Backgammon Dice Rules
Two ordinary six-sided dice drive every move in backgammon and nardy. Here's exactly how they're rolled and read, what counts as a valid roll over a real board, and how dice work in online play.
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Rolling: two dice, every turn
At the start of your turn you roll two six-sided dice. There are 36 equally likely results (6 × 6), counting 5-3 and 3-5 separately. The numbers tell you how far your checkers move; the dice never choose which checkers move — that's your decision, and where the skill lies.
Reading a roll
| Roll | What you play |
|---|---|
| 6-2 | One move of 6 and one move of 2, in either order |
| 3-3 (a double) | Four moves of 3 |
| 6-6 | Four moves of 6 — 24 pips, the biggest roll |
| 2-1 | One move of 2 and one of 1 — 3 pips, the smallest |
- Each die is its own move. You can use both on one checker (if the stop in between is open) or on two different checkers.
- You can't split a die. A 6 is one move of 6, not 4 + 2.
- You must play both if you can. If only one fits, you play the larger one when possible. See what if you can't move.
- Doubles count four times. Details on the doubles page.
The opening roll
To decide who starts, each player rolls one die and the higher number goes first; ties are re-rolled. In backgammon those two dice are also the first move, while in long nardy the starter rolls again. More: who goes first.
Etiquette over a real board
These are the customary rules for physical dice:
- roll both dice together, from a cup if you have one, onto the board to your right;
- both dice must land flat on the playing surface; a die that lands on a checker, tilted ("cocked") or off the board means both dice are rolled again;
- don't roll before your opponent has finished their move — their move ends when they pick up their dice;
- once you've moved and picked up your dice, the move can't be changed.
Clubs and tournaments use cups and often precision dice to keep rolls beyond suspicion.
What the numbers mean in practice
An average roll is worth 8⅙ pips, which helps when you count the race. One in six rolls is a double. And the chance of hitting or entering from the bar depends on how many of the 36 rolls contain the number you need — for example, 11 rolls out of 36 contain at least one 6. All the useful odds are on luck or skill: the dice odds.
Dice in online backgammon
Online there's no cup — the dice are numbers produced by software, so the real question is whether you can trust it. On NARDEON, in online matches the server rolls the dice, not your browser, so neither player can influence them. Before the match the server fixes a secret and publishes a commitment to it; after the match it reveals the secret, and your browser recomputes every roll, opening rolls included. If a single die were changed, the check would fail. How it works step by step: fair dice.
Names for rolls
Around the Black Sea, the Caucasus and the Middle East rolls have names: 6-5 is shesh-besh, 6-6 is du-shesh, 2-2 is dubara. A full list: backgammon dice names.
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FAQ
How many dice do you use in backgammon?
Two standard six-sided dice per roll. A traditional set has two pairs — one per player — and often a doubling cube, which isn't a die for moving.
Do you add the two dice together in backgammon?
No. Each die is a separate move. A 5-3 means one move of 5 and one of 3 — by two checkers, or by one checker in two hops.
What happens when you roll doubles?
You play the number four times. 4-4 gives four moves of 4.
What if a die lands crooked or off the board?
Over a real board the roll is invalid and both dice are rolled again. Dice should land flat on the playing surface, traditionally in the right-hand half of the board.
Are online backgammon dice random?
They should be — and on NARDEON you can check. The server commits to a secret before the match and reveals it after, so your browser can recompute every roll.
Updated: October 23, 2026