How to get off the bar in backgammon
Your checker was hit and now it sits on the bar. Here is how it gets back in, what you can and cannot do until it does, and the exact odds of entering against any board.
The short answer
A checker on the bar must enter in your opponent's home board before you move anything else. Each die can bring it in on the matching point: a 1 enters on your opponent's 1-point, a 6 on their 6-point. You cannot enter on a point they hold with two or more checkers. If neither die works, you lose your whole turn.
Where you enter
Your opponent's home board is where your checkers start their journey: your 24-point down to your 19-point. Count
from the edge of the board, so a die of 1 lands on your 24-point and a die of 6 on your 19-point. In notation, entering with a 3 is written bar/22.
| Die | Opponent's point | Your numbering |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1-point | 24-point |
| 2 | 2-point | 23-point |
| 3 | 3-point | 22-point |
| 4 | 4-point | 21-point |
| 5 | 5-point | 20-point |
| 6 | 6-point | 19-point |
Playing the other die
Once every checker from the bar is in, you play whatever is left of the roll as normal. You can use it on the checker that just entered or on any other checker.
If the only die that enters leaves the other with no legal move, that one is lost. You still have to play both dice whenever some order allows it: do you have to use both dice?
Two or more checkers on the bar
- All must enter first. Nothing else moves until the bar is empty.
- Non-doubles. If only one die enters, one checker comes in, the other stays on the bar, and the other die is lost.
- Doubles. Doubles give you four moves. If that number is open, up to four checkers can enter, and any moves left over can be played elsewhere once the bar is empty. If it is blocked, you play nothing.
The odds of entering
Against k closed points, you stay out only if both dice show a closed number, which is k × k of the 36 rolls. The chance of getting both of two checkers in needs both dice to be open.
| Closed points | One checker enters | Chance | Both of two enter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35 of 36 | 97.2% | 25 of 36 (69.4%) |
| 2 | 32 of 36 | 88.9% | 16 of 36 (44.4%) |
| 3 | 27 of 36 | 75% | 9 of 36 (25%) |
| 4 | 20 of 36 | 55.6% | 4 of 36 (11.1%) |
| 5 | 11 of 36 | 30.6% | 1 of 36 (2.8%) |
| 6 | 0 of 36 | 0% | 0 of 36 (0%) |
Each extra point hurts more than the last. Going from four closed points to five cuts your chance of entering from 56% to 31%. More in odds and probabilities.
A closed board
If your opponent holds all six home points, nothing can enter, so you do not roll. Your opponent keeps playing until they have to open a point, usually during their bear-off, and only then do you get to roll again. You are not out of the game: a checker left alone during the bear-off can still be hit from the bar.
What to do about it
- Before you are hit: count the closed points in their board. A blot against one point is cheap; a blot against four can lose the game.
- Against a strong board: leave fewer shots, and consider an anchor, a point of your own in their home board that you can always enter on.
- When you are dancing: you are not moving, so your other checkers keep their position. That can help when your home board would otherwise crash.
- When you are the one hitting: two checkers on the bar leave your opponent far fewer good rolls, as the table shows. That is the idea behind a blitz in strategy.
Try it
In Backgammon Lounge the game highlights where each die can enter, and it passes your turn for you if neither can. Play a game against the computer, or read the complete rules.
Questions
How do you get off the bar in backgammon?
Roll the dice and enter on the point in your opponent's home board that matches one of the numbers. A roll of 3 enters on your opponent's 3-point, which is your 22-point. You cannot enter on a point held by two or more opposing checkers.
Do you have to come off the bar first?
Yes. While you have a checker on the bar you cannot move anything else. Every checker on the bar must enter before any other checker moves.
What happens if you cannot get off the bar?
You lose the whole turn, even if your other checkers could have moved. This is called dancing. You roll again on your next turn.
Can you hit a blot when you come off the bar?
Yes. If a single opposing checker sits on the point you enter, it is hit and goes to the bar.
What if all six points are blocked?
That is a closed board. You cannot enter with any roll, so you do not roll at all until your opponent opens a point.
Can you double while you are on the bar?
Yes. Doubling happens before you roll, and the rule has no exception for the bar, though being on the bar is rarely a good moment to do it.
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