Check Your Equipment When You Take Your Backgammon on the Road

Whenever you take your backgammon board on the road with you, it pays to do a double-check first before stepping out the door to make sure you have a complete set ready for action. Like a lot of other classic board games such as checkers and chess, you can feel frustrated and maybe even a bit embarrassed that you don't have all your marbles with you to play if something is missing. Even a card game is out of whack if one card is missing.

So what do you do if are traveling and you find yourself in the "Twilight Zone" and one of your checkers or dice is missing, lost or back home underneath your couch?

Well, here are a few strategies:

1) Carry extra pieces. That's right, extra pieces. It may take buying a second set of backgammon to stock you up with spare men, but chances are with a little hunting you can find a sporting or game store that sells spare backgammon playing pieces. It's worth carrying 2-3 extra of each color with you. This goes for dice, too.

2) Borrow or buy. Didn't think ahead, and now find yourself up a bar without a die? Check your new location or town you've journeyed to and see if you can find a sporting/game store to buy some replacements. If you are in a tournament or a club, it's time to see what level of sportsmanship your opponents have – don't be bashful, ask them if you can borrow pieces to temporarily replace yours while you play.

The point is, overcome your equipment hurdle and get back in the game, fast.