Checkers on each point
Count points from each player's own side: point 1 is that player's ace point, 24 is the far end. A checker on the bar is 25 pips away.
You
Opponent
Pip count
Chance to hit a single blot with one roll
| Pips away | Rolls that hit | Chance |
|---|
Shot odds assume nothing is blocking the way. Doubling advice uses the 8-9-12 rule for a pure race of about 60 pips or more; close to the end, use exact bear-off tables instead.
- Maths reviewed by Josh Miller
- Tested by Diana Westfield
A pip count calculator tells you who’s winning the race in backgammon. Both sides start on 167 pips. Halfway through, counting it in your head with checkers stacked everywhere is where most players lose track. Put the checkers on each point into the free CasinoCalcs calculator and it gives you both counts, the lead and whether the race is worth a double.
How the pip count calculator works
A checker’s pip count is how far it has to travel to bear off. One on your 6-point is 6 pips away, one on the bar is 25. Add up every checker and that’s your count. Points are numbered from each player’s own side, so your ace point and your opponent’s ace point are both point 1.
The player on roll is worth about four pips extra, since half an average roll is 4.08 pips. The calculator shows the raw lead and the lead allowing for whose turn it is.
When to double in a race
For a straight race of about 60 pips or more, the 8-9-12 rule is a good guide. Work out the lead as a percentage of the leader’s count:
- 8%: make the first double.
- 9%: redouble.
- 12% or more: the opponent should pass.
So at 100 against 109, you’re 9% up: double or redouble, and your opponent should still take. At 100 against 113 it’s a pass. In short races the rule gets loose, and checkers piled on a few points (wastage) count against you.
Shot odds
The table shows how many of the 36 rolls hit a single blot at each distance, with nothing in the way. Direct shots climb from 11 rolls at 1 pip to 17 at 6 pips. Past 6, the numbers fall off a cliff: 7 and 8 pips away are only hit by 6 rolls each. So if you have to leave a blot, leave it 7 or more away where you can.
For other dice odds, the dice probability calculator handles any number of dice. If you’re new to the game itself, start with how to play backgammon.
Once you know the race, the backgammon odds chart gives hitting and entering odds and your take point.