Counting Pips
A pip count is the total number of points that a player needs to move his checkers before he can bear them off (remove them) from his home board. Backgammon counting pips is a strategy used by players to help them assess their position on the board and make important decisions regarding what further action to take in the game.
There is a lot of information about counting pips and as many ways to implement it. Players may feel a little intimidated initially when considering this strategy, however there are several methods that make pip counting simpler than others and we cover some of them.
Comparison Method
Using this method, players compare the opponent's pips to their own and calculate who is further behind in the game. This is the ideal strategy to use when gamblers are playing at an online backgammon site when time is an important factor in the game and players do not have the luxury of counting all the pips. Beginning at point number one, the player removes (subtracts) the number of checkers that he has on his side of the board from the number that the opponent has on the other side, for each point that is occupied by checkers. Then the subtraction is multiplied by the position of the point that the checker occupied. Players can see the difference between their pip count by adding the results of this equation. Opposing Checkers
A basic principle of backgammon is that when checkers are lined up above each other on a board, the pip count for both of them will be 25. Blocks of Checkers
When calculating pips using this the block checkers remember the following. First of all, ten checkers in one block beginning at point number one has a pip count of 30. A block of eight checkers beginning at point number one has a pip count of 20 and a block of six checkers beginning at point number one, has a pip count of 12. What if the block does not start at the first point? In this case, we create an addition to the equation by looking at the space between the first point and the block. For instance, in a block with ten checkers that begins at the third point we needs two vacant points added to the equation. The sum, therefore will read as follows: 2 vacant points x 10 checkers = 20 pips. Center Block Points
Players should first note whether the block is sitting on an odd or an even number of points. Let us take as an example, a six-checker block sitting on point number three (odd number). In this case the center point is the fourth point. Players should multiply the number of checkers (6) by the center point (4) and the total will give them the number of pips (24). Another example would be an 8-checker block sitting on point number two (even number). The center point here is three and a half. Players therefore multiply the number of checkers (8) by the center point (3.5) to get the number of pips (28).
Using this method, players compare the opponent's pips to their own and calculate who is further behind in the game. This is the ideal strategy to use when gamblers are playing at an online backgammon site when time is an important factor in the game and players do not have the luxury of counting all the pips. Beginning at point number one, the player removes (subtracts) the number of checkers that he has on his side of the board from the number that the opponent has on the other side, for each point that is occupied by checkers. Then the subtraction is multiplied by the position of the point that the checker occupied. Players can see the difference between their pip count by adding the results of this equation. Opposing Checkers
A basic principle of backgammon is that when checkers are lined up above each other on a board, the pip count for both of them will be 25. Blocks of Checkers
When calculating pips using this the block checkers remember the following. First of all, ten checkers in one block beginning at point number one has a pip count of 30. A block of eight checkers beginning at point number one has a pip count of 20 and a block of six checkers beginning at point number one, has a pip count of 12. What if the block does not start at the first point? In this case, we create an addition to the equation by looking at the space between the first point and the block. For instance, in a block with ten checkers that begins at the third point we needs two vacant points added to the equation. The sum, therefore will read as follows: 2 vacant points x 10 checkers = 20 pips. Center Block Points
Players should first note whether the block is sitting on an odd or an even number of points. Let us take as an example, a six-checker block sitting on point number three (odd number). In this case the center point is the fourth point. Players should multiply the number of checkers (6) by the center point (4) and the total will give them the number of pips (24). Another example would be an 8-checker block sitting on point number two (even number). The center point here is three and a half. Players therefore multiply the number of checkers (8) by the center point (3.5) to get the number of pips (28).
Doubling in Backgammon