Customer Reviews

Backgammon For Winners, 3rd Edition

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I wanted to get into playing backgammon at some of the online sites, but I hadn't played in years. I figured I needed some help so went looking for a book on backgammon and more or less at random picked Backgammon for Winners by Bill Robertie. And it turned out to be a decent choice.

It's a fairly thin book, which I liked. I didn't want to spend 2 weeks reading about the history of the game (at least not right now). Robertie jumps right into the meat of the subject, first giving the rules and a bit of broad strategy as well as best opening moves for every possible first roll of the dice. But the bulk of the book is taken up with three different sample games, and Robertie analyzes each move of each game, giving lots of explanation for why something was a strong or poor move. While he suggests you set up a board and move the pieces yourself, there were enough illustrations that you don't have to do so (I didn't).

By the time you work through these three sample games you'll understand backgammon notation, the different phases/styles of a backgammon game, why control of certain points is more important than others, and you'll even see examples of when the 'rules of thumb' should be broken. He does a good job of urging you to go back and reread a section if its covering difficult material, keeping you from glossing over it with an "I'll figure this out later" shrug.

Overall, I'm thinking this is a good first backgammon book. Recommended.

This book is as good as any for the raw beginner. The great Robertie explains the rules of the game, basic objectives, and opening moves, and then takes you through three sample games. That's about it, and if you're an experienced player you won't learn anything from it you don't know already. On the plus side, Robertie's conversational style is more enjoyable than some of the older beginner books, and he tries to explain things that aren't obvious to the novice (for example, a 5-5 looks like a great roll here, here's why it's not). All in all, a short user-friendly guide for the novice.

I've been playing chess since I was a little kid, but a group of friends at the local coffeehouse started to play a lot of backgammon. So this book was a first attempt at seeing how the pros approach this dice-based game.

In short, the book is great if you want a quick read that outlines the best opening moves and gives you a feel for aggressive 'modern' backgammon. In addition to the rationale behind how to use opening dice rolls, the book gives you 3 sample games and lets you hear the pro's thoughts on possible moves. My favorite line is "He could play 14/20, moving the blot on the 14-point to safety, but this is a craven play, unworthy of a modern player." :) How could you not like such opinionated tutelage?? I could have used more exposition on why some seemingly valid plays (e.g. hitting an opponent's blot in your inner table even though its deep) are really less effective. Even better would be some statistical analysis showing why some moves make sense when looking at the odds, but I'm not sure there's such a book out there.

An interesting book for the semi-advanced player is destroyed by typo after typo, a fault that ultimately drives the reader mad. What's going on in the publishing world?

I've been playing backgammon tournaments for 2 months now, and while I read the book cover to cover, it left me wishing for something more. It does help a lot if you are REALLY new to the game. Don't get me wrong, you'll get some good tips from the book....just not enough from a world champion, at least not in this book.

I learned to play backgammon in college. Then, 25 years later, I started playing again, online. I stunk. I really, really stunk. I was so bad that I decided to either learn to play the game well, or get out of Dodge. I picked up this little book, and my game began to turn around. Robertie writes clearly, and for beginners.

If you want to play better backgammon, here's my formula: Read this book. At the same time, download and install the gnubg program. It's free, and it's the best. Use the "hint" mode in gnubg, and try to learn why it's recommending all those bizarre moves. Compare those moves to what Robertie says. Keep at it, then keep at it some more. Your backgammon will get better, I promise.

I have two other Robertie books: Backgammon for Serious Players, and 501 Essential Backgammon Problems. I recommend them both, but it's Winners that got me started. Thanks, Bill!

I've only been playing backgammon about 6 months. Before reading this book, I won maybe 50% of the time against other beginners, and when I lost I usually didn't lose too badly. However, after reading the book and trying the "aggressive" style of play advised by Robertie, I find that I lose almost all the time and generally take a real beating in the process. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this game, and I'll certainly continue to try the aggressive style of play discussed in the book (the author is, after all, a champion player), but I'm surely frustrated by my results so far... Your mileage may vary, of course.

A fine book by an author who obviously knows the game. Has improved my game, but can't help the role of the dice. My wife beats me all the time. But after this book, not by as much.

Not very much depth of coverage here. Very solid for a beginner. Some helpful tips for intermediate players. Good value. Robertie gives clear advice. I plan on studying his more advanced books now.

Agressive backgammon. Wimpy players need not apply! I've played backgammon for a number of years, but never in competition. I bought the book after just having started on an on-line backgammon server. I was losing. Then I read this book. Mr. Robertie's lessons emphasise agressive play. Not simply hitting other players, but agressive movement, agressive defense and agressive doubling. After implementing the straegies outlined in the book, my rank began to rise. These strategies work...espescially against concervative players. This book is for intermediate players who are looking to improve their game to new levels.