Play American Acey-Deucey Online
The U.S. Navy variation — free, in your browser, no registration
Acey-deucey has been played on American ships since the First World War, and it is backgammon with the handbrake off: every checker starts off the board, doubles earn you another roll, and rolling a 1 and a 2 lets you name any double you like, play it, and roll again. Pick Acey-Deucey above the board and play it free against the computer or a friend — start a game.
▶ Play Acey-Deucey nowStarting the game
The board begins empty. Each player holds their fifteen checkers off the board and enters them in the opponent's home board, exactly as a checker enters from the bar: roll a 3 and it comes in on the 3-point of that quarter, and so on. A point held by two or more enemy checkers is closed to you, as always.
The part that surprises people: entering is not compulsory. Once a checker is on the board it may move while the rest are still waiting, so you constantly choose between bringing fresh material in and running with what you have. A checker that gets hit, on the other hand, goes to the bar and must come back in before you do anything else — that rule is unchanged.
The acey-deucey roll
Roll a 1 and a 2 — the acey-deucey the game is named after — and you get three things in a row:
- Play the 1 and the 2 as an ordinary roll.
- Name any double from 1-1 to 6-6 and play it four times.
- Roll again.
A single 1-2 can therefore be worth twenty-seven pips and a fresh roll on top. The catch: you only get the bonus if you can play both the 1 and the 2. If the board blocks one of them, the turn is an ordinary — and rather poor — 1-2.
Doubles and extra rolls
Every double is played four times, as in backgammon — but in acey-deucey the player then rolls again. Two or three doubles in a row are not unusual, and a turn can run to twenty or thirty pips while your opponent watches. It is the single biggest reason the game feels faster and wilder than the parent game.
Bearing off
Once all fifteen of your checkers are home you bear off — but acey-deucey wants an exact number. In standard backgammon a 6 takes a checker off your highest occupied point even if that point is the 4. Here it does not: you need a 4. A big roll with nothing to spend it on is simply wasted, which makes tidying your home board late in the game matter far more.
All the differences at a glance
| Backgammon | Acey-Deucey | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting position | 15 checkers on four points | all 15 off the board |
| Entering | — | in the opponent's home board, optional |
| 1-2 roll | a weak roll | free double + another roll |
| Doubles | four moves | four moves + another roll |
| Bearing off | higher roll may bear off | exact roll required |
| Doubling cube | yes (match play) | none |
| Gammons | double, triple | every win counts one |
| Hitting, the bar, blocked points | identical | |
Why the Navy
Acey-deucey has been a favourite of the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Merchant Marine since the First World War, and spread from ship to ship with the crews. It is easy to see the appeal aboard: the swings are large, a game is short, and a run of doubles can turn a hopeless position around — the kind of game that survives being interrupted by a watch change.
Questions people ask
What is acey-deucey?
A backgammon variation played in the U.S. Navy since the First World War. All fifteen checkers start off the board and must be entered, doubles earn another roll, and rolling a 1 and a 2 lets you name any double and play it before rolling again.
What happens when you roll an acey-deucey?
You play the 1 and the 2, then choose any double from 1-1 to 6-6 and play it four times, and then you roll again. If you cannot play both the 1 and the 2, the bonus is lost.
How do checkers enter the board in acey-deucey?
Everything starts off the board and enters in the opponent's home board, exactly as a checker enters from the bar. Entering is not compulsory: a checker already on the board may move while others are still waiting.
Is there a doubling cube in acey-deucey?
No. The classic Navy game has no doubling cube, and every win counts the same — there are no gammons or backgammons.
Do you need an exact roll to bear off?
Yes. Unlike standard backgammon, a number higher than your highest occupied point does not bear a checker off — you need the exact number, so a big roll can be unplayable.
Play it now
Choose Acey-Deucey in the bar above the board, pick the computer or send a friend a private link, and roll. Free, no signup, and every rule enforced for you.
▶ Play Acey-Deucey nowMore boards: Nackgammon and Hypergammon. New to the game? Start with how to play backgammon, the board setup and the complete rules.
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