Except in certain circles, the game of backgammon doesn't get much attention these days unless the version being played is the online version. But that's not the way it was 5,000 years ago when players in Mesopotamia first created this exciting and strategic board game. Few people realize that backgammon existed even before the game of chess was created, making it one of the oldest games still played in modern times.

Little about backgammon has changed since its earliest days. The game itself has survived countless civilizations including the Persians, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. This is evidenced from the many games that have been discovered by means of archeological excavations. The layout of the board has changed as previously it consisted of 3 rows of 10 squares. For a time it was called Senat. Since then, however, the only other significant change has been the addition of the doubling cube, thought to have been added in the early 1900's. The doubling cube made the game more interesting and added an element of intrigue.

As with most things in life the Internet breathed new life into the game of backgammon, with virtual game rooms springing to life almost as fast as virtual poker and other virtual games of chance. Today, finding others who share a passion for the game is easy. All players need to do is log on to any of the established backgammon web sites any time of day and they'll find players around the world looking for partners. To draw attention to these sites, operators have started offering cash prizes and other alluring bonus offers and their tactics are working.

If you've never played a game of backgammon, you really don't know what you're missing. It's not hard to learn and once you do, you'll find that the game is somewhat addicting. With each new round, you'll learn something you didn't know before, and as you do, your ability to effectively strategize will increase. So next time you're bored, find someone who knows how to play backgammon!