The answer to last week’s backgammon quiz, the one asking about a TV series in which the game of backgammon is taught, is obviously "Lost".

Backgammon starred in the critically acclaimed TV series from its first episodes. On the second part of the pilot, John Locke (played by Terry O’Quinn) reveals the mystery of the game to young Walt Lloyd (played by Malcolm David Kelley) by telling him about the winding history of the game, and instructs him on how to play the game, using the metaphoric piece of poetry: "Two players. Two sides. One is light, one is dark."

As the series continues, it turns out that Locke’s efforts weren’t for nothing. Walt starts playing backgammon with Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia), and even scrapping a sum of $83,000 from him. Is that why the series is called lost?

The lucky Lost viewer who knew the right answer is a new Play65 member of Ankara, Turkey, who has just earned $20 bonus. To answer Play65 17th backgammon quiz, having a photographic memory or a collection of backgammon magazines would be an advantage. On which of magazine’s cover Tina Turner was photographed with a backgammon board?

It is about time to update you with the latest Play65 quiz and quiz results. Starting with the new quiz, number 16, it’s an easy one: in which popular TV series in which the backgammon game was taught? If you know the answer, mark, fill in the required details, submit and wait for a surprising extra $20 in your online account. 

Now for last week’s backgammon and hockey quiz. The hockey player who served as a stake in a backgammon game played by two hockey entrepreneurs is Wayne Gretzky, who is regarded by many as the best hockey player of all times. The story, described at Peter Gzowski’s book The Game of Our Lives, goes like this: 

In 1978, Canadian Wayne Gretzky was a young promising hockey player holding a $1.75 million contract with the Indianapolis Racers, Nelson Skalbania owned the Racers, Peter Pocklington owned the Edmonton Oilers, both teams did not belong to NHL and both owners engaged for a backgammon game during a flight in a private jet. 

And it was a high stakes backgammon game: Pocklington put $850,000, Wayne Gretzky and two more hockey players, and Skalbania bet on an artwork from his collection. Skalbania won the backgammon game, so Gretzky started wearing the Edmonton Oilers uniform, and the rest is written in hockey history. 

In his Card Player blog, Gus Hansen, the Danish backgammon and poker superstar, writes about his experiences as a participant – and not just a participant, a finalist! – at the World Series of Backgammon final stop the Riviera Cup, and a presenter at the WSOB final (which, as you recall, included 3 Play65 qualifiers). And that’s what he had to say: 

From WSOP to WSOB

Gus arrived to the WSOB Riviera Cup in Cannes, the French Riviera, straight from the WSOP (World Series of Poker) in Las Vegas, where he experienced "disappointing exit from the Main Event". It seems like Mr. Hansen put all his hopes in the WSOP, while playing backgammon at the WSOB was plain fun. Or in other words, his words: "I have a lot of fun playing in the events, and this time I was suddenly getting somewhere. After a couple of days of match play I found myself in the final of the event up against Bob Koca from the US." Despite being a favorite the entire final match, Gus stayed behind the entire game. Eventually, Koca won in a Double Match Point and earned his seat at the WSOB championship, in which Gus Hansen served as a kibitzer, for the enjoyment of the fascinated spectators.

The answer to last week’s mysterious backgammon quiz will be revealed soon. But first, the 15th backgammon quiz:

Which famous hockey player was won in a backgammon game between two hockey entrepreneurs?

For more details, hints and pointers, or to submit the answer and attempt to capture the $20 bonus, visit Play65 quiz page. 

Emotional backgammon is not the term that describes the coincidence of meeting your true love in a backgammon game (we call it backgammon match-making), and it’s definitely not a sequence of 3 double 6’s and it’s not even the familiar situation of being unable to stop playing backgammon (no, it is called backgammon addiction and it can be cured).

Emotional Backgammon is the name of a forgotten movie of 2003 with the unforgettable tagline: "Love is like a game of backgammon… You take your chances." The relationship comedy-drama uses backgammon as a metaphor for the love game or the battle between the sexes, depending on how you like to see it. And since backgammon is a game of skill more than it a game of chance, the movie’s hero, who was neglected by his girlfriend right before he went down on his knees to propose to her, gets strategy advice from his cynical friend.

While we are on the subject, here is a backgammon strategy advice from our mutual friend Phil Simborg: don’t show emotion or give away what you are thinking to your opponents.

Someone who has no doubts about the meaning of the term emotional backgammon is a Play65 member nicknamed krokrodil based in Zagreb, Croatia, who got away with last week’s $20 bonus.

Remember Kevin Jessup, the first winner of Play65 $200 bonus? Well, for the festive occasion of winning Play65 backgammon quiz first quarterly draw, we had a little chat with Kevin on playing backgammon online and in live tournaments, winning Play65 bonuses and more.

"Winning Play65 quiz was certainly a great surprise", Kevin says at the beginning of our conversation, and then goes down memory lane: "I first became aware of Play65 when playing in FIBS tournaments that are organized by David Escoffrey. An advertisement for Play65 comes up as you are about to log off and I was directed to the site from there. I think this was about 3 years ago." 

Q: When did you first start playing backgammon?

Kevin: "I first started to play backgammon in 1981…I live in Melbourne, Australia and one weekend went to special festivities conducted in central Melbourne on what is known as Moomba weekend.The Melbourne Backgammon Club was represented at this festival and had a promotion called “Beat the Champ”.I barely knew the game but beat the Champ and was intrigued to go along to the Club nights where I progressively learnt how to play the game."

On Playing Backgammon Tournaments Live:

"I have been to many live backgammon tournaments. There were many conducted all around Australia in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. For many years I was an executive member of the backgammon club in Melbourne and we conducted two major tournaments each year from around 1985 to 1992. I was fortunate to win a large tournament that was conducted at Wrest Point Casino in Hobart, Tasmania. 

Coincidentally, I have just returned from competing in the 2008 Australian Backgammon Championship conducted in Queensland at Surfers Paradise during last weekend. This is the first major tournament run in Australia for many years and there were about 60 participants." 

On his Collection of Backgammon Boards:

"At last count I think there are about four or five backgammon boards in my house. Back in the 1980’s I traveled to Hong Kong on a number of occasions where I purchased a couple of leather backgammon boards.  More recently I purchased a hand crafted leather board from England complete with mother of pearl pieces – I am very proud to show off this set. I also have quite a library of backgammon books that have been published over the past 20 years or so."

  Example of a Mosaic Backgammon & Chess Board with Mother of Pearl

Online Backgammon vs. Live Backgammon

"I have no preference and like to play either face to face or online. Online has the great advantage of a constant instant pip count. Face to face you can start to read your opponent and probably more quickly work out their game style – maybe a little like poker." 

Playing Online Backgammon from Australia

"Living in Melbourne is a disadvantage because of the time zones.  I generally play on Play65 at night-time our time, which is around 9.00am to Midday GMT, although there are not so many people online at that time. I like to participate in the big tourneys at 20.00 GMT but this means being online at 6.00 a.m. my time, which can be a bit of a challenge at times. "

And finally, Kevin’s advice to new backgammon players:

"When you first learn the game try to play as much as you can with players who are more experienced than you and get them to explain why they make moves in the manner that they do.  Then seek out and read any backgammon books that you can find as these will broaden your knowledge on the finer points of the game."

Two Play65 players got extra bonuses this week: the winner of last week’s backgammon quiz and the winner of the first quarterly bonus who was rewarded with a $200 bonus.

First, the answer to last week’s quiz - asking about the only three-times European backgammon champion - is François Tardieu. The French backgammon player, number 3 on the Giants of Backgammon list 2005-2007, has been playing backgammon seriously for over 20 years. Recently, he made some headlines in the poker world, winning the Partouche Poker Tour Super Satellite and qualifying for the Main Event scheduled to September.

The winner of the $200 quarterly bonus draw is a veteran Australian player known as KevinJessup who has been playing backgammon on Play65 since August 2008 and was recently named the winner of the 4th backgammon quiz after knowing that Kylie Minogue is the singer who was caught playing backgammon at the luxurious Pikes Hotel in San Antonio, Ibiza.

You still got a chance to win the next $200 quarterly bonus. Start by answering the current week’s quiz: what is emotional backgammon?