Backgammon Tournament Basics

  Backgammon tournaments are played one-on-one in matches. Chouettes are not played, and tournament players are scored by points won rather than stakes won. Points are not accumulated from match to match, and a player advances by being the first to obtain the required number of points in a match. Tournaments are organized and run according to local variations and customs, but there are some general principals typical to most:

Entry Fees/ Prizes

  Most tournaments will require an entry fee, which will go into the pot and divided among winners as tournament prizes.

Divisions

  Tournaments are typically divided into divisions for beginners/novices and more advanced players.

Director

  The tournament director oversees the all matches in a tournament and players report scores to the director. The director may also appoint monitors to watch over individual matches.

Draw Sheet

  Each player who registers fills out a draw sheet and the tournament directors randomly assign players to pairings using the draw sheets.

Matches

  Each match played is for a certain number of points determined by the tournament director. In a five-point match, the first player to obtain five points wins. The match can be won in one or more games, depending on how many games are required for one player to capture the required number of points.