The image below shows the various buttons and functions in the Head 2 Head games lobby. Use the games lobby to create or join head-to-head cash games or register to play in multi-table tournaments.

1. The Games List. Select the game you want to play by clicking once. This will display all the different types of head-to-head cash games currently available or in play. Select “Tournaments” option for each game if you wish to review the available tournaments.

2. Click on the Friends tab to review your friends list and add or remove players from your friends list. You can see which of your friends is currently online and challenge them to a game or send them a private message.

3. The Table List. This shows the list of cash game tables or tournaments for your chosen game. The description shows you what rules of play apply at each cash game table and the stake (or buy-in, depending on the game).

4. Chat. Click the Chat tab to see who is chatting online. If you have an opinion, feel free to share it but please make sure you adhere to the Online Code of Conduct for Head 2 Head games.

5. Server Time. All tournaments start at a scheduled time. The server time for Head 2 Head games is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Residents of the UK & Ireland please note you are currently in British Summer Time (BST) which is GMT+1hour.

6. Scroll Bar. Use this to scroll vertically through the cash game tables or tournament tables listed in the Table List.

7. Action Buttons. Use this column of buttons to JOIN a cash game table setup by another player or WATCH a cash game currently underway. You can also REGISTER to play in a scheduled tournament which will start at the displayed start time.

8. Next Tournament. This panel of information allows you to see at-a-glance the very next tournament to commence. If you want to play in this tournament click the REGISTER button.

9. Instant Win Games. During the idle minutes before, during or between tournaments why not play an Instant Win game. These games take just seconds to play and don’t interefe with your view of the games lobby.

10. Online Status. Your default status is ONLINE. Set your status to CHAT ONLY if you do not want to receive challenges from other players. Set it to AWAY if you do not wish to receive private messages.

Note that these instructions refer to Matchplay games. Please see below for details on Purseplay.

• The Object Of The Game
• Starting A Round
• Playing A Typical Round
• Finishing A Round
• Exceptions To The Typical Round
• Finishing The Game
• Purse Play

The Object Of The Game

The object of the game is to amass a larger chip-stack than your opponent, in real-time.

Points are awarded in the form of casino chip 'dollars’. Beat the Dealer's hand of cards with as many of your hands as possible and build your chip-stack higher than your opponent!

To beat the Dealer's hand, your hand must be worth more in terms of combined face value, without going over a total of 21. This is classic Blackjack.

Both players start with an identical virtual chip-stack and play through a pre-set number of rounds, one hand per round.

Starting A Round

There is an initial deal of a single card to each player at the start of the match. The player dealt the lowest card will be on ‘First Base’ and has to act first during each stage of the round.

The order of play alternates after each round. A white button labelled "1" is displayed on the table next to the relevant player to indicate who is on First Base. The order of dealing cards is not affected.

When it is your turn to bet, choose your stake by moving the betting slider. It will automatically limit the size according to the maximum and minimum stakes, and the funds you have available. Alternatively you can type an exact amount into the box.

When you are happy with this amount, click ‘Bet’.

Playing A Typical Round

Once all the cards have been dealt to the players, you play your hand in turn depending on where the dealer button is.

Your hand is highlighted by a glow, and it’s value is shown just to the left of it. The value is calculated by adding up all the cards. Jacks, Queens and Kings are worth 10. Aces are worth 1 or 11 (and in such cases the 2 possible totals are shown).

Depending what cards you have been dealt, you can do one of several things by clicking the buttons at the bottom of the screen:

• Hit. This requests another card from the Dealer. It is added to your hand and the new total is shown. You can Hit as many times as you like, as long as your total doesn't exceed 21. Exceeding 21 is called going 'Bust'.
• Stand. This finishes the current hand.
• Double Down. This doubles the bet on your hand, requests one more card from the dealer, and then finishes the hand. You must have sufficient funds to do this.
• Split. If both the cards in the hand are of the same value, then you can split them into 2 new hands and play them as normal. You must also have sufficient funds to do this.

Once both players have finished their hand (either by Standing or going Bust) then it is the Dealer's go. The Dealer will always Hit until their cards total has reached 17 or more, then they will Stand.

Finishing A Round

Once the Dealer has finished playing, your hands will be resolved by comparing its total to the Dealer's total:

• If your hand's total is less than the Dealer's total, you lose the bet.
• If your hand's total is the same as the Dealer's total, this is called a 'Push' and you are refunded your bet.
• If your hand's total is more than the Dealer's total, you win twice your bet.
• If the Dealer has Bust then your hand automatically wins.

Exceptions To The Typical Round

The best hand you can be dealt is called Blackjack. This consists of an Ace and a 10 (or card of value 10 i.e. a jack, queen or king), which is worth 21.

If a player has Blackjack or it looks like the Dealer may have, then some special rules apply:

If the Dealer's face-up card is an Ace, then they may have Blackjack. In this situation the Player is offered the chance to buy 'Insurance' for their hand, assuming they have sufficient funds.

Insurance takes the form of an additional bet on whether or not the Dealer has Blackjack. If the Dealer does have Blackjack, then the player loses their original bet but wins twice the Insurance bet, thereby breaking even, and the hand is over. If the Dealer does not have Blackjack, the player loses their Insurance bet and the hand continues as normal.

After the Insurance stage, the next step is to check whether the player has been dealt Blackjack. If they have, the hand is immediately resolved and the player wins 2.5 x their bet.

In rare situations, the Dealer's face-up card will be an Ace and the player will have Blackjack. In this case the Player is offered the chance to take 'Even Money', as an alternative to Insurance. This basically skips the Insurance process, and if taken the player wins twice their bet straight away.

The cards will inevitably run out during the game, so there is a cut card/shuffle marker placed into the shoe at the start. Once this has been past the current round will be completed and then a new 208 card shoe will be shuffled up and replace the existing one.

The players will be notified in the dealer’s message window each time this happens during the game (which will be between rounds).

Finishing The Game

The winner of the game is the player who has the largest chip stack once all the rounds have been completed.

If the stacks are tied, play will continue until a winner emerges. If both players are bankrupt, an amount equal to the minimum betting stake will be credited to each player’s funds so that they can continue.

Purse Play

How does Purse Play Blackjack work?
Like in online poker tables, players bring a sum of money to the table and play for as long as they like. After each hand the outcome is resolved and winnings are awarded. Then the next hands starts automatically.

How are winnings calculated?
Each player starts a round with 100 points, plays their hand, and can finish with anything between 0 and 200 points depending how it went.
The player totals are then compared and the winner wins the difference multiplied by the per-point stake (minus the rake) from their opponent.

What is the rake?
Purse Play rake is 2.5%.

What is the Stoploss?
The Stoploss, indicated in the upper-left corner of the game screen, is the maximum amount that can be won or lost by either player in the current round. Normally this will be 200 x the per-point stake (200 being the highest possible points difference a round can finish with).

However, if one player has insufficient funds to cover 200 x the per point stake, the Stoploss drops to reflect this. The indicator will turn red and flash, and neither player will be able to win or lose more than the amount shown.

How do I leave a table?
Click the 'Leave' button, confirm you want to leave, and you will see an alert telling you that you will be removed from the table at the end of the current round. Click 'Finish Round' to continue.

Clicking 'Leave Now' instead of 'Finish Round' will remove you from the table straightaway, but may incur a penalty if bets have been placed in the game.

What is the penalty for leaving a game mid-round, or for timing out?
If somebody leaves or times out before both players have bet, there is no penalty.

However, at any point in the round after both bets have been placed, a penalty amount is calculated as follows:

- The player leaving the table loses any hands they have in play.
- The remaining player automatically wins any hands they have in play.
- The Dealer is assumed to have bust.
- The player totals are then compared and the round resolved as normal.

Please Note: There is no automatic playing of hands for absent players.

The image below shows the various buttons and functions in the Head 2 Head’s Backgammon game. Use the games lobby to create or join head-to-head cash games of Backgammon or register to play in multi-table Backgammon tournaments.

1. The players. There is one ‘box’ per player. Each box displays the player’s screen name, the player’s current score in points (and the points required to win) and the ‘pip-count’ which is the total value of dice rolls required in order to have removed all the player’s checkers off the Backgammon board.

2. Settings menu. Here players can customise their game experience. Choose ‘fast animations’ to speed up the checker moves. Choose from a variety of different game boards with different graphical styles. You can also choose the ‘flip board’ which reverses the direction in which the checkers move around the board. Finally, you can also choose to cancel all sound effects.

3. Rules. Clicking here will display an overlaid alert box giving at-a-glance information on what rules are being employed in the current game or match. For example, clicking on  “Match Play Rules” will confirm that ‘beavers’ and the ‘jacoby’ rules are not allowed nor enabled, respectively (unlike in “MoneyPlay” games where the opposite is true).

4. Wager Details. This box provides players information on the exact type of match or game being played and the ID for the wager. In the image above you can see that players are engaged in a 3-point Match where the first-to-3points wins the £10.00 per-player stake.

5. Move Timer. This displays the amount of time allowed for each move. The number of seconds is displayed along with a sophisticated timer bar split in two sections: Green section is the 15 second minimum period allowed to roll the dice or move the checkers, the Gold section is the ‘time bank’ or reserve of time provided to players in the event they need to think about the next checker move.

6. Full screen. Click the full screen button to expand the default game window to fill the entire screen for easier viewing of the game in play. The default game window size is recommended for multi-tabling (playing more than one game simultaneously).

7. Table attendees. List of players connected to the game table and all spectators watching the players.

8. Gag spectators. Click the ‘gag’ icon next to spectators’ names in order to prevent them from speaking at the game table (recommending certain moves or generally making a nuisance of themselves). Only the players can gag spectators. Spectators cannot gag each other or the players.

9. Chat window. Players and spectators’ chat will appear in this window along with system messages alerting players and spectators to tournaments about to start and friends logging online.

10. Alert Options. Players can choose not to receive tournament and other alerts using this drop-down menu.

White and Red players take turns rolling the dice and moving their checkers around the Board. You must move your checkers into your "Home" area. Once all your checkers are in your Home area you can start removing them ('bearing off') from the Board. Remove all your checkers from the Board before your opponent in order to win the match.

Be aware of the timer! Please note our timer has been designed in consultation with leading UK and International Backgammon players. Your timer is located in the top-right corner of the game screen and appears as a single ‘bar’ split in two colours: The orange section is your Time Bank; and the green section is your Move Timer. Your green Move Timer is the first section to start counting down and always gives you 15 seconds to either roll the dice or make your move. If you use all 15 seconds in your green Move Timer, your orange Time Bank starts to count down. Your orange Time Bank always starts at 20 seconds but can be built up during the game to a maximum of 2 minutes by making your moves as quickly as possible. Every move you make increases your initial 20 second Time Bank by up to 5 seconds. The faster you make your moves using the 15 second Move Timer, the more you’ll build your Time Bank. Build your Time Bank for when you really need to stop and think! When your Time Bank approaches zero, the timer bar will flash and make an audible alert. If the Time Bank reaches zero, you will forfeit the game.

Rolling the Dice. Click the “Roll Dice” button in the top-left corner of the game window or click the area of the Board where the dice are displayed.

Moving your checkers. Left-click on a checker to move it. Left-click and hold to drag a checker around the Board.

Offering the Doubling Cube. Before you roll the dice you may click on the “Offer Cube” button in the top-left corner of the game window to offer the Doubling Cube to your opponent. If accepted, the winner of the game will receive twice as many points as before. The Cube will now be controlled by your opponent and can only be offered back to you. The Doubling Cube is displayed on the Board closest to the controlling player. If your opponent declines the offered Doubling Cube they forfeit the points on the cube before it was offered.

Options Menu. Click on the “Options Menu” button during a game to change the settings on the game. These settings are persistent and will not reset after each game. Settings allow you to:-

• Click Dice to Finish Turn. Choose this setting to end your turns yourself by clicking on the dice. The default setting is to automatically end your turn on your final move;
• Auto-Roll Dice. Select this setting to have the dice rolled for you when it is your turn. Please note you will not be able to offer the doubling cube if this setting is chosen;
• Basic Graphics. Choose simple board graphics for easier viewing during extended play sessions; and
• Flip Board. Gives you a different viewing perspective on the Board; and
• Auto Bear-Off. This setting is “off” by default.

Detailed Game Instructions The Object of the Game. The object of Backgammon is to move all your pieces off your end of the Board before your opponent. Each player starts with 15 pieces, arranged as shown below.

The Red player moves their pieces counterclockwise around the Board, eventually moving them into the empty slot next to their home Board section, and the White player vice versa.

The first person to remove all their pieces will win the round and score points based on several factors, explained later. Each Room in the Lobby has a target score which must be met to win the game. Any MatchPlay game with a target score higher than 1point may require several rounds of Backgammon before a player has accumulated enough points to reach it.

Order of Play. Play alternates between the 2 players. The principle part of a player’s turn is to roll the dice and move their pieces by the numbers shown. Click the ‘Roll’ button to roll the dice, or click on the area of the Board where the dice are displayed when it is your turn.

At the start of the game, each player has a single die rolled for them automatically. The highest roller gets to move first, using the dice already showing.

A player may move one piece at a time by the exact amount shown on either die. For example, a roll of a 5 and a 4 would mean you could move one piece 5 places forward, and another 4 places forward, assuming the destination point is legal. Alternatively you could move one piece twice, as long as both ‘jumps’ are legal.

If a player rolls a double, they use the dice twice. For example, a roll of 3 and 3 would mean you could move 4 separate pieces forward by 3 places, 2 pieces forward by 6 etc, always assuming the intermediate jumps are legal.

A destination point is legal if:

• it is empty
• it only has your pieces on it
• it only has 1 of your opponents pieces on it
• If your opponent has 2 or more pieces positioned on a point, then you cannot move onto it.

To move a piece, use the mouse to drag it to the desired destination. To help you, the game will highlight all the legal moves a piece can make when you move the cursor over it. If you click a piece, it will automatically make the biggest single ‘jump’ it can.

• There is no limit to the number of pieces you can place on any position, however there are some specific rules about making moves:
• a player must use both dice if this is legally possible, and all 4 in the case of a double, even if this would place their pieces in an undesirable position
• if only one die can be legally played, it must be played
• if either die can be played, but not both of them, then the larger die must be played. In the case of doubles, as many as possible must be played
• The game will calculate which dice must be used, and it will not let you finish your turn if you haven’t complied with the rules above.

As soon as you have moved your last piece, your turn is over. If there are no legal moves at all, it will automatically finish your turn.

Taking Pieces. If your opponent only has 1 piece on the position you are moving to then you can take, or hit, this piece. It is moved onto the bar section in the middle of the Board and your piece now occupies the contested point.

Any player who has pieces on the bar must use their dice rolls to move these pieces back onto the Board before they can move any other pieces. A piece is re-introduced by moving it onto a legal position in the opponent’s home Board. When this has been done, any remaining dice can be used normally.

Bearing Off. When a player has got all their pieces into their home Board, they can start moving them off the Board. This is called bearing off.

A piece can only be born off by making a legal move to the slot at the end of the Board. For example, if a piece occupies the position 5 places from the end of the Board, then a 5 on one die (or a total of 5 on both dice) is required to bear off.

The exception to this rule is if all the remaining pieces are below the dice roll. For example, a player rolls a 4 and a 6 and all their pieces are on the first, second and third slot points before the end. In this case they could bear off the two pieces on from the third slotpoint.

A player is under no obligation to bear pieces off. They can make alternative legal moves without bearing off at all, if they wish.

If a player has a piece taken during the bearing off process, they must re-introduce this piece to the Board, and move it round to the home Board section, before they can continue bearing off.

The first player to bear off all 15 pieces wins the round. They will receive 1 point for this, multiplied by the number shown on the doubling cube, and any additional multipliers for achieving a gammon, or a backgammon (explained below).

The Doubling Cube. At the start of a player’s turn, before they roll the dice, a player has the option of offering the doubling cube to their opponent. Click the ‘Cube’ button to do this.

The doubling cube is essentially a method of doubling the number of points the eventual winner of that round will receive. A player would be inclined to do this if they felt they were winning the game, as it would help them reach the target score faster. If a player is offered the cube and they decline, then they immediately lose the number of points on the cube before it was offered.

The default number of points a player gets for winning a round is 1. Every time the doubling cube is used, this number doubles, up to a maximum of 64.

At the start of the game, the cube is displayed in the middle of the Board with the number 64 face-up. Either player can offer the doubling cube to the other at this point. However, as soon as one player offers it, they lose possession to the other player.

From then on, only the player in possession can offer the cube. Possession alternates between players with each use. The Doubling Cube is displayed on the Board closest to the controlling player.

In certain situations the doubling cube may be permanently unavailable. This happens when:

• the target score for the game is 1. In this situation the cube is irrelevant.
• the Crawford rule is in effect. Once only per game, if a player is within a single point of the target score, the cube is disabled for an entire round.

Gammon and Backgammon. In addition to the doubling cube, a winner’s points can be multiplied further under the following conditions:

• if they have born off all their pieces before their opponent has managed to bear off a piece, this is called a gammon. The winner’s points are doubled.
• If they have born off all their pieces before their opponent has managed to bear off a piece, AND their opponent still has a piece in the winner’s home Board (or on the bar), this is called a backgammon. The winner’s points are tripled.

Resigning a round. IMPORTANT! This is not the same as resigning a game using the ‘Resign’ button in the top-right corner of the table!

At the start of a player’s turn, they may want to offer to resign the round (but not the entire game) to their opponent. To do this, click the ‘Resign Round’ button.

The player will be asked whether they wish to offer their opponent a simple resignation, a gammon, or even a backgammon. If their opponent accepts then the round will end, and the score will be added up appropriately. An offer to resign a backgammon will be automatically accepted.

If their opponent declines then the player can either carry on with their turn as usual, or offer to resign again at the next level up, i.e. if they offered a gammon before, they can only offer a backgammon this time.

The resign options are reset each turn.

Please Note: If a player times out, or resigns using the table’s ‘Resign’ button, they will lose the whole game, not just that round.

MatchPlay & MoneyPlay

Players can choose to MatchPlay or MoneyPlay wagering on games of backgammon. Here's how each type of wagering works, in a nutshell.

MatchPlay Backgammon. First select a MatchPlay Game Type in the lobby and then sit and join a Table displaying your preferred stake. Matches are won by the player who reaches the target point-score first. The winner receives his or her stake back plus their opponent's stake, less the applicable rake.

MoneyPlay Backgammon. This fairer, performance-based way to play Backgammon for money is one of the most popular ways to win real money. Select the MoneyPlay Game Type in the lobby and then sit and join a Table displaying your preferred per-point stake and Buy-In. The Buy-In is the amount of money brought to the table by each player. Your winnings at the end of the game are calculated as the difference between your points scored and your opponent's points scored, multiplied by the chosen per-point stake. You can rebuy into the table at any stage.

For example, in a £2.00 per-point MoneyPlay game, if you score a backgammon against your opponent (worth 3points) with the doubling cube on 4 you'll win the following amount:

3points for the backgammon x 4 on the cube = 12points
12points x £2.00 = £24.00

Hypergammon

Hypergammon is a variation on backgammon. Instead of beginning with 15 checkers which need to be borne off from your home board, players each start with only three checkers on the 22, 23 and 24 points. These three need to be brought round the table and then borne off from your homeboard as if this were a game of backgammon with the same checkers in place. All other rules are exactly the same as in backgammon including ‘hitting’ an opponent, the doubling cube and so forth. For more information on general backgammon rules, please see the game instructions or quickstart popups.

The Object Of The Game The object of Gin Rummy is to arrange your 10 cards into sets as quickly as possible so that you can end the hand (or knock) before your opponent does, and accumulate points.

Once a player has knocked, the points are automatically calculated, a winner for the hand is declared, and the overall scores are updated. These hands continue until a player reaches the target score for the room. They have then won the game.

A set consists of 3 or more cards of the same value (e.g. 2-2-2 or K-K-K-K), or 3 or more consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g. A-2-3 of spades or 7-8-9-10-J of diamonds). A card can only be part of one set at a time. Aces are low. Cards which are not part of a set are called deadwood.

Order Of Play At the start of a hand, 10 cards are dealt to each player, 1 card is laid face-up (this is the open pile), and the rest of the cards are laid face down (this is the stock pile). It is then the first player's turn.

For most of the game, a turn consists of taking a card from either the stock pile or the open pile, adding it to your hand, and then discarding an unwanted card to the open pile. If you take the open pile card, you may not discard it again straight away.

At the start of the game the first player may only take a card from the open pile. If they do not want this card they can click the 'Pass' button and offer it to their opponent. If their opponent does not want it either, they can Pass back, and the first player can take a card from the stock pile instead. From then on, play continues as above.

If a hand takes a particularly long time to complete, the stock pile may run out of cards. If it ever gets down to 2 cards then the hand is abandoned, the cards are shuffled and dealt again.

Knocking (Ending A Hand) Once a player has collected the cards they need to complete their sets, they can knock to end the hand. A player may only knock if the total value of the deadwood cards in their hand (those cards not in sets) is equal to 10 or less (though note the exception of Oklahoma Gin below). The value of each card is as follows:

• Ace: 1 point
• 2 - 10: Face value (e.g. a 4 = 4 points)
• J, Q, K: 10 points

Knocking is done at the end of your turn by discarding your extra card to the knock pile, instead of the open pile. If you try to knock and your deadwood value is greater than 10, you will be informed and asked to discard to the open pile instead (though note the exception of Oklahoma Gin below). If you knock with no deadwood, this is called Gin.

Once a player has knocked, their cards are automatically laid face-up on the table and sorted into sets and deadwood. If the player has not got Gin, their opponent may lay-off their deadwood cards.

Laying-Off Laying-off is an automatic process whereby any deadwood in the opponent's hand is placed onto the sets of the player who knocked, wherever possible. For example, if one of the sets a player knocks with is 7-7-7, and the opponent has the other 7, this 7 is placed onto the knocking player's hand and the value is deducted from their own deadwood total.

Scoring The player who wins the hand is the one who has the lowest deadwood total. The difference between the 2 totals is the winning player's score for that hand.

The knocking, laying-off and scoring system is demonstrated below:

In the example above, Player 1 has knocked by discarding the 7 of Diamonds. The remaining 10 cards in his hand comprise of 2 sets (the 4-4-4, and the 7-8-9 of Spades). His deadwood (unmatched) cards are the Ace of Clubs, the Ace of Spades, the 6 of Clubs and the 2 of Diamonds. Their total value is 10, which made it possible for him to knock in the first place (the deadwood value must be 10 or less if you wish to knock, though note the exception of Oklahoma Gin below).

At this point, the cards in Player 2's hand are arranged into sets and deadwood. Where possible, the deadwood is then 'laid-off' (this is completed automatically). In the above example, a single set is made (7-8-9 of Clubs) and one of the deadwood cards (6 of Spades) is raised, to show it has been laid onto one of Player 1's sets (the 7-8-9 of Spades).

Player 2's deadwood total, having laid off the 6 of Spades, is 46. Player 1's is 10. Therefore Player 1 wins the hand and scores 36 points.

There are also 2 ways of earning additional points. If the knocking player has Gin they earn a 25 point bonus, and if the deadwood value of the player who laid-off their cards is less than or equal to the deadwood value of the knocking player, they earn a 25 point undercut bonus.

Winning The Game Once these points have been added to the overall scores, play continues with further hands until one of the players has reached the target score for the room (which is shown on the Gin Rummy games page and in the wager details box in the top left corner of the table). This player has then won the game.

Oklahoma Gin
Note that in the Oklahoma version of Gin, the minimum deadwood points required to knock is variable each new game, according to the first face card showing that hand. For example, a 7 showing would mean that all cards not in sets would need to leave deadwood totalling 7 points max before you can knock. An ace as the first card up would require both players to make gin to knock, i.e. zero deadwood points with all cards in melds.

MatchPlay, MoneyPlay and First To Knock

Each game room in the multiplayer lobby contains several 'tables'. Join a table to watch a game already underway or sit down to practice-play or play for real money stakes. Stake as much or as little as you want.

Gin Rummy may be played in three different ways for real money stakes:

First to Knock Very easy to learn, very quick to play. Playing Gin Rummy “First to Knock” is a simple form of Gin Rummy with each game played on just one single round of cards. The initial set of 10 cards is dealt to both players. The winner is the player who is “First to Knock”. Meld your cards into sets of 3-or-more cards of same-numbered cards or same-suited cards in a straight. Manage your total value of deadwood cards to 10 points or less in order to be the “First To Knock”. Unlike MatchPlay and MoneyPlay, there is only one single round of cards played to determine the winner.

Match Play The winner of the match is the first to accumulate the agreed number of points required to win. Each table has a stake associated with it, clearly displayed in the MatchPlay rooms. At the end of a match the winner receives his stake back together with the loser's stake less the relevant 'rake'.

Money Play Choose your stake per-point and how much bring to a table as the "Buy-In". You can never win or lose more than the "Buy-In" brought to the table by each player. Money Play games end when a player reaches or exceeds the Target Score of 100points (in 100-point MoneyPlay games) or 200points (in 200-Point MoneyPlay games). The winner is then determined by the application of the following bonus point awards:

"Line Bonus", each player is awarded 25points for each 'Round' won during the game; "Target Bonus", the first player to reach or exceed the Target Score is awarded 100points ; and "Zero-Point Bonus", in the event a player fails to score a single point the other player is awarded an additional 100points.

The winner is the player with the highest total point-score. Winnings are calculated as the difference between the loser's point-score and the winner's point-score multiplied by the agreed per-point stake. At the end of your game, all the results and how they were calculated are clearly displayed.

Please note: All money sums displayed within the multiplayer lobby and games are accurately displayed in your chosen currency at the prevailing exchange rate.

Oklahoma Gin

Oklahoma Gin is a variant on the standard gin rummy rules which says that the knock value instead of being 10 deadwood points or lower is variable. (If you need more info. on how deadwood is calculated, please refer to the game instructions popup above). The value of the first card which is turned over from the deck (that is offered to the first player) also represents the knock value for that hand. Thus, if a 5h is showing at the outset, then players may only knock if they have 5 or fewer points of deadwood in their hand. The K, Q, J and 10 all represent a 10 knock value whilst the Ace, instead of representing a knock value of 1 actually requires you to knock with zero points (a ‘gin’). All other cards represent their face value for knock purposes. The knock value for a given hand is shown just next to the open pile. The knock button will also ‘glow’ when players are able to knock (though they don’t necessarily need to knock immediately).

All other rules are the same as for normal gin rummy and players can choose our popular first to knock and 100-point moneyplay variations. You can notice that you’re playing Oklahoma not only by the variable knock number but also by the game title in the lobby and the Oklahoma logo on the table.

The Object of the Game - The In The Grid game works identically to the TV show of the same name: players take turns in choosing squares on the grid which increase or decrease their cash balance. The player who finishes with the most cash wins the game. The squares contain extra cash, cash bonuses, penalty squares, a ‘bankrupt’ and also squares which allow you to steal your opponents’ cash. Whilst the types and values of squares are random each game, you have one weapon in your armoury – two ‘reveal’ buttons which allow you to see two of the squares before making your choice.

This is where the skill lies - when to use your reveals, when, which and whether to take them are all nail biting decisions – many a game will see losers become winners and then losers again within a couple of moves! Have you got the nerve to play In the Grid?

Playing the Game
Two players take it in turns to choose squares from a 4x4 grid of sixteen squares.

They each start with £1000 in virtual money, but the hidden contents of each square will affect their cash in one of five different ways:

• Gold Cash squares give them more money
• Green Bonus squares increase their total by a certain percentage
• Purple Steal squares allow them to steal a percentage of their opponent's cash
• Red Penalty squares decrease a contestant's balance by a certain percentage
• And worst of all are the BLACK BANKRUPT squares - they instantly drain a contestant's balance of all cash...

Players do have one weapon in their armoury... a Reveal. In fact they've got two. This will let them know the colour but not the value of the square so that they (and not their opponent) will know whether it's good or bad. Players then have the option of revealing that square immediately or leaving it till later. You have two reveals, these are the R squares next to your name - click on them to use them.

Finishing A Game
As soon as all-but-one of the squares have been uncovered (we never play the last square) the game is over and the contestant with the most cash is our winner and they take their opponent's money plus their own stake.

Remember you don't play the grid, the grid plays you.

Blackjack Rake
All numbers stated below are in pounds sterling (£) unless otherwise indicated. Commissions remain the same no matter what currency you play in!

In calculating commissions paid please don't forget winners always receive back their own stake untouched by commission. Only the money won from your opponent will be subject to commission.

The tables below displays the % commission payable on every 2-player pot in Blackjack.

5 Round MatchPlay

10 Round Match Play

40 Round MatchPlay

Purseplay

All purseplay games are raked at 2.5% per hand.

Backgammon Rake
MatchPlay Rake As a percentage of total player-stakes in MatchPlay games:-

MoneyPlay Rake Set at 5% of the Player’s winnings or 2.5% of the pot.

Please note: All money sums displayed within the multiplayer lobby and games are accurately displayed in your chosen currency at the prevailing exchange rate.

Gin Rummy Rake
All numbers stated below are in pounds sterling (£) unless otherwise indicated. Commissions remain the same no matter what currency you play in!

In calculating commissions paid please don't forget winners always receive back their own stake or BuyIn untouched by commission. Only the money won from your opponent will be subject to commission.

The table below displays the % commission payable on every 2-player pot in MatchPlay games.

The table below displays the % commission payable on every 2-player pot in First To Knock games.

Example of MoneyPlay Games
Gin Rummy is all about accumulating points. The greater the difference between your points and your opponent at the end of the game determines how much money you win. The bigger the difference between your final point scores, the more you'll win. Every player brings a set amount to the game table and cannot win or lose more than that amount (also called a 'stop loss' for players). The winner pays commission only on the amount of money won from their opponent's buy-in and will receive back their own entire Buy-in untouched by commission. At the end of every MoneyPlay Cash Game, the chat window will display the exact amount of money received by the winner from their opponent. The percentage commission charged varies according to the money at stake. The higher the stakes, the lower the commission charged. The list of commission charges is set out below together with example point scores to assist players.

Purseplay

All purseplay games are raked at 5% per hand.

In the Grid Rake
All numbers stated below are in pounds sterling (£) unless otherwise indicated. Commissions remain the same no matter what currency you play in!

In calculating commissions paid please don't forget winners always receive back their own stake untouched by commission. Only the money won from your opponent will be subject to commission.

The table below displays the % commission payable on every 2-player pot in In The Grid.

1 Point MatchPlay

All of our Head 2 Head games are 100% guaranteed for fairness and integrity. Industry-standard software and hardware solutions guarantee fairness for all players.

Proprietary software systems actively scan all moves to ensure you can chat, play and stake real money fairly at all times against real opponents playing from around the world.

Our player-rating system ensures you have an accurate guide to the level of skill your chosen opponent is likely to demonstrate.

Our robot (‘bot’ for short) players are online 24/7 in the new game lobby to play you for free or for real money stakes. We have a wide variety of Bot players online, all of them unique and offering a revolutionary challenge to anyone wishing to learn, to play, to develop their strategy or to hit the jackpot!

JOIN THE GAME LOBBY & PLAY BOTS NOW!

Why have Bot players? We're offering you Bot players as an alternative to playing against people for free or for real money stakes. Available online 24/7 our Bot players can play several hundred games, simultaneously. Why wait to get your game when you can play against a Bot on demand 24/7. Playing bots is also an excellent way of improving your game. Take ProBot on and think carefully about the moves that he makes.

How to spot a Bot? You’ll find all our Bot players clearly identified with a unique logo next to their username. The logo appears as a robot’s head, different to all other players online. You’ll also note that Bot players are super-fast in making their moves. You’ll never find a real person able to move as quickly as a Bot player so rest assured it’s patently obvious you’re playing against a Bot. You may even find our Bot’s playing each other so why not pop in and watch them play?

Play Bots for Real Money! Our Bot players are designed to provide opposition for players of all abilities. We have Bots of various strengths who will accept challenges from players in their rating band or below for money.

Four very different Bots to play against! We have four different bots available, each with different features. For example, can you beat ProBot? The exciting opportunity afforded by our ProBot is to test your skills absolutely free or for real money stakes against the equivalent of a world-class player. ProBot is the smartest bot player we have available. Can you beat him?

The full set of bots is listed below:

• ProBot will play for up to £500.00 per game for most games
• AmateurBot will play for up to £10.00 per game
• RookieBot will play for up to £5.00 per game
• BeginnerBot, otherwise known as “idiotbot” will only play for free

Please note, Bots are (perhaps unsurprisingly!) programmed not to lose too much money to any one player, so if you’re much better than a Bot he’ll stop playing you eventually, just like a real human player. A bot may also refuse a challenge if he has run out of money!

How to play a Bot? Our Bot players only respond to direct challenges. You’ll need to challenge them directly by adding them to your friends list or clicking on their names in the game lobby.

Fairplay guaranteed. The Bots access the game servers just like any other player and have no influence over the cards or dice rolls, which are completely random and generated by a completely separate server. Your Bot opponent receives the exact same cards or dice as a human player would, guaranteed. Our random number generator and Bot accounts are all audited by external accountants.

Talk to our Bots! You can even chat to our Bot players! Sounds crazy, but during games or by direct messaging you can chat online to our Bot’s. Why not try it out? Do be warned, their game-playing skills will generally be better than their conversational skills!

Where did they come from? Our family of Bots have been developed by world-class software engineers led by an expert with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence. We’re proud to be one of the only sites in the world offering transparent Bot opponents for free or for real money play.