I have always loved games. Card games, certainly, but also board games and puzzles and quizzes etc. It would be an exaggeration to say I love sport, but I do enjoy watching and following sports for some of the same reasons I like playing games.
Clearly, poker and bridge are the main games holding my attention recently. However, when I was at school, I used to play scrabble, backgammon, chess etc.
I enjoyed them all although I wasn't all that good at them, I suppose. Good enough to beat most people I played against, certainly, but you come to realise that this is a long way from actually being good.
In chess, where I was definitely only average+, it is relatively easy to appreciate that the good players are far better. But in a game like scrabble, without strong competition, it is easy not to realise just how good the good players can be.
In fact, it was only recently when I read a Times scrabble column that I began to see that there are levels and levels beyond just knowing a lot of words and being quick to spot where to play them.
The situation posed did not ask which was the best score we could make, but invited us to consider - based on our inference on which letters our opponent probably held - where to play defensively to prevent him from making a powerful move on later turns.
It never occurred to me to be counting the letters, let alone for tactical defense ! When I was playing at school I am not sure I even knew about the 50-point bonus for using all 7 letters, which seems to be a vital weapon in a competitive match.
I haven't played scrabble for ages. I am only thinking about it now because someone on facebook challenged me. In that game, I have already played "LANDINGS" for the 7 letter bonus and also some very odd 2 letter words including "CH".
The online game handily has a listing of all the 2 letter words. I always knew that a full knowledge of these was important, but I had never actually got around to learning them.
In poker there is no shortage of strong competition to spur one on. But whereas in scrabble (like poker, a skillful game, with a luck element) you're going to get the message very quickly, in poker there is so much "noise" that any skill deficit is often disguised.
But there should be no doubt that proper and effective study of the game is going to make a big difference. I still haven't done enough of that, I know.
Karen, Harry and I went to a friend's house on New Year's Eve (12 of us altogether aged 12 - 50ish). It was a very successful evening, and memorable for the games Sarah and Derek came up with.
I thought they were very suitable. They weren't lewd, didn't involve drinking, were genuinely open to all ages and non-threatening (no forfeits) and didn't require any specialist knowledge.
There was Pictureka! (an actual board game), Chase the Ace (a well-known and very easy card game, that works with any number of players), Spoons (not sure I have ever played that before, but it was fun !).
Then there was the "tube game". You must pick up a cardboard tube with your mouth (using no hands, your knees cannot touch the ground, neither you nor the tube can fall over during your go). The tube is cut after each turn, so it gets shorter and shorter (harder and harder to pick up). Realistically the game can only be won by the youngsters, although anyone can manage it in the early stages.
Cameron won, but not before Harry put up a really spirited 2nd-place effort. He accidentally invented a new technique (I liken it to the innovation that was the Fosbury Flop). He was able to just reach the tube, then grab it with his mouth and perform a forward roll to land safely with the tube in mouth. This was judged valid.
Then there was the "chocolate game" - involving dice, hats, scarf and gloves, chocolate and mayhem !
One excellent feature of all the games - an ingredient of the best "fun" games - is that the rules were somewhat fluid. It's important that there are enough agreed rules to allow the games to get underway, but it's even better if the rules are then argued about and developed in a friendly way as the game proceeds.
In "spoons" there were debates over "feinting", and the speed of the pass, and the positioning of the spoons relative to the players and so on. In "chocolate", the requirement to throw a double six was quickly re-negotiated. In "tube", Harry's flop-tactic was allowed, and then Cameron won back the final advantage by successfully lobbying to remove the tray on which the tube had stood, allowing him to place his feet nearer the target.
These adaptations added greatly to the success of all the games.
Today, Harry is back on the XBOX360. I maintain that those are not real games. It may be another 364 days until we can play some proper games again !
Thursday, 1 January 2009
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Group Theory
Soon after I joined facebook back in August, I tried an experiment.
I had discovered "groups" on facebook, and joined a few myself. These were either poker-related groups like "gutshot" or ones to do with Bear Stearns like "Equity Division alumni."
It got me thinking that it would be interesting to form a group for those who had played in one or more of the 8 BSPT (Bear Stearns Poker Tour) events.
I could see that quite a few of my friends would qualify for the group, and that probably a good proportion of the "qualifiers" were facebook members.
One approach would have been to invite all those people into the group. This would probably have resulted in quite a strong take-up, and then the long tentacles of facebook could get to work.
I opted for a minimalist approach. I didn't announce the group at all and relied on the idea that someone would notice (from my profile, or those facebook alerts) that the group had been created and that once a couple of people had signed up, it could start the ball rolling.
I was pleased to see that one person did do this - within about 48 hours - but the next step never happened.
It was tempting to now kick off the invites, but I decided to be really patient. I think about 3 months must have passed now with the membership stuck at 2 !
So, I think I will now deem that the experiment in mode1 was a relative failure. It is still possible that it might spark off at any time but I will probably go to mode2 where I invite people to the group and see how quickly and how far that takes things.
I had discovered "groups" on facebook, and joined a few myself. These were either poker-related groups like "gutshot" or ones to do with Bear Stearns like "Equity Division alumni."
It got me thinking that it would be interesting to form a group for those who had played in one or more of the 8 BSPT (Bear Stearns Poker Tour) events.
I could see that quite a few of my friends would qualify for the group, and that probably a good proportion of the "qualifiers" were facebook members.
One approach would have been to invite all those people into the group. This would probably have resulted in quite a strong take-up, and then the long tentacles of facebook could get to work.
I opted for a minimalist approach. I didn't announce the group at all and relied on the idea that someone would notice (from my profile, or those facebook alerts) that the group had been created and that once a couple of people had signed up, it could start the ball rolling.
I was pleased to see that one person did do this - within about 48 hours - but the next step never happened.
It was tempting to now kick off the invites, but I decided to be really patient. I think about 3 months must have passed now with the membership stuck at 2 !
So, I think I will now deem that the experiment in mode1 was a relative failure. It is still possible that it might spark off at any time but I will probably go to mode2 where I invite people to the group and see how quickly and how far that takes things.
Friday, 19 December 2008
And The Winner Is ...
A post from the poker world here. On 17th December, the world-famous (well, it depends what world you move in) GOSCARS awards were held at The International club.
Awards of a poker nature, obviously. Best tournament player, best "moodies" (that's speech play designed to confuse, intimidate or coax your opponents into making mistakes), best woman player (controversial one that !) and so on.
I was nominated (controversially!) for best internet player, but I actually won in the category of Forum Poster of the Year 2008. To be fair, I did deserve that award on quantity (and grammar) of posts !
Anyway, I am pleased to have won as a little recognition is always welcome no matter how parochial the award.
The evening itself was tremendous fun - firstly the champagne, buffet and awards. Then the Tag-team tournament (I played with Mat) and then the 10 hour PLO session ....
More details now, and more to follow, on Poker Actually.
Awards of a poker nature, obviously. Best tournament player, best "moodies" (that's speech play designed to confuse, intimidate or coax your opponents into making mistakes), best woman player (controversial one that !) and so on.
I was nominated (controversially!) for best internet player, but I actually won in the category of Forum Poster of the Year 2008. To be fair, I did deserve that award on quantity (and grammar) of posts !
Anyway, I am pleased to have won as a little recognition is always welcome no matter how parochial the award.
The evening itself was tremendous fun - firstly the champagne, buffet and awards. Then the Tag-team tournament (I played with Mat) and then the 10 hour PLO session ....
More details now, and more to follow, on Poker Actually.
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
No Further Interest
So, the US Fed has cut official interest rates to zero. The BoE has been cutting like there's no tomorrow (they may be right about that).
I am not an economist, but as far as I can imagine this will not work.
They are obviously all following the mantra "desparate times call for desparation".
Or perhaps they just want to be seen to be doing something. Now, of course, they have left themselves with nothing more that they can do.
I can empathise with their collective desire to do this, but I'm still a bit surprised.
Firstly, it obviously hurts savers and pensions considerably and that's not a good thing.
Secondly, it is far from obvious that it helps anyone that much when it is the availability of credit, not the price of it, that is the problem.
Insofar as the price of credit is a concern, lowering the official rate does not directly help anyway. The actual rate at which individuals and companies borrow is far divorced from the base rate and to a great extent, cutting the base rate just de facto increases that gap.
Inasmuch as the cut is designed to help/encourage people to borrow money, it's not entirely obvious that it's a valid aim as all economies need to reduce borrowing dramatically.
Meanwhile, the cut doesn't necessarily help the banks that much if the real objective is to make them lend money at extremely low rates. It may help them carry their assets at a less punitive rate, I suppose but only if credit is more available (not likely to be a direct result) or if they can borrow from the Government at the new lower official rates (more likely).
The US market jumped on the rate cut yesterday, which is the usual first reaction to a rate cut. I would be surprised if that rally lasts a single day.
About the only way this cut actually works directly is that it does lower the outgoings of most mortgage borrowers, so it operates as a Government subsidy to all those households and that will have some impact, just like the VAT cut makes some impact. Like that cut, however, it leaves a big headache for later.
Overall, this move seems to me to indicate a state of denial. The assumption is that the credit problem can be fixed by dramatic steps whereas in fact it's mainly going to take time. About the best that can be said for this approach is that it might possibly shorten the time it takes, although I have a feeling it might do the opposite !
I am not an economist, but as far as I can imagine this will not work.
They are obviously all following the mantra "desparate times call for desparation".
Or perhaps they just want to be seen to be doing something. Now, of course, they have left themselves with nothing more that they can do.
I can empathise with their collective desire to do this, but I'm still a bit surprised.
Firstly, it obviously hurts savers and pensions considerably and that's not a good thing.
Secondly, it is far from obvious that it helps anyone that much when it is the availability of credit, not the price of it, that is the problem.
Insofar as the price of credit is a concern, lowering the official rate does not directly help anyway. The actual rate at which individuals and companies borrow is far divorced from the base rate and to a great extent, cutting the base rate just de facto increases that gap.
Inasmuch as the cut is designed to help/encourage people to borrow money, it's not entirely obvious that it's a valid aim as all economies need to reduce borrowing dramatically.
Meanwhile, the cut doesn't necessarily help the banks that much if the real objective is to make them lend money at extremely low rates. It may help them carry their assets at a less punitive rate, I suppose but only if credit is more available (not likely to be a direct result) or if they can borrow from the Government at the new lower official rates (more likely).
The US market jumped on the rate cut yesterday, which is the usual first reaction to a rate cut. I would be surprised if that rally lasts a single day.
About the only way this cut actually works directly is that it does lower the outgoings of most mortgage borrowers, so it operates as a Government subsidy to all those households and that will have some impact, just like the VAT cut makes some impact. Like that cut, however, it leaves a big headache for later.
Overall, this move seems to me to indicate a state of denial. The assumption is that the credit problem can be fixed by dramatic steps whereas in fact it's mainly going to take time. About the best that can be said for this approach is that it might possibly shorten the time it takes, although I have a feeling it might do the opposite !
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Snow Business
This is the Christmas Snowman that has been passed down in Karen's family for three generations so far. It is still the original snowman (in somewhat the same sense that Trigger's broom in Only Fools and Horses was still the same one he had for 20 years).
Last year, I understand Hazel performed a cotton-wool graft.
This year, I have just completed a base transplant and also HRS (hat reconstruction surgery) whereby the hat was stripped to its components and re-assembled using original crepe bindings that were salvaged during the base-change operation.
With luck and TLC, the Gough Snowman may survive a few more decades !
Last year, I understand Hazel performed a cotton-wool graft.
This year, I have just completed a base transplant and also HRS (hat reconstruction surgery) whereby the hat was stripped to its components and re-assembled using original crepe bindings that were salvaged during the base-change operation.
With luck and TLC, the Gough Snowman may survive a few more decades !
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Out on the tiles
Lately, there has been little excuse not to tackle some loose ends of a DIY nature around the house. One such niggle has been the floor tiles in the kitchen/utility. The sound made each time a cat stepped on a loose corner was a regular reminder that some were no longer secure.
Using a toilet plunger as a makeshift tester, I discovered that a total of 20 tiles (in sections of 2, 4 and 14) were in need of attention.
Perhaps I should have opted for the "quick-fix" - a few dabs of some wonder glue. However, the existing tile cement was very brittle, so it seemed only right to remove it all and re-do it properly. How hard could it be ?
As usual, I had underestimated the great complexity of all-things-DIY. So many different tile adhesives, with only the merest clues at what the real and important differences might be. The wrong kind of notches on trowels. The difficulty of measuring a "thick and creamy consistency" for the cement mixture.
However, the re-fixing of the smaller sections seemed to go smoothly. I was going along well with the 14-tile section when, with 2 left, I found I was 2mm out at the end of the row. These porcelain tiles are rock-hard so 2mm might as well have been 2 feet. No way were the last two going in, and the rest of the tiles were too firmly fixed to budge.
It was a major conundrum !
In the end, the least-worst option seemed to be to take up all 12 tiles and start again. At this point, I was hoping for the quantum theory of glue to work in my favour. That's where you want glue to be unbreakable when you want the thing to hold together, but for it to be easily unstuck when you want to pull it apart !
No such luck, although it could have been worse. Just about 6 hours to chip away all the new-old cement and do the whole thing from scratch !
The finished tiles can now be viewed on location in Bedford.
Using a toilet plunger as a makeshift tester, I discovered that a total of 20 tiles (in sections of 2, 4 and 14) were in need of attention.
Perhaps I should have opted for the "quick-fix" - a few dabs of some wonder glue. However, the existing tile cement was very brittle, so it seemed only right to remove it all and re-do it properly. How hard could it be ?
As usual, I had underestimated the great complexity of all-things-DIY. So many different tile adhesives, with only the merest clues at what the real and important differences might be. The wrong kind of notches on trowels. The difficulty of measuring a "thick and creamy consistency" for the cement mixture.
However, the re-fixing of the smaller sections seemed to go smoothly. I was going along well with the 14-tile section when, with 2 left, I found I was 2mm out at the end of the row. These porcelain tiles are rock-hard so 2mm might as well have been 2 feet. No way were the last two going in, and the rest of the tiles were too firmly fixed to budge.
It was a major conundrum !
In the end, the least-worst option seemed to be to take up all 12 tiles and start again. At this point, I was hoping for the quantum theory of glue to work in my favour. That's where you want glue to be unbreakable when you want the thing to hold together, but for it to be easily unstuck when you want to pull it apart !
No such luck, although it could have been worse. Just about 6 hours to chip away all the new-old cement and do the whole thing from scratch !
The finished tiles can now be viewed on location in Bedford.
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Thumbs Up
Matt has been adding bulges as the training regime for rowing makes an impact. However, he has recently been suffering from a bump in the wrong place. The cause of his infected thumb has been variously attributed to biting his nails and/or the duck-poo laden waters of Bedford's river.
In any case, we hope the antibiotics prescribed today will see amputation being averted.
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