Doubling Cube
The purpose of the doubling cube is to give the game a greater degree of strategy and excitement by doubling the game stakes. You can decide in advance whether or not to add this feature to your game.
When to use the doubling cube
If you feel that you have an advantage during a game, you can propose doubling the stakes. Your opponent can either accept the double or refuse it. At the start, each game is valued at one point. Doubling increases the stakes from 2 to 4, from 4 to 8 up to the maximum of 64.
To propose a double at 888 Backgammon, click on the Double button before rolling the dice on your turn. A double will be proposed if the game preferences box is checked and the initial stake does not equal the limit of the game.
Note: If you have marked Auto Roll Dice and you want to double your stakes, remove the checkmark before your turn.
If your opponent accepts the double: The game continues according to the new doubled stake. Control of the doubling cube passes to your opponent and only he can propose the next double.
If your opponent refuses to double: he loses the game and pays the original stake.
- You can double until you reach your table’s stake limit in single one-on-one games or series games, until you reach the defined points.
- Subsequent doubles in the same game are called redoubles.
- In a single game, doubling doubles the stake, while in a series game it doubles the game points.
- Some players use beavers when a doubling cube is used. The original doubler can accept or refuse, as with a normal double
Beavers
This is an optional rule in Money Play single games. A beaver is when your opponent accepts a double and then immediately doubles again while still retaining the doubling cube. This quadruples the stake prior to the double. You have the option to accept or refuse, as with a normal double. Before starting a game, you can indicate in the game preferences whether to allow beavers or not.
Jacoby Rule
This rule, named after its originator Oswald Jacoby, applies to all 888 Backgammon games. It states that in single games, if neither player has offered a double, gammons and backgammons will only count as one point. This rule acts to speed up play because it eliminates a situation where a player avoids doubling so he can play on for a gammon.
Crawford Rule
This rule, named after John Crawford, applies to all 888 Backgammon games. It states that any player who reaches match-point (needing only one more point to win) cannot use the doubling cube during the following game. A game without doubling is called a Crawford Game.
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