Gioul

Gioul is very much like backgammon and another backgammon variant, called Plakoto. The game originated in Turkey and is very popular throughout the Middle East. The major difference in this game is the way doubles work, as explained below.

Like many backgammon variants, this game is set up with all fifteen checkers from each player set up on the opposing player's one-point. The object of the game is identical to backgammon - to get all of your checkers to the home board and then bear them off - the first player to pull this off is the winner of the game. Getting started requires a single die roll, and the highest roller gets to toss both dice and take the first normal turn. If you are playing more than one game, the winner of each games gets to start the next game automatically, without the initial role.

There is no hitting in this game - a single checker can control a point. With a point under your control, your opponent may not touch down (when using two dice to move one checker) or land on that point.

Another distinctive difference between Gioul and backgammon is the way doubles are handled. When you roll doubles you play that number four times, as normal - but then you do it again for one number more, all the way up to four Six moves. So if you roll two Threes you make four Three moves, then four Four moves, four Five moves and then four Six moves.

If at any point you can't use numbers your opponent then takes over, starting from where you left off and going all the way to double Sixes. Once he uses as many numbers as he can, he gets his normal turn.