Backgammon for complete beginners. Part 10 - Playing through a bear off.

[@twitchster77]

Man, I know you've heard this over and over. . . But I cannot thank you enough for these videos! I can't believe how clearly you've been able to explain this game to me, and now I can't wait to get together with my dad and start playing this game with him. Thank you sooooo much for these amazing videos! WOW!

[@atomant2681]

Thank you for the videos. Best explanation of it i've seen on here.

[@kathybrown504]

Absolutely the best explanation of Backgammon I’ve ever heard! I fell confident that I could play a game right now and know what I’m doing.KB in CA

[@alanmclaren7879]

Finally getting to grips with this game ....getting really hooked....Thank You.

[@strikemaster1]

Me too... The wife and I started playing/learning this game a month ago.... now we play 2 games per day EVERY DAY lol. You might be hooked, but I am addicted lol

[@lawrence101able]

Thanks for these...really clear and easy to understand. I'm feeling really confident about playing now!

[@dottiemacomber6612]

My friend just gave me a backgammon set for my birthday. I am an absolute beginner, and the written instructions left a lot to be desired. I watched several videos before I found yours; the others were too short, went too fast, and didn't address my questions. I'm glad I kept looking; your videos are truly for beginners! As I start to play, if I have any questions, I'll know who to ask! Thank you!!

[@Ensor42]

Thank you! Kind of you to say.

[@REStewart1]

I'm 41 years old. I decided I wanted to learn to play backgammon. These have been invaluable. As said below (hopefully more than once!): You are a great teacher. Thank you.

[@AlejAndrA8069]

I have never played backgammon so I read the instructions, didn't get it. saw some videos of people claiming to be pro to confusing still didn't get it. I just saw 10 of your beginner videos and I totally know how to play! You explained it extremely well. Thank you!

[@103213able]

yes, great job on these videos. For such an old game, its surprisingly hard to find good instructional videos online. Hat off to you, sir

[@carolynemerson3988]

Thanks. I played this with my kids and needed a refresher to be able to introduce the grandchildren to the game . Your instructions are very clear and easy to understand . I like the way you have broken the course into short videos

[@imagine3931]

It was a long time but I finished the last video now I win everytime thanks to this guy

[@tajnasoba]

THANKS man!! I learned to play backgammon watching your tutorials!!

[@komisobaba]

I am so grateful to you. At last I fully understand and can play with my friends as well. Thank you so much!

[@isaacmorales9913]

I Agree I spent about 30 min. looking for the right video then i saw for complete beginners it really helped! thank you, now i can teach my family. (I just liked how the board was set up)

[@yasmine7948]

Thank you so much you are an awesome teacher

[@Ensor42]

Thank you very much for saying so, you're most kind. :)

[@yasmine7948]

Your most welcome I teach myself and the way you went through each step one by one reminded me of myself

[@audreykirstein3507]

Clear and thorough videos!!

[@tillyprosper3675]

Thanks for explaining, first time playing and the instructions were awful so this really helped thanks!

[@olson1986]

Thank You! I finally understand the game!

[@Ensor42]

@twitchster77 Oh don't worry, lol. I never tire of people commenting on how they enjoyed the videos :) It's me that should be thanking you for taking the time to watch and comment. Sincerely, thanks.

[@mebkiwi]

You're AWESOME Brother, Thanx SOOO MUCH!!!

[@roylingenfelter1391]

excellent demonstration

[@hipunkydoodle]

Thank you! We learned a lot!!!

[@chestercrowley411]

Great video. What happened to your knuckles?

[@blaze556922]

My Mom taught me to play when I was young and she told me last week she missed playing and no one would play with her so I got her board out and we had a few good games. Started watching your videos and have learned a few things she didn't know so it's been fun talking with her about it and playing. She also thought you had to have exact numbers to get checkers off board but after watching the world champions play, that is not the case. In fact, you and she, are the only ones I've seen who play that way. Why is that? Where did you hear it from? Great videos and I look forward to learning more. Just had to ask about this because clearly that is information being spread out there but if the pros don't do that, why would we?

[@Bjerner]

Thank you for some great videos :-) I do not understand the note at 2:44. Could you explain it with some more details?

[@Ensor42]

@higbee51 Thanks, glad you liked them. For intermediate, If you haven't already done so, you might like to check out the 9 "Beyond Beginner" videos I did after these.

[@Ensor42]

You're most welcome :) In response to your later question, which seems to have mysteriously vanished from the comments list: Your opponent would win a single game. Once you have begun a bear off, as long as you have at least one checker in the tray, there is no longer the possibility of conceding a gammon or backgammon, regardless of the position of any remaining checkers.

[@atlemartoresonfjeldstad4557]

Yo! I`ve just started playing Backgammon with my girlfriend. What happens when you roll a double when you have one piece on the bar? Can`t find anything about it when we search for it :(

[@sarahnichols1656]

Thks so much for these videos. Could you clarify something for me please. Say, all of red pieces are home, maybe even some born off. Perhaps on one point red has a single checker on a point. Black has one on the bar, which has to come back into play via red's home board. Can black hit that single red as he re enters or indeed as he moves along red's home board on his way round again?

[@jackchubb]

Thanks for these, nice and clear!

[@Ensor42]

Hi. :) In essence, yes. During the bear off, rolls of numbers that are higher than your occupied points would be forced moves, taking checkers off the highest available point.

[@JPT7943]

Great video. Thanks. If you have a checker on the 1 point, 2 checkers on the 2 point and one checker on the 4 point and you roll double 5's, would you win the game?

[@Ensor42]

Indeed you would, yes :)

[@francoisketler6153]

Thanks for all the details, but I would like to know if I have only a checker on the bar and it's the only piece left to enter. Let's say I roll the dice and I get 9. Can I just move my checker 9 points since my opponent has a perfect prime?

[@saurabhmangal6322]

Ensor42 ...can you elaborate why 5/off and 3/2 would be better for 5,1 roll at 02:43?

[@joelarge87]

Reading your technical note when you rolled the 5 and 1 you do mention that you can.

[@Ensor42]

@willghass Hi. In a sense, yes. Although checkers can only be advanced by a player when moving, if one should be hit by the opponent of course, then it would have to re-enter back in the opponent's home board. Any further bearing off would then have to wait until the checker was back in its own home board.

[@Caroline-r6x]

Really clear thank you

[@jejrstans]

At 2:45 when you add the note about the 51 bear off you show the 6/off move. You mention in the note that there is a 3/2 move that would be more correct with the black checkers in that position. I don't understand how you could do 5/off 3/2 move when the die are 5 and 1. Do you mean you can move a checker off each of the 3 and the 2 points to add to 5? Could you please clarify that? Thank you.

[@Ensor42]

Yes, they would :) It was in the previous part of the series that I mentioned this, and that I was just showing red's moves. Sorry for any confusion.

[@thegoonist]

why is the 6/off move correct when black is bearing off his pieces as well?

[@Ensor42]

Hi. In that situation, you would have no moves available, and would pass your turn. You can't move 5 spaces from your 6 point, as the opponent holds your 1 point, and you can't bear off any of your lower points yet, as 5 would be too many to "land" on the tray. This is a good example of the importance of trying to avoid gaps in your home board when bearing IN your checkers to your home board prior to bearing them OFF.

[@williammoffitt1022]

that last ending bit basically means that even though technically your 6 point is clear and you roll a 6 it goes back to the "force move" you explained in part 1 or 2 where you HAVE to make a move.. right? i mean i understand that you move it i just wanna make sure my logic behind it is sound when i try to explain this to whomever i'm playing because i'm sure this will come up and i'm positive it will be an arguement ahahah

[@Ensor42]

@jrwat1 Thank you very much for saying so. Really appreciate it.

[@dfgdfgdfgdfg1318]

Its sounds kinda like the explanation to the holy hand grenade on Monty Python, the accent included. ^^

[@joelarge87]

When bearing off can you add the two dice together to bear off a stone? For instance a 2 and a 3 to bear off a 5. Cheers.

[@DasUmami]

Yes

[@DasUmami]

He explained at 3:10

[@Ensor42]

@AlejAndrA8069 You're very welcome :) Kind of you to say so. Thanks.

[@Ensor42]

Armaments chapter 2, verses 9 to 21... First thou shalt take out the holy dice, thence moveth thy checker from the point of 3. No more, no less, unto the tray of checkers...

[@jenndeleo3306]

what about if one player has all their checkers in their home quarter, but the other player doesn't. Can the other player still hit one of your checkers if it's not blocked?

[@pdwu2b]

@journeytosilius Someone who is slightly behind has a decent chance of winning as it is. He can roll higher numbers, or more doubles and still win. The balance between skill and luck in backgammon is good with the current rules on bearing out, no need to change them.

[@gman21xx]

Red wins! ...because black never got to play =)

[@hiphopjewels]

I can see how this really is a strategic game. There are a lot of little rules to remember, but it's not that hard. I have to be honest, that I really don't like the rule at the end. If you roll a 6/4 but you have nothing in the 6 spot, instead of taking from the next highest point to put them in the tray, I prefer the idea of just using the 4, and losing a turn on the 6 die, until the next round, when you might roll something that will go in at the exact number to enter the tray. That allows the opponent to catch up, but have to do the same thing right at the end of the game. I might start playing that end part of the game outside the official rules, I'll just announce it before the game starts.

[@feliciam5999]

I thought you said that you couldn't move past the home tray?

[@Dean90125]

Felicia Murray He does explain that during the video.

[@gkwindrifter]

Very clear

[@Ensor42]

Hi, I just wanted to show the principles of a bear off focusing on one player's perspective, to minimise confusion.

[@cRoyyyyyyy]

Now i know how to bear off properly

[@jkmorbo]

Just to be clear, if I rolled a 4 and my highest point is 3, can I clear it?

[@Ensor42]

Yes. In fact, that would be a forced move that you would have to make, as you must play the highest value move if possible.

[@DerisedEgami]

Ensor42 Seems like a lack of proper challenge (or chance), to me. My wife and I are playing, now, and she has 4 pieces left in her home quarter. I have 10 pieces left. Given this idea that a piece can use the highest rolled number, regardless of position, she is guaranteed a victory. Whereas when we play parcheesi, you can't move a piece to home until you have the exact number. It would give a player in my current position a chance to win, based on the luck of the dice.

[@noahkmarshall]

So they DO take turns, as normal?

[@martysafterhours]

I wish 6-5 (at 5.22) was an invalid throw (and it would be like dancing) :-) the rules are far too kind :P

[@noahkmarshall]

Why didn't black make a move?

[@thegoonist]

oh nvm i think i get it lol.

[@noahkmarshall]

I'm really confused!

[@alejandrotorres-py4wz]

You could have explained everything just as informatively with half the videos and half the time. But thanks for making all these vids though

[@rwentfordable]

Really unhelpful comment.