Backgammon Popularity in the Mirror of Time
Sponsored by Play65
Backgammon is like high quality wine; gets better with time. Backgammon has improved through the millennia and still does with every passing year.
This wonderful mind and luck game has gone through physical changes, which made it friendlier, lighter and cheaper; its rules, variations and strategies has been evolving and its popularity has been growing as it spread all over the globe and across social classes.
Backgammon started in the Levant approximately 5000 years ago and spread slowly through what is today the Arab world; backgammon migrated to the Greek and Roman Empires in the west and to India and Iran in the east. With the progress of the centuries, unique backgammon variations had reached Western Europe, China and Japan; yet, in most areas backgammon was considered exclusively a game of the aristocracy, which radically limited the number of people who were exposed to it.
Backgammon has survived wars, religious changes, cultural transformations and social revolutions. Backgammon popularity has known ups and downs, as expected from such a senior game; but the major acceleration has occurred during the last century, when the world has become a global village.
In the 1970s, backgammon popularity reached its climax; clubs were established, national and international organizations and tournaments appeared all over Europe and North America, and it seemed that the local, friendly board game had turned to an international hobby; however, trends are doomed to be changed and in the 1980s, backgammon’s golden age was over. Backgammon again became one of many beloved board games, although it has continued developing towards being a strategic game with a mathematical inclination, rather than a luck focused game.
The real revolution of the backgammon world began when backgammon online was launched. The Internet has brought many changes to the world; one of them is the evolution of the gaming industry, in general.
Parallel to the graphic and programming innovations, backgammon online has reached a point it succeeded to simulate live games perfectly, and even to become elevated.
Backgammon online, apart from being more accessible, friendlier and more available than backgammon offline, has a lot more to offer its players, as far as modes of play, types and frequency of tournaments, gambling and information.
Backgammon online has not replaced the offline backgammon; people still enjoy the live experience of social events and homey gatherings. It is a separate entity that keeps growing and improving, gathering fans and popularity.
Most of backgammon online players learn backgammon, participate in matches and competitions, debate and analyze positions purely for fun; no matter if they play with virtual or real money; fewer become professionals and succeed at making a living out of backgammon games; however, one thing is certain: thanks to online backgammon, millions of people all over the world have the opportunity to be introduced to this extraordinary game and enjoy it in one or more of the many different variants and levels existing on the web.
