London Live Backgammon Tournament a Hit

January 5, 2007

By WSOBT Editorial Staff

The popularity of live backgammon tournaments is growing and this year was no exception for Backgammon Live in London 2006 sponsored by Backgammon Masters. Registration was full by October 2006 and an exciting Backgammon Boat Trip to see the Fireworks organized by lovers of the game also sold out quickly. When it came right down to the final competition Dave Treacy, Steve Grundy and Matte Juggler were all looking like serious contenders for the Champ ‘o’ Champs position. Though they all played well John Broomfield had won the Plate 1 and 5 points in the Olympiad, which pushed him over the top and ultimately won him the Champ 'o' Champs trophy. John Broomfield also won in 2002.

Live backgammon tournaments have been gaining popularity in Europe in recent years and 2007 is expected to be a busy year with some great tournaments being played around Europe and all over the world.

31st Backgammon World Championship Goes to Philip Vischjager

January 2007

By WSOBT Editorial Staff

The 2006 world champion of backgammon is none other than Philip Vischjager of Holland. It was a tough final match in which Vischjager beat out former World Champion Luigi Villa for the 2006 title as world champion. The final match took place at the Fairmont Monte Carlo (once known as the Grand Hotel) as it has every year since 1979. The buy-in for each player was €900 and the grand prize offered this time was €75 000.

2007 Backgammon Tournament to be Televised

January 2007

By WSOBT Editorial Staff

The World Series of Backgammon will hold upwards of 6 major backgammon tournaments in 2007, which will be televised and broadcast by Eurosport. Each episode of the upcoming backgammon tournament will last for one hour and is expected to reach as many as 100 million households worldwide. The huge success of televised poker tournaments has lead to the interest in broadcasting a number of large backgammon events for 2007. The series will be hosted by Kara Scott and will feature live commentary by Britain’s John Clark, a world-class backgammon player.

Backgammon Causing a Buzz

The gaming industry has been abuzz this week following reports that the last seats to the largest ever backgammon tournament have nearly sold out. The tournament, scheduled to commence on January 21, has captured the imagination of backgammon fans following the launch of a popular online competition. 128 players who qualified at the online event are now preparing to participate in the live tournament and will be competing directly with some of the best backgammon players in the world.

The tournament will feature the 2006 world champion Philip Vischjager from Holland. He will compete alongside a star-studded line-up for the grand prize of $500,000 scheduled for 25 January. A further half a million U.S. dollars will be divided between the top players competing in the main event.

According to the organizers, the intense media coverage surrounding the tournament is mainly due to the high quality of participants and the fierce competition expected to take place between more seasoned backgammon fans and the new breed of online fans. The tournament will receive both television and radio coverage designed to entice similar numbers of viewers that also tuned in to watch the 31st World Backgammon Championship in Monte Carlo last year.

The backgammon tournament will be played out against the exotic background of the Atlantis Resort, situated on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

In further tournament news, a female backgammon fan has become Japan's new champion. Mrs. Nakamura narrowly defeated her husband in a nail-biting finish of the Japanese Backgammon Championships to become the 36th champion and the first ever woman to hold the title.

Online Backgammon Tournament Heat Up

There is little doubt that online backgammon tournaments deserve credit for boosting the number of people playing backgammon at skill gaming sites. But as a newcomer to the world of backgammon, what can you expect at an online tournament? Nearly every reputable gaming site offering online backgammon will offer some form of tournament. These may be special one-off events or ongoing regular events that attract many of the same players eager to test their luck against fellow backgammon fans.

Usually you can expect to pay a set fee or “buy-in” up front, which covers your participation in the event. These buy-in fees vary according to the prominence, size and status of the tournament and will usually be higher than average if the prize at stake is deemed to be of a worthy sum. Online gaming sites will also advertise their tournaments heavily before an event commences.

For example, this week one popular backgammon site is offering “the biggest and wildest online backgammon tournament on Earth”. This lets fans schedule time in advance to play in the tournament and provides clear instructions to international fans on the time the tournament takes place. In this specific tournament, the final seven players will share a guaranteed prize pool of $100,000, with 128 players in total receiving prizes.

Along with regular backgammon tournaments, satellite tournaments are becoming more and more popular. These are tournaments in which a single winner or a specified number of the most successful players receive free entry to another tournament. Usually these tournaments feature lower buy-ins and some offer free entry prizes, however need a specified number of players to buy in before they proceed. Players can enter tournaments by clicking links usually on the gaming site's front page where a list of the day's backgammon events can be found.

Backgammon Attracting Poker Players

In recent months, thousand of online poker fans have made the switch to backgammon and other skill games, resulting in a predictable backgammon phenomenon. The popular game has found favor with online poker fans for its fast-paced action and unique blend of luck and skill – factors that helped to push poker to dizzying heights at online gaming sites all over the world.
Now it seems as if it’s backgammon’s turn. Reports in gaming media this week confirm that the online backgammon already boasts over a million registered players. One backgammon software provider estimates that 10,000 players are logging on every day to wager on the game. As a result of all the publicity foreign language services and an improved software program are available for download to players all over the world.

Similarly, high levels of interest are being generated by online backgammon tournaments. Organizers announced this week that the largest money prize ever seen in the history of the game will be up for grabs at this year’s tournament and a sell-out crowd is expected to celebrate backgammon’s official coming out party. The event is scheduled for 21-25 January and will be held at the exclusive Atlantic Resort in the Bahamas. A truly diverse crowd is expected with some of the biggest names expected to travel from as far away as Chile and Japan to compete for the $500,000 prize pool.
Publicity surrounding the event will be high with plans to broadcast it via satellite internationally. The tournament’s sponsor will be hoping that record numbers of fans tune in to these broadcasts to participate in a little armchair wagering. Backgammon fans can play their own tournaments online with tickets to the grand final and five nights accommodation in Atlantic Resort offered as the main prize.
Online gambling businesses are reporting an upturn in business again following the industry slump that occurred after the U.S. Senate passed anti-gambling legislation last year. Many gambling operators are diversifying their products and targeting new international markets for backgammon and other popular games. Large amounts of revenue are being generated daily from Europe and Africa with Canada, South American and Latin America also generating healthy new player registrations.