Doubling in a Pure Race Situation

A lot of folks think the race is to the swift. Some other folks that the race is won by the person who is willing to stick out their foot and trip the runner who thinks they are faster than everyone else. So when a game of backgammon comes down to a pure race - a game where hitting and blocking is no longer an issue and it is a race to see who can bear off their checkers the fastest - under what conditions should you double?

Well doubling is something you should consider if your opponent's pip count is 8% higher than yours. Redoubling should be something you do if your opponent's pip count is 9% higher than yours. There is no guarantee that your opponent will accept the double though. If they know what they are doing, they will not accept the double unless their pip count is 12% higher than yours.

There is no sure thing when the game comes down to a foot race between two competitors. The winner is usually determined by the roll of the dice. So going into any doubling strategy you know could backfire on you.