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Review of Backgammon Playing Sites
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The following is a review of backgammon sites that are acceptable for play. Our default site is
Safe Harbor Games in the Doubling Cube room.
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Safe Harbor Games
This is our default site in the Doubling Cube room. Has a superior Friends utility and shows
the status of players (online, DND, offline, busy). Friends appear at the top of the player list in the room.
Has resumed matches autosave logs. An excellent 3-D board with options for colors. Has rated matches and tourneys and multiple lobbies. You can
play and kibbitz any number of matches. Play only in yellow dice rooms which guarantee random dice. Premier login allows an
associated icon and ability to find where friends are.
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GridGammon:
The software hasn't changed since the it's inception back before the turn of the century. Fonts are fixed. Name options are limited to
alphabetic characters. To become a member you must be referred by an existing member and they will require a lot of personal information to ensure you are
who you say you are. Don't expect a quick response. Application for membership can take months.
Ability to get the recent player history of any player. You can leave messages for players who are not online.
Online matches are restored but unfortunately the log is then broken into separate parts.
Many world class players have played there since its inception. Premier membership $150 a year. Unable to get any
information as to what this entitles you to but includes money play. Has daily tourneys but only one lobby.
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GammonSite:
Customisable board (lighting, angle, checkers,
background), play against bots of varying strengths (including in 2 tutor
modes), email box for leaving messages for friends if not online, individual
chat windows with each of your online friends(up to 20), built in web browser,
hosted tourneys, groups can set up their own tourneys, set font for chat and
smileys included, lots of sound and graphic preferences. Also has built-in
multi-language chat and displays tourney times and other times in your local
time. Money games and tourneys available through the Gammon Ventures page.
30 day trial membership but then must pay to join
($40/year) if you want to participate in public lobby chat, maintain a rating
play tutor bots (ExtemeGammon bot always available though), or play matches longer than 3 pts. Earn free days
by winning tourneys.
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Piranha Gammon
Has online messaging and friends list and saved games. Has the best board I've seen. Has an onine dice analyser to give you stats in a particular match.
No text or emoticon options and the messaging sends a new window each time you send a line.
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SimplyBg:
Sign up is free and your name is your playing nic. Interrupted games are stored on the server and rating is via the standard ELO rating system.
No download required. Realtime game stats show dice totals, moves made, hit counter, # of doubles, and # of blocks, and complete game play
history for the entire match. Premium membership required ($18 for limited package, $25/year for pro pack) to be
able to save dice logs, review the match online and play unlimited length matches. No friends list but you can get a list of
previous people you have played or current matches being played.)
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