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Freakonomics Radio

677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?

June 12, 2026 • 59m

Summary

⏱️ 10 min read

Overview

Freakonomics Radio explores backgammon's rich history and modern renaissance, examining how this ancient game combines luck, skill, and strategic thinking. Through interviews with world champions, professional players, and club organizers, the episode reveals how backgammon mirrors life's uncertainties while teaching valuable lessons about decision-making, risk management, and resilience. The show traces the game's evolution from its 1970s heyday among gamblers to today's technology-driven competitive scene and growing social club movement.

Introduction to Backgammon's Timeless Appeal

The episode opens with world champion Masayuki Mochizuki explaining backgammon's unique hold on players. Despite being learnable in 15 minutes, the game offers a lifetime of strategic depth. The discussion establishes backgammon's modern applications, including its surprising influence on NFL decision-making, and sets up the central question of whether this ancient game can teach us important life lessons about handling uncertainty and making better decisions.

  • Backgammon is an ancient game you can learn in 15 minutes but think about for life
  • NFL teams have used Backgammon principles to win Super Bowls
  • The game is experiencing a renaissance as people seek in-person experiences
" If I haven't met a human being yet that plays Backgammon, that the game doesn't get under their skin. That game will get to you. "
" Can backgammon save us from ourselves? "

Playing Against a World Champion

Stephen Dubner plays against Mochi, arguably the best backgammon player alive, in his New York apartment. Despite being a professional who travels globally for tournaments, Mochi had just busted out in the first round of a Jersey City tournament, illustrating the game's volatility. The match becomes a teaching moment as Mochi explains how backgammon's inherent randomness mirrors life itself, where good decisions don't always lead to immediate success.

  • Mochi is a professional backgammon player who makes his living from tournaments, teaching, writing, and private games
  • The better player doesn't always win due to the dice element, as demonstrated by Mochi's tournament loss
  • Mochi won all three matches against Dubner despite offering to play for money
" Backgammon is not a game that you decide the strategy. All you can do is you follow the dice's advice. The game plan that you had in your mind, that's long gone. "
" This game actually has a lot of similarity in life. Life, you don't know what's going to happen. It's all about probability. If you make a good choice, you have a better chance to get a better outcome, right? But it's just a chance. So you may lose because of the good choice. "

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