Step 1 · Not every contact is a pin
In Plakoto, a single opposing checker can be pinned. Two opposing checkers already own the point and block you completely.
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Step 2 · Can White pin here?
White would like to use the 3, but the landing point has two Black checkers. What does that mean?
Choose the Plakoto block rule.
Quick check
- Two opposing checkers block the point
- White pins both Black checkers
- Both Black checkers go to the bar
Show the correct answer
Correct answer: Two opposing checkers block the point — Correct. Plakoto pins blots, but made opposing points still block.
- White pins both Black checkers — Only a single opposing checker can be pinned.
- Both Black checkers go to the bar — Plakoto has no bar hits, and a made point cannot be landed on.
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Step 3 · Choose the legal landing
Use the 2 instead. An open point is always a legal landing. A point your opponent has made never is.
Use the 2: tap the highlighted checker, then tap Land here on the open point.
The roll: 3-2
The move: 20/18
Legal landing.
Common mistake: The point with two Black checkers is blocked. Use the highlighted open landing.
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Step 4 · The 3 still plays
The block refused one landing, not the whole die. Now play the 3 to another open point.
Use the 3: tap the checker you just moved, then tap Land here three points ahead.
The roll: 3-2
The move: 18/15
Both dice played. The made point changed your route, not your turn.
Common mistake: The blocked point still refuses the 3, but the highlighted open point does not. Tap the checker, then the open landing.
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What you learned
You can now tell an open landing point from a made opposing point that blocks you completely — and a blocked landing never wastes a die that can play elsewhere.
Coach narration