Backgammon is a polite, calm game, so manners really count. If you treat your opponent the way you’d like to be treated, then you'll always be able to find opponents to play with. If you're rude towards your opponent or patronize him, then he won't want to play with you anymore. He may also tell his friends that you're not fun to play with. For example, you shouldn't gloat when you get a good roll, or when your opponent gets a bad one.

Most backgammon players don't like being told they were lucky. Backgammon is a skill game, and players don't win just by having good luck. They win by having good technique. Just as you wouldn't tell a chess player how lucky he or she was, don't You should never make comments about how lucky your opponent is, since that implies that he is only lucky, and not skillful. In backgammon, luck is simply not enough to win. The more skillful player sets up situations in which he is protected against “unlucky” rolls and can take better advantage of “lucky” rolls.

When you are playing backgammon, you should give the game your full attention and not expect your opponent to hang around while you take phone calls, chat with spectators online, or look up best responses in backgammon software programs such as Jellyfish or Snowie (that’s cheating!). You must never discuss the game with a third party while the game is in progress. If you delay in making a move, your opponent might think that you are cheating! And even if he gives you the benefit of the doubt, it’s terribly boring to wait and watch a backgammon board on the screen when nothing is happening.

Remember that when you are playing online backgammon, there is a real person behind the board, even if he is thousands of miles away, in another continent, or a different time zone. He wants to enjoy the game, just as you do, and he wants a fair and equitable game. Let him concentrate when he needs to, and wait for him to finish his move before you throw your dice.

Take a moment at the end of the game to say “thanks” just like you would in real life. It doesn’t cost a cent.