Greek Tavli Variations for Backgammon Fans

If you're interested in backgammon you may be interested to know that several different varieties of backgammon exist and are played in different parts of the world. One of these is known as Tavli.

Tavli is a Greek version of backgammon and gets its name from the Greek word for "board". Three separate games make up Tavli, all offering different rules and sequences of play. However, all three are usually played in sets where players compete in order to win the best of three, five or seven games.

The first version of the game is known as Portes, which bears the most similarities to backgammon as it is commonly played in the western world. Players begin a game of Portes with checkers set up identically to those in a game of regular backgammon. However, players do not use a doubling cube for Portes meaning the game is played for fun rather than money. There is also no backgammon. Instead two points constitute a gammon and a normal win receives one point.

A second Tavli variation is known as Plakoto. The starting point of all checkers in a game of Plakoto deviates from the standard backgammon set up. A player must place his checkers on his opponent's one point to begin the game and then move them around the board to his home area to bear off. There is also no "hitting" of blots in Plakoto. Instead, if you trap your opponent's checker on a space it must remain there until you choose to remove your checker. This creates an interesting new twist on the game of backgammon. If your mother checker (the last checker on your starting point) is trapped by your opponent, you automatically lose the game along with two points.

The third Tavli variation known as Fevga also requires players to begin the game with all their checkers on one point on the board. Beginning on point in the right place, their date of each player must move his 15 pieces on a board and bear them down to just the area of safety in his home board. One important rule is that in your first Fevga examiners must pass the stones where the other opponent has started before you move all your. How Plakoto is not a pawn in the game and hit just to point to dominate. Plakoto strategy differs from the normalBackgammon as the player is not allowed to build an initial period of six consecutive points. If your opponent is stuck behind your first, you are required to move a piece that play.

the rules are different for each variation Tavli, there are some common points during the game should remember if you are interested in trying. Tavli All games use a set of dice and players must decide who is the first train through the nuts to a large number. The firstplayer must then roll the dice again to take his turn. One point is awarded to the first player who successfully bears all his checkers off the board. All Tavli variations rely on the enjoyment of the game alone, therefore no doubling cube is used for gambling purposes.