a fresh approach to backgammon
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 784
We are living in a critical time during which the material prosperity of the western world is declining rapidly. But with every bad thing there is a good side. The good thing is that we have to turn our value system from a materially oriented into a more social and spiritual one. I have advocated in a former thread that backgammon has a great educational potential. As the game is also about money and competition and as i have to rub my nose in what i am going to type, i feel the need to add things in order to clarify this contradiction.
Starting in the early seventies with the book "zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance", there has been an extensive followup of books about applying zen to whatever, among them "zen and poker" by Larry Phillips. As poker and backgammon are very much related, i have made a summary that is adapted to backgammon.
The Zen of Backgammon
Balance is the central issue in the book. Emotional balance particularly is indispensable in the games of backgammon and poker. Emotion clouds our decision making, and facial tells can help the opponent in his handling of the doubling cube. You should have a detachment that is so complete that it borders on disinterest. Enter the game neutrally and exit it neutrally at whatever point you are ahead or behind. Though the thrill of the game drew us towards it, we should strive at an egoless state in which the ego and the emotions are not involved. Get no joy, except a superficial joy out of winning. Your main battle is with yourself. I would add that emotional balance should go hand in hand with playfulness. I like to refer here to several players in the High Stakes Poker series, with a special mention to Daniel Negreanu.
After we have learned the game well, there are some tips to help you. - Sit behind the board with the goal of mastering yourself, not just the game. Ofcourse this is a never ending journey, like the learning process of backgammon itself.
- Competition is a part of backgammon, but a no-item in buddhism. In order to solve this dilemma, simply take actions, i.e. focus on the right moves. This removes the ego from the equation.
- Get to know yourself, and your motives. Games are a kind of rorschach test, mirroring the personality of the player, his needs and desires. There is nothing in the world so rigid as the law of cause and effect, and the effect is implied in the cause. What we sow, that we reap (karma). Our hidden motives are like the cause, and our success is like the effect.
- It is easy to be in a zen state of ease and relaxation when things are going well, but the trick is to be in it when you are struggling. When it is going not so well, but also not disastrous, stay focussed, calm and alert. The good things can occur suddenly, and they can occur in bunches.
- Play when you are in a good mood. Restrict yourself to times when you feel confident, alert, comfortable and positive. Don't feel uneasy with the amount of money you are playing for. Don't play too long. Set a limit, and keep to it.
- Don't be overconfident when having a winning streak, because the lightning bolt of the dice can always strike.When things are too easy you should become suspicious, because that is not as it is supposed to be, and will readjust itself in the near future. Expect the worst, because then you have dealt with it when it happens.
- Function independently of the dice, because everyone gets equal treats of bad and good luck in the long run. Try not to steam. Just get angry and forget about it. Learn to reset yourself in a short moment. And maybe you can turn steam into analysis. Did you happen to do something wrong?
- Backgammon is a game of longterm results, so there is no need to rush for results. There is a saying "you play by the year, not by the day". Shortterm upswings and downswings should be disregarded. View the game as a goalless journey in which all the moments along the path are special. We should accept failure as part of the proces, the eb and flow of life. Apart from making us humble, it will make us calm and cool. If possible, try to see losses and failures as lessons instead of disappointments.
- Everything virtually happens successfully in life, because it fits in with something else. Fit yourself into the flow. A mistake in many areas of life is to struggle against the trend. Look for early clues of a cold streak, and if so, play more conservatively, play for less money, or quit. On the other hand, if you are running hot, then take more chances.
- You should respect your opponent, because then he is more likely to respect you. If your goal is to be in harmony, then it is to your advantage when your opponent is also in harmony. In the martial art of aikido there is a requirement to help your adversary to regain his balance. In that way he is less likely to destroy you, and more predictable. Translated to backgammon you can try to be social, and buy him a drink in case he has lost. So don't waste your energy on a powerstruggle. (Unless he is quite unfeeling and undeserving, i would add).
- The author claims that through a lot of experience and the above attitude, the player may reach an (on-off?) state of mindlessness, in which he leaves aside all conscious thoughts of proper methods, strategies and tricks. Our conscious self is just a tip of the iceberg, and below it is an underground of information which as per definition is unconsious. His instincts will guide him to the right play, like a tiger on the hunt. When you are ready for it, listen to your hunches and gutfeelings. However, while relying on our subconsious, on the other hand we should be mindful. Even a tiger is sometimes mistaken. A central aspect of zen is to be in the moment, otherwise the intuition will drift off into the domain of fancy feeling.
Backgammon can be a huge thrill, however, compared to the richness and nuance of life, it is one-dimensional. The true zen is about balance, and little is gained when there are big problems in our lives. Backgammon or poker should not rule our lives, but we should remain open and curious to the world around us. Outside the game there is another world of love, art, music and people. Our whole life should evolve towards balance, of which backgammon is just a valuable part.
Last edited by yogiman; 05-02-2013 at 02:16 PM.
