The doubling cube in backgammon: how doubling works
Short answer: at the start of your turn, before rolling, you can offer to double the stakes. Your opponent either accepts, and the game continues at twice the value with the cube now on their side, or refuses, and loses the game at the current value. Only the player who owns the cube can offer the next double. At the end, the final value is multiplied again for a gammon (2×) or a backgammon (3×).
The cube and who can use it
The doubling cube tracks how much the game is worth: 1, then 2, 4, 8 and so on. At the start nobody owns it, so either player may make the first double. After a double is accepted, the cube belongs to the player who accepted, and only that player can offer the next one.
Offering a double, step by step
- Offer before you roll. A double can only be offered at the start of your own turn, before the dice are rolled, and only if the cube is in the middle or on your side.
- Your opponent decides.
- Accept (take): the game value doubles and your opponent now owns the cube.
- Refuse (pass): the game ends immediately and you win it at the value before the double.
- Play on. If the double is accepted, you roll and the game continues at the new value.
Example. The game is worth 1. You double and your opponent accepts: it is now worth 2 and the cube is on their side. Later they redouble and you accept: it is worth 4 and the cube is back with you. If you then win a gammon, the result is 4 × 2 = 8 times the starting value.
Beavers and raccoons
Backgammon Clubs also supports two optional extras that some players use:
- Beaver: when you are doubled, instead of a simple take you immediately redouble, so the game is worth four times its value before the double.
- Raccoon: the player who was beavered answers with another immediate redouble.
How the final score is counted
| Result | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Single game (the loser has borne off at least one checker) | 1× the cube |
| Gammon (the loser has borne off no checkers) | 2× the cube |
| Backgammon (no checkers borne off and a checker still on the bar or in the winner's home board) | 3× the cube |
| Double refused | The cube value before the double |
More on gammons and the end of the game: Bearing off.
The doubling cube in Backgammon Clubs
- Stakes are in coins. Each table has a coin stake, and the cube multiplies it.
- Doubles are limited by coin balance. A double is only possible up to what both players can cover with the coins they have.
- Separate timer. The decision to accept or refuse a double has its own timer, separate from the timer for your moves.
- Quick-match variants (such as Hypergammon) allow only a single double per game.
Rules, not strategy
This page explains how the cube works. When to double, and when to take or pass, is a strategy question that depends on the position; it is not covered here.
Frequently asked questions
Can I double twice in a row?
No. After your double is accepted, the cube belongs to your opponent, so the next double can only come from them.
What happens if I refuse a double?
You lose the game at the value it had before the double, and the game ends straight away.
Can I double after rolling the dice?
No. A double must be offered before you roll.
Related: Bearing off · Play backgammon with a friend
Last reviewed: 27 October 2026. Published by Whatwapp, the developer of Backgammon Clubs.