Online Acey Deucey
Backgammon Variants
American Acey-Deucey
Setup: Each player starts with fifteen checkers off the board. The players enter their checkers in the opponent's home board, then bring them around the board as shown in the diagram below.
Object: The object of the game is to move all of your checkers around the board to your own home table and then bear them off. The first player to bear off all of his checkers wins the game.
During the first quarter of the twentieth century, Acey-Ducey was a popular pastime of U.S. Similar to backgammon, the dice and board needed to play the game could be easily packed and stored while aboard ship. The real spelling of the game is Acey-Deucey. Acey and Deucey were the nicknames of the first and second class petty officers. Also, if you roll an “acey deucey” (1 and 2) you can play the roll as well as choose any doubles to play after the roll. You also get an extra turn. LongGammon – just like classic backgammon, only all 15 checkers are placed on your point 1; Multiplayer – play backgammon against another human opponent online. Acey Deucey is a popular gambling game that has long been played within the US military forces, including the US Navy and marines. It is similar to Dutch Backgammon. The key feature is that a dice roll of a 1 and a 2 has special significance and is known as 'acey deucey', hence the name.
To start: Each player rolls one die and the higher number goes first. That player then rolls both dice again to begin his first turn.
Entering checkers: You enter a checker by placing it on a point in the opponent's home board corresponding to a number rolled. For example, if you roll 6-3, then you enter one checker on the opponent's six-point and one checker on his three-point. Once you have entered one or more checkers, you may use subsequent rolls to move those checkers forward, to enter more checkers, or both.
Movement: The roll of the dice indicates how many points, or pips, the player is to move his checkers. The following rules apply:
- A checker may be moved only to an open point, one that is not occupied by two or more opposing checkers.
- The numbers on the two dice constitute separate moves. For example, if you roll 5 and 3, you may move one checker five spaces to an open point and another checker three spaces to an open point, or you may move the one checker a total of eight spaces to an open point, but only if the intermediate point (either three or five spaces from the starting point) is also open.
- Doubles are played twice. For example, a roll of 6-6 means you have four sixes to use.
- You must use both numbers of a roll if possible, or all four numbers in the case of doubles. If you can play one number but not both, you must play the higher one.
Acey-deucey: The roll of 1 and 2 (acey-deucey) is especially valuable. When you roll 1-2, this is what happens:
- First you play the 1 and 2 in the normal way.
- Then you name any roll of doubles you wish and play it accordingly.
- Then you roll again and play the roll as usual.
- If the number rolled is another 1-2, you keep going—naming and playing a double of your choice, and then rolling again.
Note, however, if you are unable to use any part of your roll, you forfeit the rest of your turn. For example, if you can move your 2 but cannot use the 1, you may not name a double and you may not roll again.
It is permissible to name a double even if only part of it can be used. For example, after moving 1 and 2, you can name 6-6 as your double even if only three of the 6s can be played. You would then lose the fourth 6, and you wouldn't get to roll again.
Hitting: A checker sitting alone on a point is called a blot. If an opposing checker lands on a blot, the blot is hit and placed on the bar.
Entering from the bar: Any time you have one or more checkers on the bar, your first obligation is to reenter those checker(s) into the opponent's home board. You reenter a checker by moving it to an open point corresponding to one of the numbers on the rolled dice. If you are able to enter some but not all of your checkers on the bar, you must enter as many as you can then give up the remainder of your turn.
Bearing Off: Once you have moved all fifteen of your checkers into your home board, you may begin bearing off. You bear off a checker by rolling a number that corresponds to the point on which it resides, then removing the checker from the board.
If there is no checker on the point indicated by the roll, you must make a legal move using a checker on a higher-numbered point. If there are no checkers on higher-numbered points, you must remove a checker from the highest point that has a checker.
Scoring: The loser pays one point for each of his checkers still on the board (or yet to be entered). Gammons and backgammons do not count extra.
The doubling cube is not used in acey-deucey.
Strategy: Because the roll of 1-2 is so powerful, luck plays a greater part in acey-deucey than in regular backgammon. You are never completely out of a game. On the other hand, since you start with fifteen men back, there is some added opportunity for skill in placing your checkers to block the opponent.
Typical strategy is to get at least half your checkers on the board as quickly as possible and form them into a blockade.
| Rule Differences from Backgammon | |
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References
How Do You Play Acey Deucey
Books
- Oswald Jacoby and John R. Crawford: The Backgammon Book (page 211).
- Walter Gibson: Fell's Guide to Winning Backgammon (page 151).
World Wide Web
- John David Galt: Posted to rec.games.backgammon.
- Masters Games: The Rules of Backgammon
Acey Deucey, also known as 'In Between' and 'Sheets', is more of a fun game than a card game, but you can still win a lot of money playing it. The general principle behind Acey Deucey is that the player is dealt two cards face up. He/she then bets whether the next card will fall numerically between the first two cards. If it does, the player wins! Acey Deucey is suitable for as few as two and as many as ten players.
The Cards
Standard deck of 52 cards. Cards rank A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Perliminaries
Each player is given a stack of chips, to bet. The first dealer is chosen by dealing cards around the table face up. The person with the highest becomes the first dealer; thereafter the deal proceeds to the left.
The Ante
Each player puts up one chip to form the pool.
The Deal
Any player may shuffle the cards, but the Dealer gets the shuffle last, and should ask the player to their right if they would like to cut the cards last.
Deal and Play
The Dealer deals to each player one at a time. So, beginning with the player to his/her immediate left, the Dealer deals out two cards in front of him, face up. The player can either pass, or place a bet that the next card will lie in numerical value, between the first two cards. The player may bet as little as one chip, or as much is as in the pool. If the next card turned does lie between the first two cards, then the player wins from the pool as much as he bet. If the next card turned is equal to, or lies outside the first two cards, then the player loses, and his bet is added to the pool.
Naturally, the best deal you can get is an Ace and a Two – Acey Deucey! If the first two cards are consecutive, such as a three and a four, then they are laid to one side, and the Dealer lays out another two cards for the player. If the first two cards are a pair, then the player bets whether the next card turned will be higher or lower. If the next card is the same, the player must double their bet.
Once the player has finished his/her turn, the dealer lays those cards aside, face down, and deals to the next player playing his/her turn, and on around the table until each player has had a turn, including the dealer, at which time the deal proceed to the left.
If at any time the pool runs out of chips, each player is required to replenish it with one chip from their stack.
The games ends when you get sick of it, and the winner is, of course, the player with the largest stack of chips.
Variations
Ante to the play – In this variation, the player antes up one trip before his cards are turned. If he passes, he renounces his bet, and loses it to the pool. If the player receives consecutive cards, such as a five and a six, then he/she immediately loses their ante to the pool. This keeps things ticking over.
Another variation, if the third card matches either of the first two cards, it’s called a ‘Post’, and the player must double his/her bet and a fourth card is dealt. These are all just minor variations you can sought out for those anomalies which come up, like pairs and matching cards show up.
Multiple Decks – You can also play Acey Deucey by combining two decks. This is common in the United States, and works better when there are more players.
Splitting Pairs – Another variation allows you to split pairs, with each one played as a separate hand, like in BlackJack. The player must ante up for the second play, and each card in the pair has another card dealt out against it. The player may treat each one differently, betting as high or low based on the merits of each hand.
Aces – In these variations, special rules surround the Aces. If the first card turned is an Ace, then the player may either declare it a High Ace or a Low Ace. When an Ace comes out as the second card, it is always a High Ace. If a player posts on a pair of Aces, they have to quadruple their bet, and if the next card turned is an Ace, it’s an automatic loss. Furthermore, if an Ace is turned as the third card against any pair, then it triggers an automatic loss. Not so Acey Deucey.
Online Acey Ducey
L I N K S
How to play 'In-Between' - Bicycle Cards
Yablon - Card Games Website
Red Dog - The Pogg