Backgammon is a game that requires players to possess a wide range of skills. To get started, there are some basic tactics that you are expected to learn in order in order to improve your ability at backgammon. After this, practicing by playing game after game is a fantastic way of carrying on getting better. However, could you improve even more by playing other games as well?
The truth is that you can make some big advances in your backgammon skills by trying out some other games as well. So what can you learn by taking this approach?
Learn When to Adjust Your Strategy
The more different types of strategy that you are exposed to the better. For instance, in poker you will learn how to manage your money so that you don’t lose much when dealt a poor hand. On the other hand, when the cards fall your way you need to press home the advantage that this gives you and win as much as you can.
If you give chess a try, then this will sharpen your mind in terms of thinking ahead by planning long term strategies. Making good, smart moves on the chessboard means being one step ahead of your opponent and setting a trap for them. The same applies to highly strategy based card games such as bridge.
In the same way, it is possible to learn different ways of playing from other games too. Rather than limiting yourself to just playing backgammon, why not try out a few other options and see how much fun it can be, as well as educational?
By playing a number of different games you will find out about various strategies that could be useful in helping you to adapt to any situation when playing backgammon again. The more different approaches that you have up your sleeve the better for dealing with whatever comes your way in future games.
Learn How to Make the Most of Your Luck
Backgammon success comes from an interesting combination of luck and skill, while some other games depend more upon luck, and others on higher levels of skill. Yet, even in games that depend purely on luck you still need to learn how to make the most of what goes your way.
For instance, if you are playing roulette or slots, do you increase your bets to take advantage of a winning streak and do you lower your bets when it just doesn’t look like it is going to be your day? By playing games that depend largely upon luck you will begin to appreciate how you can make your own luck in backgammon.
Equally, by playing purely strategy based games you will understand how the element of luck involved in backgammon adds to the excitement of playing it and changes your approach.
Then there are other games like Scopa that combine luck and skill in much the same way as backgammon. The same applies to other card games such as euchre, which requires you to make the most of the hand that you are dealt.
With backgammon, you always have the chance to make the most of your good luck or do something to avoid your bad luck leading to a poor game. Having the confidence to know that you can deal with whatever Lady Luck has in store for you will make you feel more confident about handling anything that comes your way.
Play Live Online Games
One thing that was impossible to practice in the past was how to play in a high tension game with other players. People had to play alone or with friends at home, which meant that they could practice the strategies but not the issue of dealing with the pressure of a real game situation. That changed with the arrival of live dealer casinos that work by combining real dealers with online play. On these sites, players can hone their skills at their chosen game while also experiencing the pressure of a realistic casino atmosphere through a live-streamed feed.
Games that are available on live casinos typically include the likes of poker, roulette, and baccarat. Since we have already seen that poker offers a good way of honing your backgammon skills, then playing live poker online makes a lot of sense in this respect, although live casino poker has some limitations in itself, namely the fact that you’re playing against a dealer rather than other players.
Follow the Example of Jean-Philippe Rohr
An interesting example of someone who has learned a lot from different types of games is Jean-Philippe Rohr. He was a highly successful French international soccer player who started playing backgammon once his career out on the soccer pitch ended. Rohr then became the French backgammon champion on two separate occasions. When a number of his acquaintances from the backgammon world made the switch to poker, he did the same thing.
He has now been successful in the world of competitive poker too, just as he was with soccer and backgammon. The player describes poker as “a sport of psychological combat” and it is clear that he had learned a lot from each of his different careers to date.
There is no need to just stick to one sport or game, no matter how good you are at it. By trying out a few different types you can increase your confidence and skills while having fun. Even if you aren’t as successful as Jean-Philippe Rohr has been in different fields, you can still enjoy playing as many different games as you would like and learn something from each one.