Absolutely Aces (51)

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Schlock gets Ace, Scissors 2, Break 5, Swoop 11, bids Roll 8.

Kaff gets Swoop 9, Break 4, Roll 10, Joker, bids Climb 6.

  1. Schlock opens with Scissors 2 taking Round 1.

Score: Schlock 3, Kaff 0.

Round 2

Schlock gets Break 4, Swoop 9, Climb 7, Climb 6, bids Roll 8.

Kaff gets Break 5, Swoop 11, Ace, Roll 10, bids Scissors 3.

  1. Schlock opens with Swoop 9.

  2. Kaff blocks with Break 5.

  3. Schlock blocks with Break 4.

  4. Kaff blocks with Roll 10.

  5. Schlock blocks with Scissors 3.

  6. Kaff blocks with Ace.

  7. Schlock blocks with Climb 6.

  8. Kaff blocks with Swoop 9, Swoop 11.

  9. Schlock blocks with Break 5.

  10. Kaff blocks with Break 4.

  11. Schlock blocks with Ace. I think Schlock is going to lose this hand.

  12. Kaff blocks with Climb 6.

  13. Schlock blocks with Climb 7 taking the hand. I was wrong about this one.

Score: Schlock 10, Kaff 0.

Round 3

Schlock gets Ace, Swoop 11, Scissors 3, Scissors 2, bids Break 4.

Kaff gets Joker, Climb 6, Roll 8, Climb 7, bids Swoop 9.

  1. Kaff opens with Joker.

  2. Schlock blocks with Swoop 11.

  3. Kaff blocks with Break 4.

  4. Schlock blocks with Ace. Smells like Kaff’s round, Climb 7 for Kaff in 3 play.

  5. Kaff blocks with Climb 6.

  6. Schlock blocks with Scissors 2, Scissors 3.

  7. Kaff blocks with Climb 7 taking round 3.

Score: Schlock 10, Kaff 7.

Round 4

Schlock gets Climb 6, Roll 8, Scissors 2, Ace, bids Roll 10.

Kaff gets Break 4, Swoop 11, Swoop 9, Joker, bids Scissors 3.

  1. Schlock opens with Climb 6. Schlock has a good shot at Roll 8.

  2. Kaff blocks with Swoop 9, Swoop 11.

  3. Schlock blocks with Ace.

  4. Kaff blocks with Joker.

  5. Schlock blocks with Roll 8 for round and game.

Score: Schlock 19, Kaff 7.

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What to play next?

Deciding what to play next is always a tough call when faced with a closet full of games, all of which were purchased with intent to play. Here's one I'm dealing with the decision.

  • Something New: this means both something new to me and a game which has been published recently, within the last two or three years.
  • Something Classic: I've acquired a number of games properly considered "classic" which haven't yet been played. The current example would be PanzerGruppe Guderian.
  • Something Again: mastery requires constant practice, which means playing games many, many times to allow nuance to appear.
  • Something Vietnam: as I'm on a Vietnam binge. I don't have all the Vietnam games ever published, but I can say that I have a lot of them, and probably more than most people.
  • Something Obscure: as it's fun to poke around in the dustier corners of game design.
  • Something Different: break away from the same old publishers and try a game from one of the new kids on the block. Or, conversely, dip into legacy with a classic tried and true.
  • Something Light: once in a while it's nice to actually finish a game all the way through in one sitting, in an hour or two.
  • Something Heavy: if possible, it's nice to set up something big and complicated which can be left out for days or weeks or even months, for a leisurely stroll through a very large or long game.

There are surely many more ways to choose, but the above method keeps me busy enough, helps me get both breadth and depth into my play, and provides me with a sense of progress.

The odd man out

When there is an odd man out:

  • Have a solo game ready to play.
  • Keep score or advise on a game in progress.
  • Referee a game in progress.