I see in a lot of these posts talk about 5 point and 3 point. what do u guys mean? The only backgammon i have played has been on Yahoo and find it interesting and am learning, somewhat how to defend, how to make primes, and back game. Just want to get a lesson on terms. I would like to possibly play some small staked Backgammon, but not really sure how cash games play.

The 24 points on the board are numbered for annotation purposes 1-24 with one being the inner-most point on your home quarter of the board and 24 being the inner most point on your oppenents board.

Not sure how these were mentioned, but it could either be referring to points on the board, of which there are 24, or the length of a match, usually to an odd number of points (1, 3, 5, ..., 25).



If you consider the board above from red's perspective, he has 2 pieces on his 24pt, 5 on his 13pt, 3 on his 8pt and 5 on his 6pt. The 5-point and 3-point are two of his inner-board or home-board points that he would like to make. The 5pt could be made with an opening 31, or a return 44, 11 or 31. The 3pt could be made with an opening 53, or a return 55, 33 or 53.

Match play is played to a pre-determined number of points. Except for 2-point blitzes, matches are always played to an odd-number of points, such as 3 points, 5 points etc. AFAIK there is no reason why this has become the norm, you could just as easily play a match to 10 points.

When you notate a game, do you always notate it from one perspective?

E.g., in this thread: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/13...estion-423658/

Someone said that their opponent played "12/17 and 1/5".

Someone corrected him, saying that he should notate it: 24/20 13/8.

From the perspective of villain, he played 24/20. But from your perspective, he's playing 1/5. Right?

Common notation is noting your opponents moves the same way you note your own (so no matter who is moving they're always moving "down" from 24 to 0), so the second part is correct.

isn't that the term for a 3-wide blockade or a 5-wide blockade? you know, you own 3 points(squares/locations/spots) in a row = you have a 3pt. You own 5 points in a row = you have a 5 point.

No. Several points in a row are called a prime.

Six points in a row is a full prime, because any checker behind the prime can't escape with any number. Five points in a row is a 5-prime, and 4 points in a row is a 4-prime. I've never heard three in a row designated as anything in particular.

Building primes and blocking in your opponent's back checkers is one of the key goals in the early game, on a par with escaping your own back checkers.

backgammon players are awesomely helpful.....