American Backgammon Tour – ABT

Introduction

The aim of the American Backgammon Tour is to advance organized tournament backgammon throughout the U.S. The ABT “Master Point Race” is an annual event modeled on the American Contract Bridge League's point race. Players who cash in at the tournaments earn master points for the year. So the ABT winner will likely be an individual who has attended and been successful in several tournaments in any given year. There is no cash prize for the winner, but there's a lot of glory in winning, and there is a nice trophy.

Which events are included in the ABT?

Only the main events of tournaments are ranked in the ABT competition. Side events such as The America Cup, The World Cup, knockouts, blitz-type tournaments, doubles, etc. are not included. A backgammon club director is permitted to conduct up to two ABT tournaments per year. Directors must announce their events at least two months in advance and the information is posted at Chicago Point as well as several backgammon magazines and publications.

Master Point Calculations

Only players who won money in tournaments get master points. To determine master points, Divisional Factors (DF) are assigned in the following manner:

Highest Division: (Championship, Open, Championship/Open Overflow,

or A Division) = 1 point

Second Division: (Advanced, Intermediate or B Division) = 0.5 point

Remaining Lower Divisions: (Intermediate, Limited, Beginner, Novice and/or C Division) = 0.25 point

Master points are awarded to tournament winners using the following formula:

MP Award = (DF) x (# of Players in Division) x (Prize Money Won/Total Divisional Prize Money)

Winning the American Backgammon Tour is not a trivial accomplishment. A combination of skill and consistent attendance at ABT events is required. Look for regularly updated ABT standings in major backgammon newsletters across the United States and on relevant websites