How to get the Most Out of Playing Backgammon Online?
I have been an avid online backgammon player for over 20 years, since FIBS (First Internet Backgammon Server) was developed. But I have also been an enthusiastic live player…both money games (chouettes) and tournaments. I like both, a lot. But I know many live players that say they don’t enjoy playing backgammon online. They just don’t feel the excitement of rolling the dice, looking your opponent in the eye, and having people around watching and kibitzing.
I find the two experiences of playing live backgammon vs. online backgammon to be very different, but both very enjoyable.
Here are some of the things I like about playing backgammon online, and I think you will too if you just take advantage of them:
1. On a good backgammon server, (such as Play65 backgammon site) you can save every match, run it through a backgammon bot (Snowie, JF or GNU) and take a look at all of your mistakes. This has been the single best learning tool, for me, over the past several years, and I am convinced it has raised my level of play considerably. Falafel, the giant of backgammon for 2007 says the same thing - without the possibility of playing backgammon online, he wouldn't become such a great player.
2. Again, if it’s a good server, there are often tournaments that I can enter. This is excellent practice for live tournament play
3. When I play backgammon for money, which I do enjoy at times, I love knowing that I don’t have to worry about getting paid, crooked dice, illegal moves, and other forms of cheating that can and does happen live.
4. I love the fact that online, I am playing, and meeting, people from all over the world. I’m not shy about striking up conversations, and I’ve actually become friends with people in Germany, England, Israel, Denmark, Turkey, and Japan. They are on my email list and we communicate about our favorite game.
Last but not least, I love the fact that I can lay down on my bed, play for as long or short as I like, quit when I please and start again when I please. It’s just so very convenient.
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