg Member has a photo available

Date: 19 Mar 2009 15:21 EST

To each his own, ronhav...but the more seriously I take the game the more I enjoy it over the board! It has been proven that the more people understand something and the better they are at it the more they will enjoy it. What is fun for me is not rolling 6-6 and winning the match...it's getting into a very tricky situation and figuring out the odds and making a very tough decision, then finding out I was correct when I check it on the bots later. "Serious" does not mean elimination of fun to me, it means adding enjoyment and fun.

You are certainly entitled to decide that is not for you...not the way you want to approach backgammon. But I believe your making a judgment about others and stating that if they study the game seriously they will enjoy it less is not only presumptuous, it is not true.

I know many people who love to study the game and take it "seriously" and very much love to play. Many of these people have a name: they're called "world class players."

This is precisely the attitude I maintain you must have if you want to be a good player...you must find the "serious study" of the game, the learning experience, fun! And it should make playing even more fun. Again, it does for me.

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