Portes

Portes, along with Plakoto and Fevga, is one of a set of three backgammon games that are very popular in Greece. Combined, the games are called Tavli and are normally played one after another in matches of three, five, or seven points. Portes itself is similar to Western backgammon.

Portes is set up the same as in backgammon. Each player has 2 checkers on the opponent's one-point, 5 checkers on the opponent's twelve-point, 3 checkers on his own eight-point, and 5 checkers on his six-point.

The object of the game, as in Western backgammon, is for players to move all of their checkers around the board to their own home table and then bear them off. The first player to do so wins the game.

To start the game the players roll one die each, with the higher number going first. That player then rolls the dice again to begin his first turn. After the first game, the winner of the previous game goes first.

The roll of the dice indicates how many points/pips the player is to move his checkers. The following rules apply:

1) A checker can only be moved to an open point, one unoccupied by two or more opposing checkers.
2) The numbers on the two dice comprise separate moves. For example, if a player rolls 5 and 3, he can move one checker five spaces and another checker three spaces or he may move the one checker a total of eight spaces, but only if the intermediate point is also open.
3) Doubles are played twice. For example, a roll of 5-5 means the player has four fives to use.
4) Players must use both numbers of a roll if at all possible, or all four numbers in the case of doubles.

A checker sitting alone on a point is called a blot. If an opposing checker lands on a blot, the blot is hit and placed on the bar.

Whenever a player has one or more checkers on the bar, he must enter those checker(s) into the opposing home board by moving it to an open point corresponding to one of the numbers on the rolled dice. If a player is able to enter some but not all of his checkers, he must enter as many as he can then surrender the remainder of his turn.

Once players have moved all fifteen checkers into their home board, they may begin bearing off by rolling a number that corresponds to the point on which the checker resides, and then removing that checker from the board. If there is no checker on the indicated point, then the player must make a legal move using a checker on a higher-numbered point. If there are no checkers available on the higher-numbered points, the player must remove a checker from the highest point that has a checker.

The first player to bear off all fifteen checkers wins the game. If the losing player has borne off at least one checker, he loses only one point; otherwise he loses two points. Unlike its Western cousin, there is no backgammon in Portes.

There is no doubling in this game.