It may not have the same name recall as Chess, but Backgammon should be taken seriously, since it requires as much strategy and skill as its board game cousin, despite having luck and probability as contributing factors to winning. There are world-class backgammon tournaments that allow serious players to win huge sums of money, but if you ever want to play professionally, you need to start learning the five basic backgammon strategies:

1. The first strategy is called Running, and it is done by prioritizing the bringing of all of your checkers to the inner board as soon as possible, this strategy is designed to end the game as quickly as possible, but note that it will only work if you have significantly fewer pips (moves) and checkers available than your opponent.

2. Another strategy is called Holding, and is done by placing checkers in a certain point on your opponent’s side of the board (usually the 20 or bar points), and keeping them there. This strategy is usually employed when a player is losing in terms of pip count, since it effectively hinders the opponent from bringing his checkers home. This strategy can be prevented rather easily when expected. Unfortunately, all the opponent has to do is make landing points in his outer board.

3. A different variation of the holding strategy is called Priming. It is also sometimes referred to as Walling, since it uses a bunch of your checkers to build a long wall that will prevent your opponent from moving his checkers that are still behind said wall. Priming is actually a very common strategy, which results in a lot of Prime VS Prime games, in which case the winning factor becomes the pip count. Basically, the one behind in pip count has a pressing advantage.

4. Another strategy is called the Blitz, which is favored by more aggressive players. Blitz is done by attacking your opponent’s checkers and keeping him on the bar, while you focus on moving the rest of your pieces into your inner table. The danger of a blitz stratagem is that the 6 or more checkers you use to occupy the points in your inner table cannot be used while the strategy is in effect. It also has a couple of easy counters such as the opponent making anchors or if the opponent has more points in his board. While Blitz is a risky strategy, it is very commonly used in games where money is involved since a successful blitz often results in gammons, and doubling is expected.

5. The fifth strategy is called the Back game. It is done by anchoring two points in your opponent’s inner table in an attempt to control the game in later stages. Back strategies are unique since they cannot be planned from the start, and usually just develop from a blitz attempt. This strategy is not intended to win matches but instead improve your chances of winning. It is this reason that prompts many players to consider it as a loser’s last resort strategy.