Freakonomics Radio · 2026-06-12 · 59 min · 9,736 words

677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?

Listen to the original audio · Transcribed with NVIDIA Parakeet · Timestamps stay in sync with the live audio

There is an ancient board game that you can learn in 15 minutes and then think about for the rest of your life. I haven't met a human being yet that plays Batgammon that the game doesn't get under their skin. That game will get to you. Batgammon has had a few heydays in modern history, especially among gamblers. She paid me in drugs and a Gucci sweater that her friends had boosted from Rodero Drive.

NFL teams have used Batgammon theory to win the Super Bowl. They're risk-averse, at least they used to be before we came onto the scene. And now Backgammon is having a whole new renaissance. People want in-person experience. They want to get off dating apps, they want to make new friends.

Today on Freekonomics Radio, we continue our occasional series on games with a simple question. Can backgammon save us from ourselves? Okay, the dice are yours. This is Freeconomics Radio, the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything, with your host, Stephen Dubner. This past January, the U.S.

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