Rakesh attempts to distract Mike from teaching the rules with a bright flash of lights. Jamie is plainly drunk, Amanda shrinks in embarrassment, and Scott, Dan, and Jim feign interest.
April 4, 2006 |
Rakesh had been clamoring to host for a while, as he and Amanda like to play, but when they get home after long days, they usually feel too worn out to make a trek over to someone's place. So, I happily acquiesced.
Unfortunately, I have lost my notes for this night and am going entirely by memory. Help me out if you remember something I'm forgetting.
| Circus Flohcati |
| Results | |||
| Player | Score | Place | First Time? |
| Amanda | 73 | 1 | |
| Rakesh | 72 | 2 | |
| Mike | 70 | 3 | |
| Scott | 60 | 4 | |
Notes: I believe there were only four of us, as Dan showed up just as we started but he didn't want to join in, just comment and cost Rakesh the game.
Amanda was making sets and getting just about every seven, two of which she lost. I thought I was making up good ground, but I had very few high cards at first, though I did end up with a couple sets. Amanda and Rakesh were making sets and getting good cards, and Scott wasn't getting much of anything.
Eventually, we whittled down Amanda's cards, as Scott took a 7 from her, and I did as well. Still, it wasn't enough, even with my Grand Display. I had about four good cards, a few average ones, and a couple of shitty ones, and Rakesh and Amanda's 3 and 2 sets plus their awesome hands cost me.
Rakesh thought he had the game won until spectator Dan told Rakesh he was counting two brown cards. That cost Rakesh four or five points off his total, and Amanda took the victory by 1 or 2. The scores are close, but only approximates.
| 6 Nimmt! |
| Results | |||
| Player | Score | Place | First Time? |
| Mike | 20 | 1 | |
| Amanda | 30 | 2 | |
| Jamie | 47 | 3 (Tie) | |
| Jim | 47 | 3 (Tie) | |
| Scott | 52 | 5 | |
| Dan | 57 | 6 | |
| Rakesh | 82 | 7 | |
Notes: As we all gratefully drank Rakesh's wine and beer and complained that Francois didn't come over and bring chips (so we settled for eating every last packet of Melba Toast in the house), we played 6 Nimmt!, to Dan's incredible regret.
Though I tend to like this game, it kind of stinks when you're doing poorly, because even if you start doing well, there are very few chances to hose the player in the lead.
After one round it was close, with Rakesh doing pretty badly, and Jamie and Jim doing about equally medium-bad. Scott, Amanda, Dan, and I were doing well, with Amanda in the lead.
Dan had an awful second round, which still wasn't as bad as Rakesh's, who was at 55. The lead was still Amanda's, with Mike and Scott in contention. Jamie was in 5th, I believe.
The game didn't end in the third round, as Rakesh played very well. He only totaled 6 points, which was 2nd to my 0 in a very rough and tumble round. Everyone else soared into at least the high 20's whereas I was around 14 or 15.
In the fourth round, after Dan complained immensely that the game was still going on, and Rakesh captured enough points to certify that the game would end, Jamie, Jim, and Amanda took all the remaining cards, as Scott and Dan played randomly for the last 6 hands. Only Scott ended up taking a row (once!) over those last few hands. Dan found this part of the game enjoyable.
The difference between winning and frustration for me was a couple times when I played a card one high enough or one low enough to avoid taking entire rows. I think Jamie and Jim tied, but (as I mentioned), I can't quite recall.
| Formula Dé |
| Results | |||
| Player | Score | Place | First Time? |
| Jamie | 1st Place | 1 | * |
| Mike | 2nd Place | 2 | * |
| Amanda | 3rd Place | 3 | |
| Scott | 4th Place | 4 | * |
| Jim | 5th Place | 5 | |
| Rakesh | 6th Place | 6 | * |
| Dan | DNF | 7 | |
Notes: I may be incorrect on the final four spots - someone will have to correct me - but the first three are right. We raced on the Track "Monza, Italia," which is #8. I opted for a shorter track so that we might make a quick race. It went pretty swiftly considering that a good chunk of us were new to the game. It was a lot of fun. Last time we tried with about 10 people, and that was torture. But 7 worked out fine, especially on a shorter track like this one.
Anyway, if we had stopped after one lap, it would have been a destruction, as Amanda was 2 turns ahead of all of us finishing the first lap. The rest of us were in various stages of decay, with Scott and Dan leading the way, having a good chunk of tires and brakes gone. Jamie was only missing 2 gas, so he was in good shape if he didn't need to downshift. I, too, was in fine shape. I made a nice move about halfway across the track to zip into the middle two-turner and get into the front pack with Jamie, and Dan. Jim, Rakesh, and Scott were in the rear pack.
For the second lap, Amanda decided to go into the pits to fix her two worn out tires. Had she not done this, she may have won, as it was, it was a very close defeat.
The race became a three-way tug of war between Amanda, me, and Jamie. I zoomed into the first turn after rolling a miraculous 30 while in sixth gear. I burned a ton of gas to slow down enough not to kill myself for the second stop, which meant I came out of the turn slower than the other two. Dan was just a half-step back, but he was running out of tires - quickly.
In the second pack, Jim raced conservatively (and unluckily), which is never a good combo to do better than 4th or 5th. Scott was racing aggressively (and unluckily), which meant that he was not long for this earth. Rakesh was doing safe then aggressive things on alternating turns.
In the second lap, as Jamie, Amanda, and I distanced ourselves from the rest, Jamie made nice, safe rolls to keep his car in good shape and was usually in a tight second or third. Amanda's rolls started to fade, and she lost confidence, and began to drive conservatively on the back stretch, though she had the lead once or twice. With one turn to go, Jamie was in first, Amanda second, and I was in third, as Jamie had made the last double turn beautifully, having a one-turn lead on us.
At this point, Scott spun out, giving Rakesh and Jim the chance to pass him, which they did. Dan flew into the double turn like a lunatic, and his car was totally pushing the limit.
Jamie went first, and chanced a roll in 5th gear. Should he get a 19 or 20, he would win. Roll about a 14 to 18, and things would be against him. Lower than that, he could still win, but might not be the favorite. He rolled a 19. Had he not done that, he could have been in no man's land between the two final turns forced to downshift while the rest of us would be upshifting. I would have liked my chances.
As it was he coasted to victory, I made a beautiful 20 roll to pass Amanda for second, and Dan crashed in the last turn to give an easy 3rd place to Amanda. Rakesh then spun out, giving Scott 4th and Jim 5th. (I think - I can't quite remember how the final cars sorted out.)
After that, we called it a night. It was a lot of fun, though, and I hope we play some more of this racing soon.
Rakesh attempts to distract Mike from teaching the rules with a bright flash of lights. Jamie is plainly drunk, Amanda shrinks in embarrassment, and Scott, Dan, and Jim feign interest.