Who goes first in backgammon?
Each player rolls one die. The higher number starts and plays both dice as the opening move. Ties are rolled again, so a game never opens with doubles.
Backgammon opens with a contest, not a coin toss. Each player rolls a single die, and whoever rolls higher goes first.
How the opening works
- The two numbers rolled are the opening roll. The winner plays both of them as their first turn.
- If both dice show the same number, they are rolled again until they differ.
- After that, players alternate and each turn uses a fresh roll of two dice.
In Trindo
The opening roll happens automatically when the game starts and the winner’s turn begins with those two dice. Because ties are always rerolled, nobody starts with a double; from then on doubles give four moves.
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