At Deluxe Backgammon we have a preference for wooden dice because of the natural look and feel. Plastic or acrylic dice just look out of place on a quality wooden backgammon board. Purists would argue that backgammon is a game of probability and that precision dice are required because it ensures the rolls are perfectly random. However, there are ways to ensure that the rolls are fair using wooden dice. You can share the same pair of dice. You can switch dice between games. For the social player, using wooden dice should not be a problem. If you are concerned about inconsistent rolls, the dice can always be mixed after each game. Wooden dice add a natural charm to a backgammon set.
There is however a problem sourcing good quality, natural-looking wooden dice because most of the online stores seem to stock garishly coloured wooden dice. Salvaging dice from other board games is one way to acquire wooden dice. We have found that the budget card and linen Jaques backgammon sets are a good source for spare wooden dice. Quite often you can get a multi-buy offer from Jaques of London.
Playing with wooden dice shouldn’t be a problem. Keep in mind that the game has a long history stretching back at least 5,000 years. For most of that time, perhaps 4,900 years, the dice were made from wood or bone because plastic hadn’t been invented. It didn’t seem to do the game any harm for all of that time, so it should still be acceptable today.
Related content
Dice at Encyclopedia Brittanica.