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Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots

Posted By: Daniel Murphy
Date: Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 10:08 p.m.

In Response To: Promoting backgammon - Grass Roots (Michael Petch)

The future of backgammon depends on the continued development of robust federations and intra- and international cooperation, promoting online playsites and real life tournaments, teaching backgammon at local clubs, colleges and high schools, marketing backgammon (which includes a role for online learning sites, books, and bots) as a challenging, strategic mind sport, and promoting backgammon as a social and friendly pastime for people of all ages and ability, enjoyable whether played by world class players for substantial prizes, by intermediate and novice players in organized competition, or by parents and children in the family home.

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You say "I couldn't argue" with the teacher who found a mention of gambling and said "that's the problem." Did you make no reply at all? One paragraph in the Wikipedia article starts off: "When backgammon is played for money ...." And what, when chess is played for money? When bridge is played for money?

Maybe you might rethink whether you agree or not that "backgammon is inherently a gambling game." Apparently you think it is, and therefore think that backgammon may not be suitable for (some) schools in some countries, but on the other hand you argue that backgammon is great for family game time. Surely you did not mean for Family Gambling Night?

I'm not saying backgammon is not a great game to gamble at. I'm not saying there is no widespread perception that backgammon "is" a gambling game. For instance, in an article at bkgm.com comparing organized competition in backgammon and checkers, Bob Newell writes: "Live-play backgammon is all about gambling." Well, Mr. Newell has never played a 17-point team tourney match on a Thursday night in Denmark with nothing at all at stake except pride, rating and team ranking. So I am saying: it doesn't have to be that way.

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.