Casino Backgammon

Casino Backgammon is relatively a new table game currently offered in some casinos in Las Vegas and is experiencing a steady rise in popularity. The game was introduced the gamblers as recently as May 2010 in O'Sheas Casino in Las Vegas, part of the Caesars Entertainment Corporation.

The game uses half of backgammon board with six points of each side. Unlike original backgammon where players compete against other players, in Casino Backgammon players play against the house by wagering on the outcome of the dice and the effect it will have on the checkers.

The two sides of the half backgammon board are described as an Inner Side and Outer Side. The Inner Side has five points, as the first point is where the two checkers placed in the beginning of each round of play and the outer has six points. Both sides are separated by the Jump Bar and at the end of the Outer Side there is the Our Bar.

One of the players in the table gets the roll of Shooter and is the one rolling the dice. All other players at the table are bettors and wager on the outcome of each round of play.

The purpose of the Shooter is to roll the dice and move checkers from the Inner Side to the Outer Side and then off the board. The game offers various bets on the amount of rolls it will take until both checkers are removed from the board.

Dice rolls follow the same rules as traditional backgammon and each dice counts as the number it lands on. Doubles are multiplied so a double 6 will allow the player to play 4 times 6 resulting in both checkers going past the Out Bar and a win for the player.

Before play begins players must make two mandatory wagers but there are three types of bets in Casino Backgammon:

Jump Bets – a mandatory bet made before play begins and it needs to be in equal amount to the other mandatory bet; the Out Bet. In the Jump Bet the player wagers on both dice crossing the Jump Bar between the two boards.

Out Bets - after the initial roll the Shooter rolls again with the purpose of getting both checkers past the Out Bar. If on neither of the two initial rolls no double is rolled than the Shooter gets a third roll. The player wins If after the three rolls both checkers have gone over the Out Bar.

Depending on the outcome of the first roll, players are able to make subsequent Jump and Out Bets. Again they need to be of equal amounts and the checkers ending up on different points on the board result in different payouts. Some pay 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 9:1, 10:1 and 40:1.

In addition to these two mandatory bets there are optional Double Side Wagers that can be made together with the Jump and Out Bets before the dice is rolled at any round of play. Double Side Wagers pay when the Shooter rolls doubles.

There are three different Double Side Wagers paying at 3:1 for two non-equal doubles, 20:1 for two equal doubles and 100:1 for three doubles.