Absolutely Aces (86)

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Lagging a bit in getting these games finished up, it's been a hard week. I was hoping to get to finish out 100 games on daily plays, but work just got too involved for that. Then overcaffeinating and staying up too late at night has left me feeling in the dumps right now. I'm self-medicating with jasmine tea and chocolate.

Schlock gets Break 4, Roll 8, Ace, Break 5, bids Scissors 3.

Kaff gets Swoop 11, Climb 6, Swoop 9, Roll 10, bids Joker.

Our of play: Scissors 2, Climb 7.

  1. Kaff opens with Climb 6.

  2. Schlock blocks with Roll 8.

  3. Kaff blocks with Scissors 3.

  4. Schlock blocks with Ace.

  5. Kaff blocks with Swoop 9.

  6. Schlock blocks with Break 4.

  7. Kaff blocks with Roll 8.

  8. Schlock blocks with Scissors 2.

  9. Kaff blocks with Ace.

  10. Schlock blocks with Swoop 9.

  11. Kaff blocks with Break 4.

  12. Schlock blocks with Roll 8.

  13. Kaff blocks with Scissors 3.

  14. Schlock blocks with Climb 6.

  15. Kaff blocks with Swoop 9, Swoop 11.

  16. Schlock blocks with Break 4.

  17. Kaff blocks with Roll 8.

  18. Schlock blocks with Scissors 3.

  19. Kaff blocks with Climb 6.

  20. Schlock blocks with Ace.

  21. Kaff blocks with Roll 10 taking Round 1.

Score: Schlock 0, Kaff 11.

Round 2

Schlock gets Break 4, Roll 10, Scissors 3, Ace, bids Break 5.

Kaff gets Swoop 11, Climb 7, Scissors 2, Climb 6, bids Roll 8.

Out of play: Swoop 9, Joker.

  1. Kaff opens with Swoop 11.

  2. Schlock blocks with Break 4.

  3. Kaff blocks with Break 5.

  4. Schlock blocks with Roll 10.

  5. Kaff blocks with Scissors 2.

  6. Schlock blocks with Ace.

  7. Kaff blocks with Climb 7 taking Round 2.

Score: Schlock 11, Kaff 7.

Round 3

Schlock gets Break 5, Climb 7, Break 4, Roll 10, bids Swoop 11.

Kaff gets Swoop 9, Scissors 3, Scissors 2, Climb 6, bids Ace.

Out of play: Roll 8, Joker.

Forecast: Schlock with Roll 10.

  1. Schlock opens with Break 4.

  2. Kaff blocks with Scissors 2, Scissors 3.

  3. Schlock blocks with Climb 7.

  4. Kaff blocks with Climb 6.

  5. Schlock blocks with Roll 10 taking Round 3 and game.

Score: Schlock 22, 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.