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First-to-N points series — competitive ranked matches.
Backgammon on Stario is a first-to-N points series played one-on-one in your browser. It uses the standard 24-point board, two players, fifteen checkers each, and the dice + doubling cube mechanic that has made the game a fixture from Iranian tea houses to New York card rooms. Every game is a competitive ranked match, and a five-tier bot fills the seat opposite you if no human queues within 10–30 seconds.
Backgammon rules in 60 seconds
The board has 24 points, twelve on each side. White moves clockwise from point 24 to point 1; Black moves counter-clockwise from point 1 to point 24. Both players need to bring all fifteen of their checkers home (the last quadrant on their side) and then bear them off the board. First to clear all fifteen wins the game.
Each turn you roll two dice. The numbers are independent — a 6/3 is two moves, of 6 and 3 pips. You can move two different checkers, or move one checker the sum of the dice (provided each intermediate point is legal). Doubles count four times: a 5/5 is four moves of 5.
A point with a single opposing checker is a "blot" — landing on it sends that checker to the bar and forces your opponent to re-enter from their starting point on their next turn. A point with two or more friendly checkers is "made" — opponents cannot land there.
The doubling cube starts in the middle at value 1. Either player can offer to double the stake at the start of their turn. The other player either accepts (and now owns the cube, doubling the points at stake) or resigns (giving up the current game at its current value). On Stario the cube is currently informational; full cube-action play is on the roadmap.
Backgammon on Stario
Matches on Stario are a series — first to N points wins, where N is configurable per tier (default 3 for Micro, 5 for Standard and above). The board state is server-authoritative, so disputed dice rolls and timing tricks are not possible. Bot opponents play with rank-tuned move selection: rank 1 avoids blots and prioritises bear-off optimisation, rank 5 plays the first legal move it finds. Practice-tier matches force rank 3 (neutral) so practice play feels balanced.
Five tips for Stario backgammon series
- Make your 5-point and your opponent's 5-point early. These are the two most strategically valuable points on the board.
- In a race, count pips. The lower pip-count usually decides whether to take or drop a doubling-cube offer.
- Avoid leaving direct shots in your home board when ahead. A single hit can swing a near-won game.
- When behind, build a back-game. Holding two points in your opponent's home board lets you wait for a hit late.
- Bear off as a stack, not as a queue. Even distribution across home-board points minimises wasted pip rolls.
Backgammon on Stario FAQ
Is the doubling cube live on Stario?
The cube exists in the engine and is shown on the board, but full cube-action play (doubles + redoubles changing the points at stake mid-game) is not yet enabled. Right now the visible cube is informational; the stake is set when you queue the tier and does not change.
How long is a match?
A series runs first-to-N points, where N is set per stake tier (typically 3 in Micro, 5 in Standard / Pro / Elite). A typical first-to-3 series finishes in 8–15 minutes; first-to-5 runs 15–25 minutes.
Are there bots? How strong are they?
Yes — backgammon has bot opponents at five rank tiers, used as fallback when no human queues within 10–30 seconds. Higher ranks score moves on (a) avoiding blots, (b) building / extending points, (c) hitting opponent blots, (d) progressing toward home, (e) optimising bear-off. Rank 1 plays competitively against intermediate humans; rank 5 plays the first legal move it sees.
What if I disconnect mid-game?
You have a 30-second grace period to reconnect. After that the game forfeits to your opponent, but the series continues if you reconnect before the grace window closes — Stario uses server-authoritative state, so the board you come back to is exactly where you left off.