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Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots

Posted By: Michael Petch
Date: Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 12:43 a.m.

IMHO, The future growth of Backgammon doesn't lie in the creation of Federations, promoting Online or Real Life tournaments, teaching backgammon to High School students, or selling books, creating bots or using Backgammon to gamble.

Where does it lie? It lies in the homes across the globe. It is called "The Family".

People will tell me that "Oh, backgammon at its roots even in antiquity is about gambling, and without the gambling aspect backgammon isn't even a worthy game to play". I played Backgammon socially as a kid on and off with my family. It was also cross generations. Every time we saw our grandparents we would take the board with us. I remember some good times as a kid doing that. We didn't use a doubling cube, and we didn't use Crawford, and we mostly played 1 pointers. In that environment we played and enjoyed Backgammon as a family.

I believe that every Backgammon player (whether novice/social or World Class, and from any background) has the ability to promote this game, by showing others the basic rules, and that it can be fun and entertaining, and make it a family affair. You don't need to explain Crawford or the Doubling Cube for that matter. If people wish to get into backgammon later on and take it seriously, they can use more advanced rules of play.

The internet has put a lot of pressure on board game manufacturers but I have noticed a resurgence of board games the past few years (probably a result of the recession - a night at home with the family over a board game is far cheaper than the movie theater). There are small affordable backgammon boards on the market - I just don't see them promoted well in stores. Next time I'm at the game stores here in Calgary I'll make a note to talk to a manger about this wonderful game.

Sell backgammon as a social, friendly, family game that can be played by all ages and I think backgammon will have a better future.

PS: In Our family the games of choice were Monopoly, Scrabble, Perquacky, UNO, and Backgammon.

Messages In This Thread

• Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
  Michael Petch -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 12:43 a.m.
  • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
    Phil Simborg -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 1:26 a.m.
    • My goal this week - teach a neighbor how to play Backgammon *NM*
      Michael Petch -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 2:37 a.m.
      • My goal this week - teach a neighbor how to play Backgammon
        Sebastiaan kuijs -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 4:51 p.m.
      • My goal this week - teach a neighbor how to play Backgammon
        Strato -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 9:14 p.m.
        • My goal this week - teach a neighbor how to play Backgammon
          Henrik Bukkjaer -- Wednesday, 2 February 2011, at 1:48 a.m.
          • My goal this week - teach a neighbor how to play Backgammon
            Michael Petch -- Wednesday, 2 February 2011, at 3:29 a.m.
          • My goal this week - teach a neighbor how to play Backgammon
            Strato -- Wednesday, 2 February 2011, at 4:15 a.m.
    • Promoting backgammon -CARRY ON!
      svilo -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 8:01 a.m.
      • Promoting backgammon -CARRY ON!
        Leonardo Jerkovic -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 9:47 a.m.
  • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
    Leonardo Jerkovic -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 1:30 a.m.
    • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
      Michael Petch -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 2:17 a.m.
      • Sorry: Forest for the trees! *NM*
        Michael Petch -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 2:20 a.m.
      • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
        Leonardo Jerkovic -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 3:23 a.m.
    • Durham/Chapel Hill Backgammon Club
      Ken Larsen -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 10:23 a.m.
  • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
    Rich Munitz -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 5:24 a.m.
    • Backgammon/Schools/Gambling
      Michael Petch -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 6:14 a.m.
      • Backgammon/Schools/Gambling
        Rich Munitz -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 7:14 a.m.
      • Backgammon/Schools/Gambling
        Phil Simborg -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 7:29 a.m.
        • Backgammon/Schools/Gambling
          Michael Petch -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 8:07 a.m.
          • Point of Clarification with schools
            Michael Petch -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 8:12 a.m.
          • Backgammon/Schools/Gambling
            Phil Simborg -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 4:46 p.m.
        • Backgammon/Schools/Gambling
          Rich Munitz -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 3:32 p.m.
      • Backgammon/Schools/Gambling
        Strato -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 8:53 p.m.
    • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
      Julia Hayward -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 10:55 a.m.
  • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots Salvation
    svilo -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 6:58 a.m.
    • Great film!! *NM*
      mtuhtan -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 7:11 a.m.
  • General principle
    Chuck Bower -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 5:39 p.m.
  • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
    Daniel Murphy -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 10:08 p.m.
    • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
      Michael Petch -- Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 11:03 p.m.
      • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
        Rich Munitz -- Wednesday, 2 February 2011, at 12:11 a.m.
        • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
          Leonardo Jerkovic -- Wednesday, 2 February 2011, at 6:49 a.m.
          • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
            Stick -- Wednesday, 2 February 2011, at 6:59 a.m.
            • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
              Leonardo Jerkovic -- Wednesday, 2 February 2011, at 12:33 p.m.
            • Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots
              Rich Munitz -- Wednesday, 2 February 2011, at 4:27 p.m.