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 backgammon that the game doesn't get under their skin.

That game will get to you.

Backgammon 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 Rodera Drive.

NFL teams have used Backgammon theory to win the Super Bowl.

They're risk averse.

At least they used to be before we came on to the scene.

And now Backgammon is having a whole new renaissance.

People want in-person experiences.

They want to get off dating apps.

They want to make new friends.

Today on Freakonomics Radio, we continue our occasional series on games with a simple question.

Can Backgammon save us from ourselves?

Okay, the dice are yours.

Okay. This is Freakonomics Radio, the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything, with your host, Stephen Dubner.

Oh, oh, Stephen Dubner.

This past January, the U.S. Backgammon Federation held a big tournament, the New York Metropolitan Backgammon Open at a hotel in Jersey City. It drew more

than 400 players in a variety of brackets from beginner to grandmaster. They came from all over the

US as well as Germany, South Africa, Greece, Peru. The field included many of the world's top-ranked

players, like this one.

My name is Masayuki Mochi-Zuki. People call me Mochi. I am a professional back-end player.

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