BACK'GAM'MON. One of the most ancient and widespread dice games, of which three schools survive—the Russian, Turkish, and Eng lish. It is sometimes called, 'trie-trac,' though this is properly a distinct variety of the game, and in England was formerly known as 'the tables.' The word 'backgammon' has been as cribed to the Welsh tongue, in which it is said to signify 'little battle.' Strutt ascribes the term to the Saxon 'bae' and `game,'—that is, back-game,—so denominated because the per formance eonsists in the two players bringing their men back from their antagonist's table into their own; or because the pieces are sometimes taken up and obliged to go back—that is, reenter at the table they came from.
The backgammon board consists of two parts or tables, known as the inner or home table and the outer table. Each table possesses 12 points, fi at each end. The game is played by two persons. each of whom has 15 'men.' In beginning the game. the 'men' are placed on cer tain points on the tables, directly opposite each other. The game is played with 2 (lice, which are common to both players; hut each player uses his own (lice-box. The throws are alter nate. If a player throws 'doublets,' or both dice of one number, double the number of dots is reckoned; thus, by a throw of 2 aces, the player does not count 2, but 4. Each player counts round from the right-hand or ace-point of the other. The object of the game is for each player to get all his 'men' played round into his own left-hand table, removing them from point to point according to the throws of the dice. In throwing, the number upon each die turned up may be reckoned by itself, or collectively with the number on the other side.
Thus, if 4 be thrown by one side, and 6 by the other, one 'man' can be advanced 4 points, and another 6 points; or one man can be advanced 10 points, always providing that a point is open to suit this movement to it. No point can be moved to if covered by 2 'men' belonging to the adversary. If covered by only one 'man,' which is called a 'blot.' then that 'man' can be 'hit'—i.e. removed from the point, and placed on the bar between the tables, its place being taken by the 'man' who has wou it. The removal of a 'man' to the bars throws a player consider ably behind in the game, because the 'man' must remain out of the play till the dice turn up a number corresponding to an open point on the adversary's table. There are two kinds of vic tory—winning the 'hit' and winning the 'gam mon.' The party who has played all his 'men' round into his own table, and by fortunate throws of the dice has borne or played the 'men' off the points first, wins the 'hit.' 1'he 'gammon' may be explained as follows: \Then you have got all your 'men' round to your own table, covering every point, and your adversary has a 'man' out, then you are enabled to 'bear' or lift your men away. If you can bear all away, so as to clear your table before the adversary gets his 'man' placed by a throw on your table, you will win the 'gammon.' If the adversary has been able to bear one before you have borne all your 'men,' it reduces the victory to a 'hit.' Two 'hits' are reckoned equal to one 'gammon' in playing matches.