Snapshot · Freakonomics Radio
Stephen Dubner observed that backgammon appears to experience major popularity surges roughly every half century — in the 1920s, the 1970s, and now the 2020s.
Where this was said
At 55:03 · chapter starts 53:20
Dubner speaks with Remington Davenport — who describes herself as a 'sales gal' with no social media background — about how she stumbled into building New York's most visible backgammon community. She started the NYC Backgammon Club in 2023 simply because she wanted somewhere to play; she knew about 10 people in New York. She began hosting weekly events and watched attendance swell. The moment she knew something real was happening: she went home and cried after 50 strangers showed up to one of her events. Within a year she had left her full-time job to run the club. Her competitive league now runs five seasons deep with 235 players in season four, each team with its own home bar, tournament-format play, and league shirts. She also founded Gals Who Gammon after observing that women are only about 10% of world championship attendees. Davenport runs events Sunday through Thursday, holds a board seat on the US Backgammon Federation, and has a dream of hosting a tournament at Madison Square Garden. She frames the whole renaissance with a simple observation: people are desperate to get off their phones and meet each other.
Remington Davenport didn't set out to build a movement. She just wanted somewhere to play. She started hosting weekly events in 2023 with 10 friends; by season four of her league, 235 people were competing. She cried after her first 50-person event because she didn't even know 50 people in New York.
Remington Davenport observed that women make up only about 10% of attendees at backgammon world championship tournaments, motivating her to found 'Gals Who Gammon.'
Remington Davenport's NYC Backgammon Club league grew from 64 players in its first season to 235 players in its fourth season.
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