Play Backgammon
Turkish-style tavla, one on one
Backgammon, known in Turkey as tavla, is now on miniOkey! Roll the dice, hit your opponent's blots, make points and bear off first. Finish before your opponent bears off a single checker and it is a gammon worth 2. Play real people or a bot — no download, straight to the table.
How do you play backgammon?
Backgammon is played by two players on a board of 24 points, each with 15 checkers and two dice. The goal is to bring all your checkers home and bear them off before your opponent. On miniOkey we play the Turkish way (tavla): there is no doubling cube, and a game won before the opponent bears off any checker is a gammon worth 2.
How to play backgammon: full guide- 1Each player rolls one die; the higher roll starts and rolls both dice again. Later games are started by the winner of the previous game.
- 2Each number rolled is one move: a checker moves that many points. Doubles (e.g. 4-4) give four moves. If both dice can be played you must play both; if only one can, you must play the larger.
- 3A point with two or more opposing checkers is closed. Land on a single opposing checker (a blot) and it is hit and goes to the bar in the middle.
- 4A player with a checker on the bar must first enter it into the opponent's home board; nothing else may move until it enters. If the entry points are closed, the turn passes.
- 5Once all your checkers are home you start bearing off. The first to bear off all checkers wins the game: 1 point, or 2 for a gammon if the opponent bore off none. Matches go to 3, 5 or 7.
Playing backgammon on MiniOkey
Legal points light up
Select a checker and the points it can reach turn yellow; a point reached with both dice shows "5+3". Illegal moves are impossible.
Undo, then confirm
Not happy with your move? UNDO it; when you are sure, send it with DONE. Drag and drop and double-click to bear off also work.
Fair dice
Dice are rolled on the server, not on your device, and every roll goes into the match log. Your opponent's last move stays marked on the board.
Pick your match
Choose a 3, 5 or 7-point match when creating a table. A gammon scores 2 and there is no doubling cube — just like in a Turkish coffeehouse.
No waiting
Join a backgammon table in the lobby or create your own and fill the empty seat with a bot.
Chat and invite friends
Chat at the table and invite friends to your backgammon table. Free members get 5,000 gold.
Online backgammon FAQ
Is online backgammon free?
Yes, completely free with nothing to install. Sign up and get 5,000 gold to join tables.
How much is a gammon?
Win the game before your opponent bears off a single checker and it is a gammon worth 2 points. If they bore off at least one, the win is worth 1.
Is there a doubling cube?
No. We play Turkish-style tavla: no doubling cube and no backgammon (triple) score. Matches are played to 3, 5 or 7 points.
Are the dice fair?
Dice are rolled with a secure random number generator on the game server, not on your or your opponent's device. Every roll is written to the match log.
What happens if time runs out?
Each turn has 45 seconds, plus a one-time 45-second extension. If that runs out too, the game rolls for you and plays the best move.
Can I play without signing up?
Yes, play right away as a guest. Sign up for free to earn gold and keep your stats.