A group biography of seven enduring and beloved games, and the story of why—and how—we play them. Checkers, backgammon, chess, and Go. Poker, Scrabble, and bridge. These seven games, ancient and modern, fascinate millions of people worldwide. In Seven Games, Oliver Roeder charts their origins and historical importance, the delightful arcana of their rules, and the ways their design makes them pleasurable. Roeder introduces thrilling competitors, such as evangelical minister Marion Tinsley, who across forty years lost only three games of checkers; Shusai, the Master, the last Go champion of imperial Japan, defending tradition against “modern rationalism”; and an IBM engineer who created a backgammon program so capable at self-learning that NASA used it on the space shuttle. He delves into the history and lore of each game: backgammon boards in ancient Egypt, the Indian origins of chess, how certain shells from a particular beach in Japan make the finest white Go stones. Beyond the cultural and personal stories, Roeder explores why games, seemingly trivial pastimes, speak so deeply to the human soul. He introduces an early philosopher of games, the aptly named Bernard Suits, and visits an Oxford cosmologist who has perfected a computer that can effectively play bridge, a game as complicated as human language itself. Throughout, Roeder tells the compelling story of how humans, pursuing scientific glory and competitive advantage, have invented AI programs better than any human player, and what that means for the games—and for us. Funny, fascinating, and profound, Seven Games is a story of obsession, psychology, history, and how play makes us human.

This comprehensive backgammon supercharges intermediate players with powerful concepts used by professional money players and champions! Readers learn everything from the general principles underlying expert play to advanced concepts like back play, holding games and one man back. Advanced strategic chapters cover connectivity, priming games, containment games, breaking anchor, action doubles, late game blitzes, post-blitz turnaround, ace point games, the concepts of profitable doubles and much more in the 31 hard-hitting chapters. With the help of hundreds of game-action diagrams 501 Essential Problems transform readers into thinking, aggressive pro-level players. A must-buy for every serious backgammon player!

Originally a series of articles that appeared online at GammonVillage.com. Every aspect of the game is covered, from the most fundamental to the most advanced.

Includes the new laws of backgammon adopted in 1931 by twenty-five leading clubs, descriptions of the game, definitions of terms, laws for chouette and suggestions for the conduct of tournaments.

Illuminates the fascinating, intertwined histories of games and the Early Modern theater

A comprehensive and fun guide to Backgammon! Backgammon is one of the oldest games in the world, the origins of which date back some 5000 years – and it's still going strong. It enjoyed a huge resurgence in the 1970s, and then again in the 1990s with the popularity of the Internet, where millions of people play tournaments online every day. Today, backgammon's following in the UK is huge, with a dedicated British Isles Backgammon Association, and hundreds of face-to-face tournaments taking place across the UK every year. In this book, backgammon expert Chris Bray walks you through the basics of setting up a board, opening strategies, middle and end-game tactics, and tips on when to make key moves. You'll also get to grips with basic probabilities, the doubling cube and the 25% rule. And if you want to take your gaming further, there's plenty of advice to get you started in tournament backgammon, as well as playing online. Suitable for both beginners and experienced player looking for more tips and techniques, Backgammon For Dummies includes coverage on: Starting and Playing the Game Handling the Middle Game Bearing Off (The Last Lap) Varying the Play About the author

Backgammon is the ultimate board game - an action-packed race to the finish with an addictive mix of luck and skill. It is easy to pick up the basics, but this is a game that continually surprises - there's always something new to learn, and the Internet has opened up a whole new world of gaming opportunities. In Backgammon to Win Chris Bray, backgammon columnist for The Independent, reveals tips and tricks needed to help you play the game like a professional, whether you want to make serious money in online tournaments or just play for fun with friends. The 2018 edition has new diagrams, a new font and has corrected some errors in the previous two versions. A couple of chapters have been updated to reflect the changes in the game since the last edition in 2012.

The first years of the poker boom were fueled by the interest in no-limit hold'em tournaments. Recently, however, players have been gravitating to another, even more complex form of hold'em - no-limit cash games. Harrington on Cash Games: Volume II, continues where Volume I left off. In sections on turn and river play, Harrington explains why these are the most important streets in no-limit hold'em, and shows how to decide when to bet or check, when to call or fold, and when to commit all your chips. In later sections, Harrington shows how to play a looser and more aggressive style, how to make the transition from online to live games, and how to extract the maximum profit from very low-stakes games. Volume II concludes with an interview with Bobby Hoff, considered by many the best no-limit cash game player of all times, who shares some of his secrets and insight. Dan Harrington won the gold bracelet and the World Champion title at the $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Holdem Championship at the 1995 World Series of Poker. And he was the only player to make the final table in 2003 (field of 839) and 2004 (field of 2,576) - considered by cognoscenti to be the greatest accomplishment in WSOP history. In Harrington on Cash Games, Harrington and two-time World Backgammon Champion Bill Robertie have written the definitive books on no-limit cash games. These poker books will teach you what you need to know to be a winner in the cash game world.