At Crisloid, we make some of the most beautiful doubling cubes in the industry. But for most casual backgammon players, the cube doesn’t ever come off the bar. Our doublers aren’t just pretty accessories! – We want classic gamers to make them part of their backgammon strategy to not only improve gameplay but have more fun.
Here are some tips on how to make the doubling cube a bigger part of your games:
Use the Cube!
The Backgammon doubling cube is a bigger version of a regular die and has the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 printed on its faces. It keeps track of the current stakes and how you use it is one of the most strategic parts of the game.
Here’s how the doubling cube works:
Backgammon games start with a value of one point. The doubling cube sits in the middle of the bar and isn’t yet controlled by either player.
When a player feels they have an advantage at any point in the game, that player can opt to offer a double before rolling the dice.
The opponent can reject the offer of a double but concedes the game and loses a point. If they accept the offer, the value of the game doubles from one to two and the opponent takes control of the doubling cube. Subsequent doubles raise the stakes from 2 to 4, 4 to 8, all the way to 64 with control switching after each accepted offer.
Basic Strategy Tips
What makes the doubling cube a fun part of the game is that it’s really strong tactically. But as everyone who plays backgammon knows games change with every roll. When you see an advantage and offer the cube, the game might not go your way. Then your opponent controls the doubling cube and can use it against you. It’s a fun gamble when it pays off, but you’re literally rolling the dice.
Should you accept the cube if you’re losing the game? Well, if you always refuse to accept the cube when you’re slightly behind the numbers show that you lose more points in the long run than if you take the cube once in a while. Generally, the odds say if you can win 25 percent of games where you accept the cube you are better off than refusing it.
Fun Fact: While backgammon has been played for around five thousand years, the doubling cube was only introduced in the 1920’s. Many backgammon enthusiasts claim the doubling cube is the reason for the resurgence of this classic game during the 20th century.
Make your backgammon play more strategic and fun with a handmade Crisloid doubling cube. Available in a variety of colors to match your backgammon sets, our doubling cubes feature bold numbers and our stylish logo that will let your opponent know it’s game on!