EVENTS
General Event Information
- All of the information on this page applies only to players in the ABT Open, Advanced, or Intermediate divisions. For information about the TBT Program and Bootcamp, please click here.
- Membership in the US Backgammon Federation is required for all ABT events. Renew or join at usbgf.org.
- See the Terms & Conditions page for rule options in effect. Clocks are required in all events, including side events.
- We are looking for sponsors! If you have a product or service you would like to advertise to the community, please contact Avi Cohen for details at MiamiOpenBG@gmail.com
- There is a $90 registration fee that applies to all players or a $45 registration fee to all players playing only in the side events. This covers the ABT fee, hospitality, technology, the Gala trophy ceremony, 4X professional lectures at a discounted price, and access to the event spaces.
- Expected Payouts
- ABT Main Events pay 10-15% of the field. Events with less than 32 participants may pay up to 20%.
Jackpot events pay 8-12.5% of the field. - Jackpots that use byes may pay up to 20%.
- Other side events will generally pay 10-20% of the field but may vary based on other factors such as added money.
Registration Cut-Offs
ABT Main Event Registration closes Thursday night. Players must check in on-site by Friday at 9:30 PM.
TBT Main Event Registration closes Wednesday afternoon. Players must check in on-site by Wednesday at 7:00 PM.
Jackpot & Side Event registration closes 30 minutes before each event starts. Late entry and re-entries (if available) will open
- ABT Main Events pay 10-15% of the field. Events with less than 32 participants may pay up to 20%.
ALL the winners of most events (see below) will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavla Bracelet donated by BackgammonConnection.com
2nd Miami Open Backgammon Championship / November 18-24, 2025
ABT - American Backgammon Tour Main Events
The main event starts Friday, with competition taking place over three days. As part of the American Backgammon Tour, this event is one of 15-20 each year that count towards the ABT points race!
The winner of the Open Division will be awarded a Custom backgammon board made by VITOR HOLLANDA
The winners of the other Divisions will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavla Bracelet, donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Three divisions: Open, Advanced, and Intermediate
- Double-elimination with a progressive Second Chance
- The final winner will play a match between the winners of the Main bracket and the Second Chance bracket. The last undefeated player will receive a payout of 7% of the prize pool before other prizes are determined
- 11-point matches in the Main
- 9-point matches in the Second Chance
- 5-point matches in the Last Chance
- 9-point matches in the Main
- 7-point matches in the Second Chance
- 5-point matches in the Last Chance
- 7-point matches in the Main
- 5-point matches in the Second Chance
- 5-point matches in the Last Chance
- Registration closes at 7:30 PM on Thursday. If you will not arrive until Thursday, full payment in advance is required.
- Starting hours are: 11:00 AM on Friday / 11:00 AM on Saturday / 11:00 AM on Sunday
- Up to five rounds on Friday and played to completion on Saturday and Sunday
- Scheduled dinner breaks on Friday Saturday and Sunday at 5:00 PM
- $400 entry fee, 90% return
- $200 side pool, 95% return
- $250 rebuy, 90% return / side pool carries over
- $200 entry fee, 85% return
- $100 side pool, 95% return
- $125 rebuy, 85% return / side pool carries over
- $100 entry fee, 80% return
- $50 side pool, 95% return
- $60 rebuy, 80% return / side pool carries over
- The Open division is open to all players
- Advanced division players generally have an extreme Gammon performance rating (PR) between 7 and 10.
- Intermediate division players generally have an extreme Gammon performance rating over 10.
- Eligibility is subject to director approval in consultation with the USBGF eligibility committee. Decisions may be based on win %, ELO, PR, and recent results.
- All divisions: 2m/12s
- Open division clocks are mandatory
- Advanced division clocks are preferred
- Intermediate division clocks are optional
- The winner of the Open Division will be awarded a custom backgammon board made by VITOR HOLLANDA
- The winners of the other divisions will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavla Bracelet donated by BackgammonConnection.com
TBT - (No Cube) Traditional Backgammon Tour Main Events
Do you have what it takes to compete with the world’s best Traditional Tavla (Sheshbesh) players? The TBT No-Cube Main Event is set to take place just before the ABT Main Event. This is your chance to showcase your skills in a prestigious two-day traditional Backgammon tournament . The main event starts Wednesday night, with competition taking place over two days.
The winners of the events will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavla Bracelet donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- One division: Championship
- Single-elimination traditional no cube event
- Unlimited re-entries until full
- 7-point matches
- Registration closes at 5:00 PM on Wednesday. If you will not arrive until Wednesday, full payment in advance is required.
- Starting times are 7:30 PM on Wednesday
- Up to three rounds on Wednesday and played to completion on Thursday
- Scheduled dinner breaks on Wednesday and Thursday
- $200 entry fee, 80% return
- $100 side pool, 95% return
- $125 rebuy, 80% return / side pool carries over
- The Championship division is open to all players
- 2m/12s
- Championship division clocks are optional
- The winner of the event will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavla Bracelet donated by BackgammonConnection.com
TBT - Boot Camp
The 1st Miami Open Backgammon Championship will offer a Boot Camp to master the cube and professional tournament play.
This intensive Boot Camp is crafted for participants with a foundational understanding of backgammon gameplay.
Elevate your game with advanced doubling cube strategies and gain the confidence to dominate every match!
The winners of the event will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Boot Camp – Master the Cube and Professional Tournament Play
- Registration closes at 9:30 AM on Tuesday
- Starting times are 9:30 AM on Tuesday
- Early pre-registration online is highly encouraged – Spots are limited!
- Boot Camp & Match Play Quiz: $175
- Participation includes 15 professional lectures, learning materials, software, Match Play Quiz, Mock Tournament Play, cube practice games, and interactive cube scenario play
- You don’t need to bring a Backgammon board
- Note that the $90 tournament registration fee does not apply to the 2-Day Boot Camp Program
- The TBT Boot Camp is open to all players
- The Boot Camp activities will be graded with prizes awarded to the top three
- The winners of the Match Play Quiz will be graded with prizes awarded to the top three donated by BackgammonConnection.com
Jackpot Events
Test your skills in our backgammon jackpot events, single-elimination format matches that will push your game to the next level.
The winner of the Ed O’Laughlin Super Jackpot will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavla Bracelet donated by P-40
The winner of the Limited Jackpot will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavla Bracelet donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Super Jackpot and Limited Jackpot (not including the Miami Mega Jackpot, which is listed separately on this page).
- Single Elimination
- Limited to 32 entries per division
- Re-entries allowed until full. Side pools carry over on re-entry!
- 11-point matches
- 9-point matches
- Two start times:
- 7:30 PM Wednesday
- 11:00 AM Thursday
- Players who register for the Wednesday start may be required to shift to the Thursday start if they are still alive in other events
- Players who register for the Thursday start may have less opportunity for re-entry
- $500 entry fee, 90% return
- $200 side pool, 95% return
- $300 rebuy, 90% return / side pool carries over
- $250 entry fee, 84% return
- $100 side pool, 95% return
- $125 rebuy, 84% return / side pool carries over
- The Super Jackpot is open to all players and recommended for players of exceptional skill
- Players eligible for the Limited Jackpot generally have an extreme Gammon performance rating (PR) over 7
- Eligibility is subject to director approval in consultation with the USBGF eligibility committee. Decisions may be based on win%, ELO, PR, and recent results.
- All divisions: 2m/12s
- Super Jackpot clocks are mandatory
- Limited Jackpot clocks are preferred
- The winner of the Super Jackpot will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavla Bracelet donated by P-40
- The winner of the Limited Jackpot will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavla Bracelet donated by BackgammonConnection.com
Mega Jackpot
The Miami Mega Jackpot 2K is a prestigious single-elimination high-stakes event, where the best backgammon players from around the world meet. Do you think you have what it takes to become the 2nd Miami Open BG Mega Jackpot champion?
The winner of the events will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavle Bracelet donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Single Elimination
- Limited to 16 entrants
- Re-entries allowed until full. Side pools carry over on re-entry!
- 13-point matches
- Two start times:
- 7:30 PM Wednesday
- 11:00 AM Thursday
- Players who register for the Wednesday start may be required to shift to the Friday start if they are still alive in other events
- Players who register for the Thursday start may have less opportunity for re-entry
- $2,000 entry fee, 92% return
- $500 side pool, 95% return
- $1250 rebuy, 92% return / side pool carries over
- The Miami Mega Jackpot is open to all players, and recommended for players of exceptional skill
- 2m/12s
- Miami Mega Jackpot clocks are mandatory
- The winner of the event will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavla Bracelet donated by BackgammonConnection.com
Players Cup Backgammon
The Backgammon Masters Awarding Body (BMAB) confers mastership titles and proficiency level certificates based on calculated error rate performance using eXtremeGammon in live clocked matches in tournament conditions.
The winners of the events will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Five-round modified Swiss
- 9-point matches
- All matches will be recorded, transcribed, and sent to the Backgammon Masters Awarding Body for official rating
- Begins at 11:00 AM on Wednesday and will finish the same day.
- Separate $100 registration fee, which includes recording, transcription, and submission to BMAB.
- $150 entry fee, 100% return
- $50 side pool A, 95% return
- $100 side pool B, 95% return
- Must enter side pool A to be eligible for side pool B. Both side pools are based on W/L record
- 2m/12s
- Players Cup Backgammon clocks are mandatory
- The winner of the event will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
Miami Beach Doubles
The Miami Beach Doubles Event is the most popular side game, It’s a thrilling competition where strategy and teamwork are key, as pairs battle through rounds until a champion is crowned.
The winners of the event will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Two-player teams
- Single elimination
- All rounds will be 7-point matches
- Side pool carries over on re-entry
- Two start times:
- 12:00 PM Thursday
- 10:00 AM Friday
- Re-entries will be taken until 10:00 AM Friday or until full
- Players who register for the Friday start will not have the opportunity for re-entry
- $150 entry fee per player ($300 per team), 80% return
- $50 side pool per player ($100 per team), 95.0% return
- $150 entry fee per player ($300 per team) rebuy, 80% return / side pool carries over
- Both players must agree on whether to enter side pool
- 3m/15s
- Miami Beach Doubles clocks are mandatory
- The winners of the event will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
The U.S. Youth Championship
This event aims to provide youth with exciting prizes, scholarships from Grandmasters around the world and professional education materials. These opportunities will equip them with the tools and skills needed to compete effectively in ABT tournaments and help grow our amazing community.
The top 4 players of the event will be awarded Backgammon boards and educational prizes!
Sponsored by the Distenfeld Family – Everyone is a winner!
- One division: Championship
- Single-elimination
- Limited to under 18 years old
- All rounds will be 7-point matches
- Unlimited re-entries until full
- The event begins at 7:00 PM on Saturday and will play at least two rounds that evening
- The event will resume at 12:00 PM on Sunday with the finals at 15:00
- Free Entry to ALL under 18
- 3m/15s
- U.S. Youth Championship clocks are optional
- The top 4 players of the event will be awarded backgammon boards!
- The top 4 players of the event will be awarded educational prizes!
- donated by the Distenfeld Family
Women's World of Backgammon Cup
Woman’s World of Backgammon Cup is proud to sponsor the 2nd Miami Open Backgammon Championship.
This prestigious event celebrates the skill and dedication of female backgammon players, providing a platform for women to showcase their talent and compete at the highest level / $500 ADDED MONEY!
The winner of the event will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Single elimination
- All rounds will be 7-point matches
- Side pool carries over on re-entry
- $500 added money!
- This event is only open to women
- Unlimited re-entries until full
- Begins at 7:00 PM Saturday and will continue until finalists are determined
- $100 entry fee, 80% return ($500 added)
- $50 side pool, 95% return
- $60 rebuy, 80% return / side pool carries over
- 2m/12s
- Women’s World of Backgammon Cup clocks are optional
- $500 added money!
- The winner of the event will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
Seniors & Juniors
The Seniors & Juniors Event is a thrilling battle between the most experienced players and the most enthusiastic rising stars.
The winners of the events will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Two events to choose from:
- Seniors Tournament – Over 55
- Juniors Tournament – Under 55
- Single elimination
- 7-point matches in both divisions
- Begins at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, with competition taking place over five days
- Unlimited re-entries until full
- $50 entry fee, 90% return
- 2m/12s
- Seniors & Juniors clocks are optional
- The winners of the events will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
Novice Tournament
The Miami Novice Tournament is the perfect starting point for new and developing players looking to experience the excitement of competitive backgammon. With a welcoming atmosphere, supportive community, and entry-level stakes, it’s designed to encourage learning and build confidence at the board. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to take your game to the next level, this is your chance to compete, have fun, and be part of the Miami Open experience.
The winner of the events will be awarded a backgammon board and a Tavle Bracelet donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Single Elimination / Two Lives
- This event is only open to novice-level players
- Re-entries are allowed until full
- 3-point matches
- Three start times:
- 7:00 PM Tuesday
- 7:00 PM Wednesday
- 7:00 PM Thursday
- Players who register for the Wednesday start may have less opportunity for re-entry
- $25 entry fee
- The Miami Novice Tournament is open to novice-level players
- No Clock
- The top 4 players of the event will be awarded backgammon boards!
- The top 4 players of the event will be awarded educational prizes!
- donated by BackgammonConnection.com
Board Tournaments
Enter the tournament of your choice to win a beautiful, high quality backgammon board!
The Finalist of the event will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Two events to choose from:
- FTH Board Tournament, sponsored by Gammon Stuff
- Gammon Guys Board Tournament sponsored by Gammon Guys
- Single elimination
- 7-point matches in all the events
- Begins at 10:00 AM Wednesday, with competition taking place over five days
- Unlimited re-entries until full
- $50 entry fee
- 16 bracket winner receives an Art Gammon Backgammon board
- 32 bracket winner receives an FTH Backgammon board
- Finalist receives a custom board
- All divisions: 2m/12s
- Board Tournaments clocks are optional
- The finalists of the event will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
Speedgammon & Super Speedgammon
Test your skills in Speedgammon and Super Speedgammon, where the fastest players compete. These high-intensity events challenge you to think and react quickly, making split-second decisions under pressure.
The winner of the event will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Single elimination
- 5 point matches
- Very fast clock settings!
- Begins at 10:00 AM Wednesday, with competition taking place over five days
- Unlimited re-entries until full
- $50 entry fee, 90% return
- 2m/8s – Clocks are mandatory
- 30s/7s – Clocks are mandatory
- The winners of the events will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
Mini Jackpots
The 2nd Miami Open Backgammon Championship will feature numerous Mini Jackpot events to keep all players engaged.
- Available on-demand every day to all players who are not alive in any other event!
- Single elimination
- Most jackpots finish the same day they start
- $20 jackpots are reserved for players of Intermediate skill level
- All other jackpots are open to players of any skill level
- Four options:
- $200 entry fee, 90% return
- $100 entry fee, 87.5% return
- $50 entry fee, 87.5% return
- $20 entry fee, 87.5% return
- $200 Jackpots: 9 point matches
- $100 Jackpots: 7 point matches
- $50 Jackpots: 5 point matches
- $20 Jackpots: 5 point matches
- All divisions: 2m/12s
- Mini Jackpots clocks are optional
After Tournament
Get a chance to win a major side event on the last day of competition.
The winners of the events will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- ABT After Tournament – ABT Rules
- Single elimination
- 7-point matches in both divisions
- ABT After Tournament – ABT Rules begin at 11:00 AM Monday and finish the same day
- Unlimited re-entries until full
- $100 entry fee, 80% return
- $50 side pool, 95% return
- $60 rebuy, 80% return / side pool carries over
- 7-point matches in all the events
- All divisions: 2m/12s
- ABT After Tournament clocks are mandatory
- The winners of the events will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
DMP Challenge
Test your skills in DMP – Double Match Point, where the outcome of a single game determines the match, and other factors like gammons, backgammons, and cube action are irrelevant. DMP requires a unique strategy and tactics compared to a regular match play.
The winner of the event will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com
- Single elimination
- 1 point match
- No clock required
- Begins at 10:00 AM Wednesday, with competition taking place over five days
- Unlimited re-entries until full
- $10 entry fee, 90% return
- 2m/12s
- DMP Challenge clocks are optional
- The winner of the event will be awarded a backgammon board donated by BackgammonConnection.com