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How to Count Pips in Backgammon

Backgammon players know that in order to win the game, they must move all 15 of their colored checkers across and off the game board. When developing a strategy in backgammon, players should first count their pips, or the number of points they must move each checker to remove it from the board. There are 24 points, or spaces, on the backgammon board. The starting count for each player in backgammon in 167 pips, but pips can be counted at any time during the game to know how close you are to winning or how far behind you are in comparison to your opponent.

Instructions

- 1
  Learn the number value for each point on the board. For the player using the white checkers, the points start with number one on the right side of the board in the row closest to you and go from right to left up to 12. The point across from point 12 is 13 and proceeds to 24 from left to right. The person playing with the colored checkers uses reversed numbers. Point 24 is point one, point 23 is point two and so on counterclockwise around the board.
- 2
  Count the number of your colored checkers on a point on the board. For example, you may have three of your black checkers on the 14th point on the board.
- 3
  Multiply the number of your colored checkers by the number value of the point they are inhabiting. Three checkers on the 14th point would be 3 multiplied by 14, or 42. This means you must roll 42 pips on the two dice to remove those three pieces from the board.
- 4
  Count the number of your checkers on the next point on the board. Multiply the count by the value of the point. Repeat this step for the remaining points.
- 5
  Add all of of the numbers you calculated together. The sum of all the numbers are the total pips needed to move your checkers off the board and win the game.

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