hello

Is there a lot of cheating in online backgammon?Especialy in high stakes?
Thank you

Yes.

Any elaboration on this, Robertie? Is it so bad that it's simply not worth playing online for money (in your opinion)?

There has been a lot of discussion on this point over the last few years, so you can get more information by using the 'Search' function. Here's a quick summary.

I don't play online BG for money, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Online BG on sites like Gridgammon and Safe Harbor Games (where you can't play for money) is a great way to practice against live opponents and I recommend it highly.

When you play for money online there are three big problems:

> Many of your opponents will be using bots.

> Some of your opponents will be genuinely World-Class players and won't need a bot to win.

> If you play, get lucky, and actually win, sites may accuse you of cheating by using bots and keep your money. You will have no recourse in this case.

My advice -- get online, practice on the free sites, practice against XG at home, study some good books, and reserve money play for live games. Good luck!

not to mention industry standard exorbitant rake, so even if you somehow found an honest opponent of comparable skill it wouldn't make sense to play for money anyway

True! I forgot to mention you can't beat the rake.

Also unlike poker, most sights give you a ranking. The higher your ranking gets the less average players want to play you.