Gioul, a variation of backgammon, originated in Turkey and uses the same board setup as Plakoto, with men moved in the same direction. Instead of sending men home, each man stopping anywhere on the board is considered a point, and six men in a row create a prime.
The key difference lies in the rolling of doubles. When a player rolls doubles, they play them as in backgammon but continue playing the next number of doubles all the way to double sixes. For example, if double ones are thrown, the player first plays the double ones, followed by double twos, double threes, double fours, double fives, and double sixes. If the player can’t complete all their doubles, they forfeit the remaining doubles to their opponent.
Playing consecutive doubles at the beginning of the game is easy, but as the game progresses, and opponents make points, it becomes challenging to complete all doubles. Strategy and planning are based on the chance of getting a double throw, and blocking the opponent’s double sixes becomes crucial. Players must position their men to move double sixes effectively.
Gioul takes longer to play than other backgammon variations due to the constant preparation for a double throw.
