Chouette

Chouette ("shoo-ETT") is a form of backgammon that is designed for more than two players. The game of Chouette is usually played in backgammon clubs and offers different benefits then regular play. The backgammon clubs provide the perfect atmosphere for this game. The game of Chouette allows players to join a game at any time and the players can also take a break whenever they want to.

The basic rules for Chouette are described below. The game of Chouette has many different house rules and a new player should learn the local club rules before sitting down to play.

Order of Play

To start a game of Chouettte, each player throws one die and a re-roll occurs in the event of a tie. The player that rolled the highest becomes the “box” and plays against all the others who form a team. The second highest roll becomes the “captain” of the team. Only the captain rolls the dice and makes the plays for the team.

In the game of Chouette, when the box wins, he collects from each player of the team. Then the captain goes to the back of the line and the next player on the team becomes the captain. When the team wins a game of Chouette, the box pays off to each player. Then the player who is the box goes to the back of the line and the captain becomes the new box.

In the game of Chouette, a new player can join at any given time. The new player to the game of Chouette simply starts at the bottom of the rotation.

Consultation

In the game of Chouette, local rules can vary: In some clubs, during the game of Chouette, the team may consult each other freely as to how rolls should be played. In other places, consultation is prohibited. An acceptable solution that is quite often used in the game of Chouette permits consultation only after the cube has been turned.

Single Cube Games

The game of Chouette can be played with either a single doubling cube or multiple cubes. In a single-cube Chouette game, the only decision that the players of the team make individually concerns whether to accept or reject the doubling cube. If the box doubles, each player on the team can decide for themselves whether to play on the double or drop out. Those who reject the double pay off to the box and sit out for the remainder of the game. If the captain decides to drops out while there are other players who wish to play on the double, the captain relieves his position and returns to the bottom of the rotation while the role of captain is taken by another player.