I want to take a break from poker and learn backgammon. Any suggested materials for a beginner?

To serve both you and the moderator, I recommend -501 essential backgammon problems-.

Download Extreme Gammon, and play against it at the same time as reading 501 Problems. I've also found online play through Backgammon NJ to be helpful if you export the games to XG and analyse them afterwards. Playing purely against XG means you seldom encounter real-life situations, and it's nearly always correct to take a double unless something drastic happened on the previous throw,

Brace yourself, it isn't nearly as easy as it looks.

If you're learning the game, '501 Essential BG Problems' is going to be much too difficult. Start with a beginner book like 'Backgammon for Winners' and when you finish that, try to play a lot. (Live opponents are best, but if you don't know anyone who plays, get Extreme Gammon.) Then move on to a slightly more advanced book like 'Backgammon for Serious Players'. Then come back here and we'll give you more advice. By that time you'll have a lot of questions.

If you want to play online, play only at free sites where no money is involved. Do not play online BG for money.

Good luck!

The desktop version of eXtreme Gammon (XG) is considered to be the best backgammon program available. It runs only on Windows-based PCs. It sells for around $60, but you can download the complete program, and use it for free during a trial period. Almost all serious players eventually buy XG.

There is a cheap (and less powerful) version, called XG Mobile, for smart phones (iPhone/iPad and Android, around $10). At this price, I would not not bother with the free version for smart phones. Who needs the reduced functionality and the ads?

The second-best backgammon program is GNU Backgammon (GnuBg). It many ways it is just as good, and for some things, better, than XG. Both play at a world-class level. In fact, these two programs play better than any human. GnuBg is completely free, and has versions for Windows, Mac, and Unix/Linix.

For a beginner spending $60-$80, I have long felt that GnuBg + books + board is the the way to go. If you get hooked, then you can buy XG later. Otherwise, if you purchase XG first, your whole budget is gone, and you don’t even have a board. BTW: Occasionally, you will see decent boards for sale in second-hand stores.

A certain amount of reading is essential. Books, therefore, should be a priority. Check at Amazon or your local library. I recommend Robertie’s introductory work or the one by Chris Bray. Both are excellent for beginners and very inexpensive (around $10 on Amazon). Tom Keith’s web site, Backgammon Galore!, contains a large number of backgammon articles that you can read for free.

Backgammon for Winners
by Bill Robertie
http://www.thegammonpress.com/bill-r...s.html#winners
http://www.amazon.com/Backgammon-Win.../dp/1580420435

Backgammon For Dummies
by Chris Bray
http://books.google.com/books?id=0So...page&q&f=false
http://www.amazon.com/Backgammon-Dum.../dp/0470770856

Backgammon Galore!
http://www.bkgm.com/

So long as you have a partner, using a backgammon program like XG or GnuBg is not essential for a beginner. As you become more serious, however, you will want to acquire one of these “bots.” Practice against a bot is one of the best ways to learn. Most of the time, a bot will be able to find the best play in any position. What it cannot do, however, is explain why a given play is best. That is why you also must read a bit.

Hope this helps.

Mike