Chouette Scorer – How To Guide

Sydney Backgammon Club

This software is still in Beta
It is provided “as is”.
Use it entirely at your own risk.
The author assumes no responsibility for any issues.

🖥️ System Requirements

The Chouette Scorer has been designed for:

  • Organizers: Tablet (recommended) or mobile (iPad, Android tablet, or laptop)
  • Players: Mobile phones (iPhone, Android)
  • Browser: Google Chrome is recommended for best performance
  • Internet: WiFi connection required for all devices

All functionality works through web browsers – no app installation needed.

🚀 Quick Start Guide

For Organizers

1. Navigate to the Scorer

2. Create a New Game

  • Tap “I’m Organizing a Game”
  • Enter your name as organizer
  • Add players:
    • Type each player’s name (Don’t forget your own!)
    • Set their stake amount (e.g., $1.00, $2.00)
    • Tap “+” to add more players
    • Minimum 3 players required

3. Configure Game Settings

  • Choose consultation rules
  • Select box retention rule
  • Configure automatic doubles
  • Enable/disable special rules (Jacoby, Beavers, Raccoons, etc.)
  • Set Box Partner threshold (recommended: 6+ players)
  • Review settings carefully – they apply to the entire session

4. Create the Game

  • Tap “Create Game”
  • You’ll see a 4-letter game code (e.g., “ABCD”)
  • A QR code will be displayed
  • Share this code or QR code with all players

5. Wait for Players to Join

  • Each player must join and accept the setup
  • You’ll see their status change to “Accepted ✓”
  • Once all players have accepted, tap “Proceed to Dice Roll”

6. Initial Dice Roll

  • Each player rolls dice to determine starting order
  • Box = highest roll
  • Captain = second highest
  • Crew = remaining players in order
  • Once all rolls are in, players can accept the order
  • Tap “Start Game” when everyone has accepted

7. Managing the Game

  • Use your tablet to track all game actions
  • The system automatically records doubles, passes, settlements, and results
  • The system automatically calculates scores
  • View live scoreboard and game history

For Players

1. Join the Game

2. Select Your Name

  • You’ll see a list of all players in the game
  • Tap your name from the list
  • That’s it! The game will load immediately

3. Wait for Game Setup

  • Review the game settings
  • Wait for all players to join
  • You’ll see status updates as others join

4. Roll Your Dice

  • When prompted, roll your physical dice
  • Enter your total (2-24)
  • Submit your roll
  • Wait for all players to roll
  • A reroll will be automatic if there’s a tie

5. Accept Starting Order

  • Review the player order (Box, Captain, Crew)
  • Tap “Accept Order” if you agree
  • Game starts when everyone accepts

6. Play Your Games

  • If you’re the Box: You’ll see all your games against each opponent
  • If you’re on the Team: You’ll see your game against the Box
  • Use the buttons to:
    • Double the cube
    • Respond to doubles (Take/Pass/Beaver/Raccoon)
    • Propose settlements (when cube reaches 4+)
    • Record game results (Win/Gammon/Backgammon)

7. Monitor Scores

  • Check the scoreboard anytime to see standings
  • View your points and money totals
  • See complete game history

📋 Game Settings Explained

Consultation Rules

What it controls: When team members can discuss strategy

Options:

1. After Cube Turned

  • Team can only consult AFTER the doubling cube has been turned
  • No discussion during initial moves or when cube is on center
  • Most restrictive option

2. Full Consultation

  • Team members can freely discuss strategy at any time
  • Captain can ask crew for input on any decision
  • Most collaborative option

3. Never Consult

  • Each team member must play independently
  • No discussion allowed at any point
  • Captain makes all decisions alone

Box Retention Rules

What it controls: How the Box position rotates after each round

Options:

1. Winner Keeps Box (Boston Style) ⭐ Recommended for most games

  • Simple rule: Whoever wins the Box vs Captain game keeps/becomes Box
  • If Box beats Captain → Box stays
  • If Captain beats Box → Captain becomes new Box, old Box goes to end
  • Ignores results against other team members

2. Double Stand-Up

  • Box must MAKE MONEY (or break even) to keep the Box position
  • Box vs Captain result is secondary
  • If Box loses money overall:
    • All players who beat Box move up (winners become Box/Captain in order)
    • All players who lost to Box move down
    • Box who lost money goes to dead last
  • More complex but prevents Box from “losing while winning”

Automatic Doubles

What it controls: What happens when opening dice rolls tie

Options:

1. None ⭐ Simplest option

  • No automatic doubles
  • Just re-roll if Box and Captain tie
  • Stakes stay at 1

2. Box Decides

  • When Box and Captain tie on opening roll, Box chooses whether to double
  • Box can accept the re-roll at current stake OR double the stakes
  • Gives Box strategic control

3. Mandatory First

  • First tie automatically doubles the stakes
  • Subsequent ties just re-roll (no more doubling)
  • Adds some excitement without getting out of control

4. Mandatory All

  • EVERY tie automatically doubles the stakes
  • Can escalate quickly (1 → 2 → 4 → 8 → 16…)
  • High variance, exciting but risky

Special Rules

Jacoby Rule

  • What: Gammons and backgammons only count if the cube has been turned
  • When OFF: Gammon and Backgammons only count 1 point
  • When ON: Gammons are 2x and Backgammons are 3x cube
  • Effect: Encourages cube action, prevents cheap gammons
  • Recommended: ON for most games ✓

Beavers

  • What: When doubled, you can immediately re-double AND keep the cube
  • Example: Box doubles to 2 → You beaver to 4 → You own the 4-cube
  • Effect: Adds a tactical weapon against aggressive doubling
  • Requirement: Must accept the double to beaver
  • Recommended: ON for experienced players ✓

Raccoons

  • What: After a beaver, the original doubler can re-double again
  • Example: Box doubles to 2 → You beaver to 4 → Box raccoons to 8
  • Effect: Counter-weapon against beavers
  • Requirement: Beavers must be enabled
  • Recommended: ON if Beavers are ON ✓

Last Man Standing (5+ Players)

  • What: When all but one opponent drops, the lone player must pay others to continue
  • How it works:
    • Box doubles, multiple opponents pass
    • One opponent wants to take
    • Lone player must pay 1 point to each player still standing at the time of that double
    • Lone player then owns all their cubes
    • OR lone player can decline and drop too
  • Effect: Prevents cheap solo takes when everyone else has dropped
  • Recommended: ON for 5+ player games ✓

Settlements (Cube 4+)

  • What: When cube reaches 4 or higher, players can negotiate to end game early
  • How it works:
    • Either player can propose a settlement (e.g., “I’ll pay you 2 points”)
    • Other player can accept or decline
    • If accepted, game ends immediately at agreed value between them
    • If declined, game continues
  • Effect: Allows risk management and negotiation
  • Use cases: Uncertain positions, time constraints, variance reduction
  • Recommended: ON for friendly games ✓

Box Partner Threshold

  • What: Allows Box to take a partner to share 50/50 winnings and losses
  • Options:
    • Disabled (0) – Never allow partner
    • 4+ players – Partner available with 4 or more total players
    • 5+ players – Partner available with 5 or more total players
    • 6+ players – Partner available with 6 or more total players ⭐ Recommended
    • 7+ players – Partner available with 7 or more total players
    • 8+ players – Partner available with 8 or more total players
  • How it works:
    • Box gets option to select partner at start of round
    • Partners selected in order: dropped opponents first (Captain first if dropped), then live opponents
    • Live partners must drop their game to accept
    • All remaining games split 50/50
    • Partnership lasts one round only
  • Effect: Reduces Box’s variance when facing many opponents
  • Recommended: 6+ players (traditional threshold) ✓

🎮 During Game Play

For the Box

Your Screen Shows:

  • All your individual games (one per opponent)
  • Each game has its own cube value and status
  • You control when to double each opponent

Your Actions:

  1. First Double: Must double ALL opponents at once
  2. Subsequent Doubles: Can double opponents individually
  3. Responding to Doubles: Each opponent can double you back
  4. Recording Results: Mark wins/gammons/backgammons for each game
  5. Settlements: Negotiate with individual opponents (cube 4+)

Taking a Partner (if 6+ players):

  • Modal appears at start of round: “Take a Partner?”
  • Select from list (dropped opponents shown first)
  • Partner shares 50/50 in all remaining games
  • Live partners must drop their game to accept
  • Or click “Play Solo” to decline

For the Captain

Your Screen Shows:

  • Your single game against the Box
  • Current cube value and who owns it
  • Consultation options (depending on rules)

Your Actions:

  1. Responding to Box Doubles: Take, Pass, or Beaver
  2. Doubling Back: If you own the cube, you can double the Box
  3. Consulting Team: Discuss strategy (if rules allow)
  4. Recording Result: Mark the outcome of your game
  5. Settlements: Propose or respond to settlement offers

For the Crew

Your Screen Shows:

  • Your single game against the Box
  • Captain’s decisions affect consultation rules

Your Actions:

  1. Responding to Box Doubles: Take, Pass, or Beaver (independently)
  2. Doubling Back: If you own the cube, you can double the Box
  3. Advising Captain: If consultation rules allow
  4. Recording Result: Mark the outcome of your game
  5. Settlements: Propose or respond to settlement offers

If Selected as Partner:

  • You drop your current game (if still playing)
  • Share 50/50 with Box on all remaining games
  • Return to normal rotation after round ends

🎲 Common Game Actions

Doubling the Cube

Box’s First Double:

  1. Tap “Double All Opponents” button
  2. Cube moves from 1 → 2 for all games
  3. Each opponent must respond individually (Take/Pass/Beaver)

Box’s Individual Double:

  1. Find the specific game/opponent
  2. Tap “Double” button
  3. Opponent must respond (Take/Pass/Beaver)

Team Member Double:

  1. Tap “Double” button on your game
  2. Box must respond (Take/Pass/Beaver)
  3. Box’s decision only affects your game

Responding to Doubles

Take:

  • Accept the double
  • You now own the cube at the new value
  • Game continues

Pass (Drop):

  • Forfeit the game immediately
  • You lose at PREVIOUS cube value (before the double)
  • Game ends, scores update

Beaver (if enabled):

  • Accept the double AND immediately re-double
  • You keep ownership of the cube at 2x the doubled value
  • Example: Doubled to 2 → Beaver to 4 → You own 4-cube
  • Game continues at higher stakes

Raccoon (if enabled and responding to a beaver):

  • Re-double the beaver
  • Original beaver-er keeps the cube
  • Example: You doubled to 2 → They beavered to 4 → You raccoon to 8 → They own 8-cube
  • Game continues at even higher stakes

Settlements (Cube 4+)

Proposing a Settlement:

  1. Cube must be at 4 or higher
  2. Tap “Propose Settlement” button
  3. Enter point value (can be 0 for “push”, positive if you pay, negative if they pay)
  4. Other player receives notification

Responding to Settlement:

  1. Review the proposed points
  2. Tap “Accept” to end game at that value
  3. Tap “Decline” to continue playing

Settlement Examples:

  • Box proposes “+2” = Box pays opponent 2 points (Box thinks they’re losing)
  • Opponent proposes “+3” = Opponent pays Box 3 points (Opponent thinks they’re losing)
  • Either proposes “0” = Push, no points exchanged (even position)

Recording Game Results

When Game Completes:

  1. Tap the appropriate button:
    • “Box Wins” / “You Win” – Normal win (1x cube value)
    • “Gammon” – Win with opponent on bar or didn’t bear off (2x cube value)*
    • “Backgammon” – Win with opponent on bar AND in your home board (3x cube value)*
  2. Scores automatically update
  3. Game marked as complete

*Note: If Jacoby Rule is ON and cube is on center, Gammon/Backgammon count as only 1x

📊 Viewing Scores and History

Scoreboard

  • Shows all players sorted by money won/lost
  • Green = winning, Red = losing
  • Updates in real-time as games complete
  • Displays current player order (Box, Captain, Crew in rotation order)

Current Round

  • See all active games
  • View cube values and ownership
  • Track pending doubles and settlements

Game History

  • Review all completed rounds
  • See who won each matchup
  • Check point values and results
  • Useful for disputes or verification

🔄 Round Completion and Rotation

When Round Ends

All individual games must complete before rotation:

  1. System checks all matchups are finished
  2. Calculates final scores for the round
  3. Applies rotation rules based on settings
  4. Starts new round automatically

Box Retention (Boston Style)

If Box beat Captain:

  • Box stays in Box position
  • Captain moves to end of line
  • Next player becomes Captain
  • Everyone else shifts up one position

If Captain beat Box:

  • Captain becomes new Box
  • Old Box moves to end of line
  • Next player becomes Captain
  • Everyone else shifts up one position

Box Retention (Double Stand-Up)

If Box made money or broke even:

  • Applies Boston rotation (based on Box vs Captain result)

If Box LOST money:

  • Complex rotation:
    • Winners move up (first winner becomes Box, second becomes Captain)
    • Losers move down in original order
    • Captain (if lost) goes second-to-last
    • Box (who lost money) goes dead last

⚠️ Troubleshooting

“Can’t see the game code”

  • Make sure game was created successfully
  • Refresh the page and create again if needed
  • Check that you’re connected to internet

“QR code won’t scan”

  • Increase screen brightness on tablet
  • Hold phone steady 6-12 inches from screen
  • Make sure camera has permission to access
  • Alternative: Manually enter the 4-letter code

“Can’t double”

  • Check if you own the cube (or if it’s on center)
  • Box’s first double must be to ALL opponents
  • After first double, Box can double individually
  • Crew can only double if they own the cube

“Settlement option not appearing”

  • Cube must be at 4 or higher
  • Settlements must be enabled in game settings
  • Game must still be in progress (not completed)

“Scores look wrong”

  • Check Jacoby Rule setting (affects gammon values at center cube)
  • Verify stakes are correct (minimum stake multiplier)
  • Remember: Box plays multiple games (one per opponent)
  • With partner: scores split 50/50 between Box and Partner

“Game stuck / won’t continue”

  • All players must complete their actions
  • Check for pending doubles that need responses
  • Look for settlement proposals awaiting response
  • Refresh page if absolutely necessary (may lose current round data)

💡 Tips for Smooth Sessions

For Organizers

  1. Test before the session: Create a practice game to familiarize yourself
  2. Explain the rules: Brief players on any special rules enabled
  3. Keep tablet charged: Long sessions drain battery
  4. Have backup plan: Note down scores periodically in case of technical issues
  5. Use large stakes carefully: Start with lower stakes while learning the system

For Players

  1. Keep phone unlocked: Prevents timeout during long games
  2. Stay connected to WiFi: Prevents disconnections
  3. Refresh if needed: Page refresh won’t lose your position in game
  4. Ask questions: Better to clarify rules before making big decisions
  5. Monitor your score: Check scoreboard regularly to track your performance

Best Practices

  1. Announce major actions: “I’m doubling to 4” (helps everyone track)
  2. Confirm results: Both players should agree before recording
  3. Handle settlements fairly: Be reasonable with settlement proposals
  4. Respect the clock: Don’t delay unnecessarily
  5. Have fun!: System handles the math so you can focus on playing

📱 Browser Compatibility

Fully Supported ✅:

  • Google Chrome (Desktop, Android, iOS)
  • Safari (iOS, macOS)
  • Edge (Desktop, Android)

Partially Supported ⚠️:

  • Firefox (Desktop, Android)
  • Samsung Internet

Not Recommended ❌:

  • Internet Explorer (outdated)
  • Opera Mini (limited features)

For best experience, use Google Chrome on all devices.

🆘 Getting Help

During a Game:

  • Tap the ℹ️ info button next to settings to review rules
  • Check the game history to verify past results
  • Contact club administrators if technical issues persist

After a Session:

  • Report bugs or issues to club administrators
  • Suggest improvements or new features
  • Share feedback on what worked well

Contact:

📖 Quick Reference

Organizer Tablet:

Create game → Set stakes → Configure rules → Share code → Manage play

Player Phone:

Scan QR → Enter details → Roll dice → Play game → Track scores

Key Buttons:

  • 🎲 Double – Increase the stakes
  • ✓ Take – Accept the double
  • ✗ Pass – Forfeit the game
  • 🦫 Beaver – Re-double and keep cube
  • 🦝 Raccoon – Re-double a beaver
  • 💰 Settle – Propose ending game for agreed points
  • ✅ Record Result – Mark game winner

Remember:

  • Box plays MULTIPLE games (one per opponent)
  • Team members play ONE game (against Box)
  • Cube values are INDIVIDUAL per game

Enjoy your Chouette! 🎲🎉