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Freakonomics: Why Isn’t Backgammon More Popular?

Posted By: Martaille Jean-Francois
Date: Saturday, 18 December 2010, at 6:48 p.m.

In Response To: Freakonomics: Why Isn’t Backgammon More Popular? (Klaus Evers)

I see this thread just now, and I have some feeling about this problem:

- first as mentioned earlier : backgammon is a trivial game for a casual player. Play against him, and after winning a few games, he will say : "OK, too easy, you always get the good rolls. That game is only luck !" For a parent, it's a gambling game : "no way I let you teach that game to my child !" - second : for an intermediate like me: I don't want to pay the entry fee to get knocked out after only one match, I know that backgammon is not only a luck-related game, and I know that my chances to win a tournament is virtually near 0%. - third : for an open player : what could drive an open player away from backgammon? You can tell better than me but this could be the money vs poker prizes, or this could be that backgammon is not enough a skill-related game. Even myself can win against a giant sometimes and I perfectly understand that this could be boring.

So you want to increase popularity ? - first, burn the gambling game icon to allow backgammon on school, organise scholar tournament. The more young you will have, the more open players you will have in the future. Try to use the same approach as chess. This could be done only by federations. - for tournament attendance: find a more skill related mode of play : for example why not a tennis like format ? the winner is not the winner of a 21 points match but the best of 7 points match in 3 or 5 sets ? this would be also better for TV. In that end, clocks are also useful because a better player will have an advantage over the other (counting race, hitters, keith count etc etc). And finally to attract intermediate : why not the swiss format ? At least you travel for thousand miles but you know that you will have several matchs to play before being eliminated.

I just want to add something : Backgammon is already popular. Take a look at the tric trac web site (in french sorry !) this site is the french equivalent of boardgamegeek. http://www.trictrac.net/index.php3?id=jeux&rub=detail&inf=detail&jeu=72 vs chess http://www.trictrac.net/index.php3?id=jeux&rub=detail&inf=detail&jeu=168 you can see that 400 people possess that game vs 800. So it's nearly already as popular as chess !

Backgammon suffer from is gambling aspect : enough to drive away child not enough (prizes) to keep away player from poker.

When backgammon will find his place, he will rise. So continue your effort with the federation, that's in my opinion the good road.

I'm actually working on creating a club in my small town in the middle of France. I was thinking that I was the only player in the area, and actually after making some "noise", I find 2 more.

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