Acey Deucey Backgammon Variant

Acey Deucey, a very popular Backgammon variant takes place at a faster pace and is more thrilling than regular Backgammon. As with all Backgammon variants, the object of the game is to get every one of your checkers to move all the way around the Backgammon board and bear the checkers off. The characteristic that singles Acey Deucey out is the 1-2 roll that gives the roller the chance to re-roll.

Acey Deucey varies from when you play Backgammon in the following ways:

• Every checker begins from your opponent's 1-point.
• The player that wins the opening roll gets an extra roll for the initial turn.
• Once you roll acey deucey 1-2, you may name a double and play any double you choose.
• Once your turn is up, you can choose one of your own blots and demand that your opponent hit it.
• Gammons, backgammons and doubling cubes have no place in this game.

Although Acey Deucey began in the Middle East, it currently enjoys popularity worldwide in the following versions of the game:

• American Acey Deucey – Ever since World War I this version of Acey Deucey has made its mark, especially in the US Navy and Marine Corps.
• European Acey Deucey – The distinguishing feature of this version of Acey Deucey is that the doubles are played on both sides of the dice.
• Greek Acey Deucey – In this version of the game (also called Ace Deo, meaning 1-2 in Greek) you can cause your opponent to hit one of your vulnerable checkers and send it to the bar.
• Mexican Acey Deucey – A player can have no more than 5 checkers on a point in this version of Acey Deucey.

The most unique quality of Acey Deucey is that you can move any checker at any time, and if you roll acey deucey (1-2) you play the 1-2, followed by any number you desire 4 times. Then, you get to re-roll and if that roll is acey deucey, the rule takes precedence once again. Thus, the game is called Acey Deucey.

In Acey Deucey it is important to try to make advance points early in the game while trying to make neighboring points as well as a base for a prime. In the case that 2 players both have primes set up against each other, the prime that is more advanced will have the benefit. If the one with the prime that is advanced the farthest must be the first one to break, he will have better odds of winning the game. The longer he holds his prime, the better his odds of winning become.

David Carnegy - Managing Editor