Andersp: Backgammon is not a luck game; it is a skill game with a random component. A large part of the skill in backgammon is understanding and working with the random component. However, it frequently happens in a single game that luck overwhelms ths skill component, and a lower rated player wins because of having better dice rolls. The chances of this happening diminish as the length of the match increases. But in a single game, a very good player can expect to lose to an average player 25-35% of the time. This would be unheard of in chess, on which the ratings system here is based.