Backgammon vs. Gammon — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 22, 2023
Backgammon is a classic board game for two players, whereas Gammon refers to either a victory condition within the game of Backgammon or a cured cut of pork.
Difference Between Backgammon and Gammon
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Backgammon is an ancient board game with a history spanning thousands of years. It is a game of strategy and luck, involving two players, dice, and a distinctive board. Gammon, within the context of this game, signifies a specific winning condition where one player bears off all their checkers before the opponent has borne off any.
While many recognize Backgammon for its unique board with 24 narrow triangles and its moving checkers based on dice rolls, Gammon might also be identified as a food term outside the game. In culinary contexts, Gammon is a specific cut of ham that has been cured but not cooked.
Understanding Backgammon requires learning its rules, objectives, and various terms, including Gammon. A gammon win in Backgammon doubles the game's stake, showing its importance within the gameplay.
It's intriguing how one word, Backgammon, can represent an entire game, and another, Gammon, can stand for both a decisive victory within that game and something completely different in the realm of food.
Comparison Chart
Definition
A board game for two players
A victory in Backgammon or cured pork
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Context
Game
Game or Food
Relation to Other
Game in which Gammon can occur
Victory condition in Backgammon or type of meat
Components
Board, dice, checkers
None in game context
Value
Represents the entirety of the game
Specific winning condition or culinary term
Compare with Definitions
Backgammon
An ancient two-player board game.
We spent the evening playing Backgammon.
Gammon
A victory in Backgammon where one player wins before the opponent bears off any checker.
She achieved a Gammon, doubling the stakes.
Backgammon
A game of strategy and chance using dice.
She mastered Backgammon strategies over time.
Gammon
A specific winning condition in Backgammon.
Aiming for a Gammon can be a risky strategy.
Backgammon
A game with the goal of bearing off all checkers first.
Winning at Backgammon requires a mix of strategy and luck.
Gammon
Ham which has been cured or smoked like bacon
Gammon steaks
Backgammon
A board game with 24 triangles called points.
The Backgammon board is uniquely recognizable.
Gammon
A victory in backgammon (carrying a double score) in which the winner removes all their pieces before the loser has removed any.
Backgammon
Backgammon is one of the oldest known board games. Its history can be traced back nearly 5,000 years to archaeological discoveries in Iran.
Gammon
Nonsense; rubbish
‘That's gammon,’ he said, ‘how much real money did you stump up?’
Backgammon
A board game for two persons, played with pieces whose moves are determined by throws of dice, with the object being to move all of one's pieces to an end point where they are removed from the board. The first player to have no pieces on the board wins.
Gammon
Defeat (an opponent) with a gammon.
Backgammon
A board game for two players in which each has 15 stones which move between 24 triangular points according to the roll of a pair of dice; the object is to move all of one's pieces around, and bear them off the board.
Gammon
Hoax or deceive (someone)
You're gammoning me!
Backgammon
(backgammon
Gammon
A victory in backgammon reached before the loser has succeeded in removing a single piece.
Backgammon
To win at a backgammon game with the opponent having one or more pieces in the winner’s inner home row or on the bar.
Gammon
Misleading or nonsensical talk; humbug.
Backgammon
A game of chance and skill, played by two persons on a "board" marked off into twenty-four spaces called "points". Each player has fifteen pieces, or "men", the movements of which from point to point are determined by throwing dice. Formerly called tables.
Gammon
Gammon See Shelta.
Backgammon
In the game of backgammon, to beat by ending the game before the loser is clear of his first "table". When played for betting purposes, the winner in such a case scores three times the wagered amount.
Gammon
A cured or smoked ham.
Backgammon
A board game for two players; pieces move according to throws of the dice
Gammon
The lower part of a side of bacon.
Backgammon
Game where players move checkers based on dice rolls.
In Backgammon, a roll can change the game's direction.
Gammon
To defeat in backgammon by scoring a gammon.
Gammon
To deceive or mislead
"[He] gammoned a countryman out of a good round sum of money" (Charles Dickens).
Gammon
To talk misleadingly or deceptively.
Gammon
To fasten (a bowsprit) to the stem of a ship.
Gammon
A cut of quick-cured pork leg.
Gammon
(backgammon) A victory in backgammon achieved when the opponent has not borne off a single stone.
Gammon
(rare) Backgammon (the game itself).
Gammon
(nautical) A rope fastening a bowsprit to the stem of a ship (usually called a gammoning).
Gammon
(dated) Chatter, ridiculous nonsense.
Gammon
A middle-aged or older right-wing, reactionary white man, or such men collectively.
Gammon
To cure bacon by salting.
Gammon
(backgammon) To beat by a gammon (without the opponent bearing off a stone).
Gammon
To lash with ropes (on a ship).
Gammon
To deceive; to lie plausibly to.
Gammon
The buttock or thigh of a hog, salted and smoked or dried; the lower end of a flitch.
Gammon
Backgammon.
Gammon
A victory in the game of backgammon in which one player gammons another, i. e., the winner bears off all of his pieces before his opponent bears off any pieces; as, he won the match with three gammons in a row.
Gammon
An imposition or hoax; humbug.
Gammon
To make bacon of; to salt and dry in smoke.
Gammon
To beat in the game of backgammon, before an antagonist has been able to get his "men" or counters home and withdraw any of them from the board; as, to gammon a person. In certain variants of the game one who gammons an opponent scores twice the normal value of the game.
Gammon
To impose on; to hoax; to cajole.
Gammon
To fasten (a bowsprit) to the stem of a vessel by lashings of rope or chain, or by a band of iron.
Gammon
Meat cut from the thigh of a hog (usually smoked)
Gammon
Hind portion of a side of bacon
Gammon
Cured hind leg of pork.
He bought a Gammon joint for the holiday dinner.
Gammon
The term for a double victory in the board game.
Achieving a Gammon is a significant accomplishment.
Gammon
Meat often roasted or boiled and served sliced.
Sliced Gammon is a popular choice at buffets.
Common Curiosities
How long has Backgammon been played?
Backgammon is thousands of years old, while the term Gammon within the game has been used for centuries.
Is Backgammon difficult to learn?
While Backgammon has strategic depth, the basic rules are straightforward. Gammon is just one of the terms players should learn.
Why is a Gammon win significant in Backgammon?
A Gammon win doubles the game's stake, making it a valuable victory in Backgammon.
Is Gammon ham?
Gammon refers to a specific cut of cured, but not cooked, ham.
Are there variations of Backgammon played globally?
Yes, there are regional variations of Backgammon, but the concept of Gammon remains consistent.
How is Gammon achieved in Backgammon?
A Gammon is achieved when one player bears off all checkers before the opponent bears off any.
How is Gammon meat typically cooked?
Gammon is often boiled or roasted and then sliced.
Can Backgammon be played online?
Yes, Backgammon can be played online, and many platforms even have indicators for Gammon victories.
Is Gammon always related to Backgammon?
No, Gammon can also refer to a cured cut of pork, unrelated to Backgammon.
Can beginners win a Gammon in Backgammon?
While achieving a Gammon requires strategy, even beginners in Backgammon can achieve it with luck.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
