Babycon XII

Photos from Babycon XII.

Babycon 12 was held over Memorial Day Weekend, at the Jones’ house in Germantown, Maryland. Attendance was up from Babycon 11 with 23 players. We had several first timers to Babycon, Jason’s friend, Paul Bartholomew, Scott Percival, our good friend from the local GCOM sessions, and Ken Cline’s wife, Vasoula Hatzigeorgalis. With six children running around, we definitely had a full house.

For Friday night’s dinner, nearly everyone went to the local Hard Times Café for an all-you-can-eat chili buffet. This particular Hard Times has two huge recreation rooms with pool tables, darts, miniature golf, a wall of TVs and more. As part of the package, we had three pool tables to ourselves and played many games. There was (typically) some screwup on the restaurant’s part and we didn’t get the choice seating we had reserved, but we worked it out and everyone had a good time.

After dinner, we returned to the house and began our weekend of gaming. As usual, everyone started out with fifteen Babycon bucks. One buck was anted each game and the winner took all.

After last year’s complete domination, Alex Ruvinsky had an average year. High scorers on the Tote Board were Paul Czarnota with 42, Dan Korn with 38, Bill Ruvinsky with 28 and myself with 23. I guess it was the year of the “approaching middle-age” guys.

On Friday night, we committed to playing the new edition of Twilight Imperium. TI is an epic space civilization game where you expand your empire, conduct diplomacy, invest in research and battle it out with other empires. More people wanted to play than the game could support so we drew lots to see who would play. When the game ended on Saturday morning, they had played for about eight hours! The “winners” of the drawing certainly got their money’s worth.

The most played games of the weekend were Spinball, Einfach Genial, Lost Cities, Ticket to Ride: Europe, Octi, and Diamant. All told, 79 games were played.

Thanks to everyone who attended. Special thanks to everyone who brought food, helped cook, and helped to keep things running smoothly. Hope to see you at Babycon 13!

• St. Petersburg John, Joe, Rachel J
• Blokus Marvin, Eric, Bob, Kimberly
• Manitou Joe, Eric, Bob, John
• Twilight Imperium Jason, Paul B, Dave, Eric, Scott, Alex
• Einfach Genial Vasoula, Noreen, Stephanie R, Kimberly
• Santiago Bill, Glenn, Marvin, Bob, John
• Wiz War Carol, Joe, Ken
• Wiz War Ken, Joe, Carol
• Blokus Kimberly, Noreen, Vasoula, Stephanie R
• Munchkin Glenn, Marvin, Kimberly
• Munchkin Paul C, Glenn, Marvin, Kimberly
• Louis XIV Bob, Carol, Rachel J, John
• Medici Bob, Glenn, Paul C, Marvin, Rachel J, Kimberly
• Attika Paul C, Glenn, Bob, Rachel J
• Fibonacci Eric, Marvin
• Diamant Dan K, Dave, Marvin, Eric, Bob
• For Sale Dan K, Dave, Marvin, Eric, Bob
• Boomtown Marvin, Dave, Eric, Rachel J, Dan K
• Einfach Genial Paul C, Noreen, Bob, Kimberly
• Spinball Bob, Rachel J
• Goldland Bob, Ken, Dave, Rachel J
• Spinball Rachel J, Ken
• Spinball Dave, Bob
• Taj Mahal Dan K, Paul C, Marvin, Eric, John
• Ticket to Ride: Europe Carol, Andrew, Noreen, Vasoula, Kimberly
• Metro Bill, Noreen, Eric, Alex, Jason, Stephanie R
• Spinball Jason, Eric
• Octi Jason, Eric
• Einfach Genial Paul C, Alex, Bill, Stephanie R
• Octi Eric, Jason
• Lost Cities Kimberly, Carol
• Das Zepter von Zavandor Dave, Ken, Marvin, Vasoula, Bob, John
• Fibonacci Eric, Jason
• Octi Jason, Stephanie R
• Around the World in 80 Days Alex, Joe, Paul C, Noreen, Eric
• Metro Rachel J, Carol, Bill, Rachel R, Kimberly
• Blokus Jason, Stephanie R
• Around the World in 80 Days Paul C, Joe, Noreen, Carol, Kimberly
• Dragon Delta Marvin, Joe, Ken, Rachel J, Kimberly
• Ticket to Ride: Europe Bill, Eric, Alex, Jason, Stephanie R
• Show Manager Carol, Paul C, Dave, Vasoula, Bob, John
• Octi Eric, Marvin
• Metro Eric, Ken, Marvin
• Bohnanza Paul C, Eric, Bob, Carol, Rachel J, John
• Lost Cities Eric, Paul C
• Lost Cities Paul C, Eric
• Lost Cities Eric, Paul C
• Diamant Bob, Joe, Paul C, Marvin, Eric, Carol, Rachel J, Kimberly
• Royal Turf Dan K, Joe, Carol, Kimberly
• Lost Cities Stephanie R, Dave
• Amun-Re Paul C, Marvin, Eric, Bob, Rachel J
• Manila Bob, Ken, Dave, Vasoula, Rachel J
• Maharaja Dan K, Noreen, Dave, Eric, Bill, Kimberly
• Ticket to Ride: Europe Marvin, Paul C, Carol, Scott, Stephanie R
• Traumfabrik Paul C, Bob, Carol, Rachel J, Stephanie R
• Diamant Jason, Eric, Dan K, Alex, Bill, Kimberly
• Power Grid Marvin, Ken, Dave, Vasoula, Scott
• Spinball Eric, Alex
• Spinball Rachel J, Rachel R
• Lost Cities Alex, Stephanie R
• Spinball Jason, Alex
• Einfach Genial Dan K, Noreen, Eric, Bill
• Quo Vadis? Dan K, Noreen, Eric, Bill
• Lost Cities Alex, Paul C
• Amazonas Dave, Carol, Scott, Kimberly
• Patrons of Venice Ken, Marvin, Vasoula, John
• Niagara Paul C, Bob, Alex, Jason, Stephanie R
• Einfach Genial Rachel J, Ken, Vasoula, Stephanie R
• Traumfabrik John, Paul C, Eric, Jason R, Kimberly
• Einfach Genial Kimberly, Joe, Vasoula, Jason
• El Grande Alex, Dave, Marvin, Bob, Carol
• Ra John, Ken, Eric, Rachel J
• Diamant Eric, Marvin, Bob, Carol, Jason, Kimberly, John
• Hansa Bob, Marvin, Eric, Jason
• Wings of War Eric, Dave, Noreen, Bob
• Tikal Bill, Carol, Rachel J, Stephanie R
• Einfach Genial Bill, Noreen, Carol, Rachel J
• Rheinländer Dave, Paul C, Bob, Stephanie R
• Ticket to Ride: Europe Paul C, Bob, Carol, Rachel J, Jason

May 14, 2005

Hey everyone!

Below are the results of our gaming and Texas Holdem event last Saturday. We saw some old friends, met some new ones and had a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone who contributed food and drink. We certainly had more than enough! What’s left will undoubtedly be eaten at Babycon.

Special thanks to Dave Fair for setting up and running the Holdem game and to Noreen Fair for dealing the remainder of the game once she went out.

We were happy to have Mark Erickson as a first time guest to our game room. We were also very happy to meet Steve Bramer’s wife, Jackie, and Ken Cline’s wife, Vasoula, and her son, Angelo. It was a real pleasure to see Ken and Steve with their new families. I hope we’ll see you all again at future events.

We started playing board games around 2PM. We ate dinner around 6PM and started the Holdem tournament at 7:30PM. Eric Haas came by for the boardgaming part and kept the records. Thanks, Eric.

* * * * * *

Here is the tote of regular gaming (winner listed in bold):
Tote Board

• Spinball Bob, Eric
• Spinball Noreen, Carol
• Spinball Noreen, Rachel J
• Around the World in 80 Days Rachel J, Dave, Noreen, Carol
• Ticket to Ride Europe Eric 129, Bob 115, Ken 108, Vasoula 101
• San Juan Dave 32, Noreen 30, Carol 26.
• Circus Flohcati Dave, Noreen, Rachel, Carol
• Einfach Genial Ken, Rachel, Eric, Vasoula
• Dragonland Bob 43, Noreen 41, Dave 40, Carol 33

Texas Holdem

This was our first Texas Holdem night and, personally, I thought it was a blast. With twelve players, we started with two tables of six. Once two people were eliminated, we combined the rest into one table of ten and played until we had a winner. Each player bought in for $10 and received 1000 points in chips. The top four players won prizes of 50%, 25%, 15% and 10% of the pot. One player bought in again after an early bust so the total pot was $130.

The tables were:

Glenn Bramer, Dan Korn, Mark Erickson, Beth Bramer, Carol Jones, Noreen Fair

And

Bob Jones, Ken Cline, Jackie (Steve’s wife), Steve Bramer, Vasoula (Ken’s wife), Dave Fair

Of the twelve players, only five had played in a Texas Holdem tournament before. Inexperience was apparently not an issue. Unfortunately, with so many players, some of them are not going to get a good hand the entire night and are likely to go out just because of the attrition from the blinds. This happened to at least three players.

At the first table, after some early domination by first time player, Beth, Glenn dominated. He came to the big table as the chip leader. At the second table, Ken and Steve had some early winnings, but didn’t sustain them. Vasoula went bust within the first 30 minutes so we allowed her to buy back in. It proved momentous as she skillfully used her second stack of chips to finish in third place. I had the big stack from this table when we merged.

The players went out in the following order:

• 12. Steve Bramer After some early success, Steve couldn’t get a good hand.
• 11. Dan Korn Dan never got a good hand.
• 10. Jackie Coming to the big table short-stacked, Jackie didn’t last long.
• 9/8. Noreen and Mark Noreen and Mark were both knocked out in the same hand.
• 7. Carol Carol didn’t get many breaks.
• 6. Ken Ken was way ahead at one point at his 6 player table. Alas, it didn’t last.
• 5. Beth For her first time playing, Beth played very well.
• 4. Bob I came to the big table with the second biggest pile of chips. On the first hand head to head with Vasoula, she took half my stack. Later, Glenn took me out with a lucky card on the river. $13.00
• 3. Vasoula Easily the most improved. From an early bust, she came back, played very well and finished third. $19.50
• 2. Glenn With 4 players left, Glenn had the big stack. After he busted me out, he then lost a couple of big hands to Dave. After Dave knocked Vasoula out, Dave and Glenn went head to head. $32.50
• 1. Dave At a couple of points while on the 6 player table, Dave was nearly broke with all his chips on the line. He managed to hold on and after several hours of play, grabbed the win from Glenn. $65.00

I thought everyone played very well and I hope everyone had a good time. I would love to make this a semi-regular event. Elimination games are tough (which is why we play so many German games that aren’t elimination), but fun nonetheless.

Here are Dave Fair’s comments about the play of the final four:

It came down to Glenn Bramer on the big stack, Vasoula after that, and Bob and I both had less than 15 black chips each.

Glenn Busted out Bob, then I doubled up on Vasoula. I doubled up on Glenn two hands later, then tripled up on both of them.

I then knocked out Vasoula, and took on Glenn. He was still big stacked, but I was able to steal the lead, lose it, then steal it again. Finally, after many hands of aggressive raises from the button by me, I was able to take him down when he went all-in after making top pair (K-K) on the flop when I made 2-pair on the flop (8-8 & 7-7).

Attached are some pictures for your enjoyment.

Bob

March 26, 2005

We had a pretty good-sized group this Saturday. Thanks to Dave for keeping score. And thanks to Bill and Dan for staying past their allotted hour to play Robo-Rally.

The tote is below. Winner listed in bold. Looking forward to next time.

Bob


Tote Board

• Hera & Zeus Dan, Bob Bob: Taught the game to Dan, suggested strategy, and he whupped me.
• Das Amulett Rachel J (8 gems, 7 colors), Bob (6 gems, 7 colors), Carol (5 gems, 7 colors), Dan (4 gems, 6 colors), Dave (6 gems, 6 colors), Noreen (6 gems, 6 colors) Bob: Very close game. Going into the last turn, it looked like four players were in a position to win, with Rachel J far behind the pack. Due to some shrewd card-buying and resource hoarding, Rachel pulled out the victory ahead of everyone else.
• Web Of Power Dave 56, Bob 52, Dan 46, Carol 43, Noreen 39
• Easy Come, Easy Go Noreen, Bob, Dave, Carol, Dan Bob: I rolled four perfect rolls in a row. That is, on my first four turns, I won an award with a single throw each time. And yet, I lost. Once I had secured my third award, before the turn would come back around to me, someone would steal one of my awards. Noreen finally acquired her third award and held onto them for the entire round. Afterwards, Dave noticed that we were playing with one more person than the game takes. Oops.
• Pizarro & Co. Noreen 50, Bob 42, Carol 41, Dave 39, Dan 36, Rachel S 34
• eXXtra Bob 21, Dan 13, Alex 12, Rachel 7, Carol 3
• Robo Rally Team A: Bob, Dave, Bill, Alex; Team B: Carol, Jason, Dan, Rachel J Bob: Capture the flag, 2 boards. Team B started out strong, forcing the fight to Team A’s board and immediately threatening Team A's flag. Team A started out in disarray and had a hard time making progress towards B’s flag. Finally, some good defense with Dave and Bill slowed Team B and Carol’s mistaking left for right after she grabbed the flag killed her and ended the B team offensive. Meanwhile, Bob and Alex raced for Team B’s flag, Bob got it and pretty much sailed home for the victory.
• Primordial Soup Dave 42, Alex 41, Jason 37, Bob 32 Bob: Great game involving ameobas fighting it out in the primordial soup but I’m not convinced that the Frugality/Substitution strategy is beatable. Dave got those two genes and won. Jason came up with a nice movement combo of genes. Bob sucked most of the game but managed to get “Struggle for Survival” too late to win.

February 19, 2005

Hey everyone! Here's the after action report from last Saturday’s gaming. As usual, Eric’s notes are below. Thanks to everyone who attended! Looking forward to our next time.

Bob
Eric’s Notes
1:59 pm:
Eric arrived at Bob’s around 1:45. Dan K, Bob, Dave Fair, and Noreen were playing Wettstreit der Baumeister.
2:54 pm:
Dave Fair won with 38, Noreen had 21, Dan K had 24, Bob had 30.
3:31 pm:
Next, the five of us played Wongar.
4:54 pm:
Rachel S, Rachel J, Carol, and Andrew played Einfach Genial. Rachel S won.
5:13 pm:
Eric won Wongar with 61, Noreen had 59, Bob had 54, Dan K had 46, and Dave Fair had 38.
5:23 pm:
Dan K, Bob, Dave Fair, Rachel S, and Eric played Clash of the Gladiators.
6:30 pm:
Eric won with 19, Rachel S had 14, Dave Fair had 13, Dan K had 10, and Bob had 9.
7:02 pm:
We took a break for dinner, then Dan K, Bob, Dave Fair, and Eric played Ys.
7:15 pm:
Carol, Rachel S, Noreen, Rachel J played Ticket to Ride.
8:25 pm:
Noreen won Ticket to Ride with 128, Rachel J had 117, Carol had 100, Rachel S had 55.
9:11 pm:
Bob won Ys with 85 points + 25 gems, Dan K had 85 points + 23 gems, Eric had 82, and Dave Fair had 76. Bill, Jason, and Alex arrived.
9:46 pm:
Dan K, Bill, Eric, and Jason played Metro while Dave Fair, Bob, Carol, and Alex played Santiago.
10:42 pm:
At the end of Metro, Dan K had 73, Jason had 67, Bill had 41, and Eric had 33.
11:28 pm:
Bill and Jason left. Carol won Santiago with 119, Dave had 102, Alex had 100, and Bob had 84. Carol, Alex, Dave Fair, Dan K, Bob, Eric, and Rachel J played Democrazy.
12:02 am:
Eric and Alex tied at 8, Dave Fair, Dan K, and Rachel J had 7 each, Bob had 6, and Carol had 2.
12:43 am:
We played Democrazy again. This time, Rachel J won with 26, Bob, Dave Fair, and Eric had 25 each, Dan K and Alex had 24 each, and Carol had 23.
12:58 am:
Dan K left. Bob, Carol, Alex, Rachel J, Dave Fair, and Eric played Medici.
2:02 am:
Eric won with 121, Alex had 93, Bob had 81, Rachel J had 71, Dave Fair had 59, and Carol had 35.


Tote Board
Wettstreit der Baumeister
Dave 38, Bob 30, Dan K 24, Noreen 21
Bob: This is an overlooked gem that we played a few times when I first bought it and not since. With the Westbank Gamers variants, it becomes a very good, tense game.
Wongar
Eric 61, Noreen 59, Bob 54, Dan K 46, Dave 38
Bob: Another good game we need to play more often. This was pretty close as we all tried to master the many, many options available each turn. By the end, I think we were close to getting it.

Eric: We last played this on 8/31/2002. We did one thing incorrectly. When you choose a symbol card from one of the territories, only the first piece has to go in that territory. The other pieces may go in any territory.
Einfach Genial
Rachel S, Rachel J, Carol, Andrew

Clash of the Gladiators
Eric 19, Rachel S 14, Dave 13, Dan K 10, Bob 9
Bob: First play for this dice-fest from Reiner Knizia. I liked the theme and the setting up of gladitorial teams. Need to try it again to see if there’s more strategy than initially apparent.
Ys
Bob 85 points + 25 gems, Dan K 85 points + 23 gems, Eric 82, Dave 76
Bob: This half-blind bidding game has been compared to Aladdin’s
Dragons and rightly so. Although the theme is less fanciful, there is much
more meat.
Ticket to Ride
Noreen 128, Rachel J 117, Carol 100, Rachel S 55

Metro
Dan K 73, Jason 67, Bill 41, Eric 33

Santiago
Carol 119, Dave 102, Alex 100, Bob 84

Democrazy
Eric 8, Alex 8, Dave 7, Dan K 7, Rachel J 7, Bob 6, Carol 2
Bob: We haven’t played Democrazy in years. My memory was that it was confusing and complicated. We had no such difficulties this time as it seemed very simple (perhaps we’ve become more sophisticated as gamers). We had a lot of fun and I expect this game will hit the table again soon. (Sorry, Eric.)

Eric: Ugh. Coincidentally, we also last played this on 8/31/2002.
Democrazy
Rachel J 26, Bob 25, Dave 25, Eric 25, Dan K 24, Alex 24, Carol 23
Medici
Eric 121, Alex 93, Bob 81, Rachel J 71, Dave 59, Carol 35

January 8, 2005

Last Saturday, a huge group gathered in Germantown for our first gaming session of 2005. Attending were Bob, Carol and Rachel Jones, Dan Korn and Rachel Silber, Dave, Andrew and Noreen Fair, Gwen Alviani and first-timer Dave Fogel, Bill, Stephanie and Alex Ruvinsky, Kimberly Stern and Eric Haas. Whew. At times, we had three games going at once.

Thanks to everyone who came and those who contributed snacks and dessert.

The tote is below. Thanks to Eric for keeping track.
Eric’s Notes
2:01 pm:
Eric arrived at the Jones house a couple of minutes before 2:00. Dave Fair, Noreen, Gwen, Kimberly, and Dave Fogel were already there. Bob, Carol, Dave Fair, Noreen, Gwen, and Dave Fogel were playing Leapfrog. At the end of the game, Carol, Noreen, Gwen, and Dave Fogel had 11, Dave Fair had 10, and Bob had 5. Noreen won by the tie-breaking rule.
2:08 pm:
Carol, Kim, Noreen, and Eric played Einfach Genial, while Bob, Gwen, Dave Fair, and Dave Fogel played Goldbräu.
2:22 pm:
Dan K and Rachel S arrived.
2:34 pm:
Dan K and Rachel S started a game of Bohnanza.
3:03 pm:
Eric won Einfach Genial with 11, Kimberly had 10, Carol had 9, and Noreen had 8.
3:26 pm:
Dan K, Rachel S, and Noreen played Einfach Genial, while Kimberly, Carol, and Eric played MarraCash.
4:07 pm:
Dan K won Einfach Genial with 12, Rachel S had 9, and Noreen had 6. They started another game of Einfach Genial.
4:19 pm:
Dave Fair won Goldbräu with 126, Gwen had 85, Dave Fogel had 81, and Bob had 56.
4:22 pm:
Bill, Stephanie R and Alex arrived.
4:25 pm:
Carol won MarraCash with 6925, Kimberly had 4100, and Eric had 2200.
4:37 pm:
Dan K won the second game of Einfach Genial with 11, Rachel S had 9, and Noreen had 6.
5:05 pm:
We all played Werewolf. Dave Fair was the moderator. Rachel S was the Seer. Bob and Noreen won as the werewolves.
5:08 pm:
Bob, Stephanie R, Bill, and Alex played Vom Kap bis Kairo. Dan K, Kimberly, Dave Fair, Eric, and Noreen played El Grande. Rachel S, Gwen, Carol, Dave Fogel, and Rachel J played Big City.
6:05 pm:
Alex won Vom Kap bis Kairo.
6:09 pm:
Bill and Stephanie R left after Vom Kap bis Kairo.
6:13 pm:
Alex and Bob played Heave-Ho!
6:34 pm:
Carol won Big City, Dave Fogel came in second, Rachel J was 3rd, Rachel S was 4th, and Gwen was 5th.
6:54 pm:
Alex won Heave-Ho!
7:25 pm:
Noreen won El Grande with 96, Dave Fair had 88, Eric had 84, Kimberly had 83, and Dan K had 77. We took a break for dinner.
8:16 pm:
Dave Fair, Noreen, Bob, Kimberly, and Eric played Maharaja while Gwen, Dave Fogel, Carol, Alex, and Dan K played Taj Mahal.
9:59 pm:
Bob won Maharaja by playing all seven of his palaces. Dave Fair was second, Eric was third, Noreen was fourth, and Kimberly was last.
10:11 pm:
Dave Fair, Noreen, Bob, Kimberly, and Eric played Coloretto.
10:37 pm:
Eric won Coloretto with 25, Kimberly had 23, Bob and Noreen tied at 22, and Dave had 21.
10:41 pm:
Bill and Stephanie R returned.
10:46 pm:
Gwen won Taj Mahal with 62, Alex had 31, Dan K had 30, Carol had 29, and Dave Fogel had 26.
10:55 pm:
Dan K and Rachel S left.
11:21 pm:
Stephanie R, Carol, Bob, and Eric played Krieg und Frieden while Dave Fair, Rachel J, Noreen, Kimberly, Gwen, Dave Fogel, and Bill played Why Did the Chicken...?
12:16 am:
At the end of Why Did the Chicken...? Dave Fogel and Bill tied at 4 each, Noreen had 2, and Gwen, Rachel J, Kimberly, and Dave Fair had 1 each. Dave Fogel and Gwen left after Why Did the Chicken...?
12:28 am:
Dave Fair and Noreen left. Rachel J and Kimberly started a game of Lord of the Rings: the Confrontation. Rachel J played white while Kimberly played black.
12:41 am:
Eric won Krieg und Frieden with 14, Bob had 11, Stephanie R had 10, and Carol had 0.
12:52 am:
Bill, Stephanie R, and Alex left. Rachel J won LOTR. Eric left. Bob, Carol, Kimberly, and Rachel J started a game of Carcassonne.


Tote Board
Leapfrog
Noreen 11, Carol 11, Gwen 11, Dave Fogel 11, Dave Fair 10, Bob 5.
Bob: A good game with fun bits including some brightly colored frogs. Confusing at first, but worth figuring out. I had the most points but for landing in the frying pan on the last turn.
Einfach Genial
Eric 11, Kimberly 10, Carol 9, Noreen 8

Goldbräu
Dave Fair 126, Gwen 85, Dave Fogel 81, Bob 56
Bob: Good game very reminiscent of Löwenherz. The fun “Beer Garden” theme makes this a winner.
Bohnanza
Dan K, Rachel S

Einfach Genial
Dan K 12, Rachel S 9, Noreen 6

MarraCash
Carol 6925, Kimberly 4100, Eric 2200

Einfach Genial
Dan K 11, Rachel S 9, Noreen 6

Werewolf
Moderator: Dave Fair; Werewolves: Noreen, Bob; Seer: Rachel S; Villagers: Carol, Gwen, Dave Fogel, Kimberly, Bill, Stephanie R, Alex, Eric, Rachel J, Andrew
Bob: My first ever game of Werewolf not being the moderator. Dave does a great job. Noreen and I managed to kill all the villagers without being discovered. Hooray for the bad guys!
Vom Kap bis Kairo
Alex, Bob, Bill, Stephanie R
Bob: This is a neat little card game that’s easy to play but has some interesting choices. Could be played in very small spaces.
El Grande
Noreen 96, Dave Fair 88, Eric 84, Kimberly 83, Dan K 77

Big City
Carol, Dave Fogel, Rachel J, Rachel S, Gwen

Heave-Ho!
Alex, Bob

Maharaja
Bob, Dave Fair, Eric, Noreen, Kimberly
Bob: My first time playing this great game. Lots of different strategies with many roads to victory.
Taj Mahal
Gwen 62, Alex 31, Dan K 30, Carol 29, Dave Fogel 26

Coloretto
Eric 25, Kimberly 23, Bob 22, Noreen 22, Dave 21

Krieg und Frieden
Eric 14, Bob 11, Stephanie R 10, Carol 0

Why Did the Chicken...?
Dave Fogel 4, Bill 4, Noreen 2, Gwen 1, Rachel J 1, Kimberly 1, Dave Fair 1
Bob: A party game where the players try to come up with the best punch line.
Lord of the Rings: the Confrontation
White: Rachel J, Black: Kimberly

Carcassonne
Kimberly 115, Bob 102, Carol 98
Bob: Played with the “Carcassonne: The Count” expansion. Added some unusual dynamics.

November 20, 2004

Hey everyone!

We had a pretty big group and got to play a good number of games. Playing were Bob, Carol and Rachel J, Dave, Noreen and Andrew, Rachel S and Dan K, Bill, Stephanie R, Jason, Rachel R, and Alex, Eric, and for the first time, our good friend from Dave’s Damascus GCOM group (as well as a general GCOM gamer), Gwen.

I don’t think we’re going to be able to get in another Saturday session before January but I will keep everyone up to date.

Hope to see everyone soon!

Bob
Eric’s Notes
1:16 pm:
Eric arrived shortly after 1:00. Dave and Andrew were already there. Carol, Dave, Bob, and Eric played Einfach Genial. Noreen and Gwen arrived while we were playing.
1:57 pm:
Bob won with 14, Carol and Eric had 12 each, and Dave had 11.
2:21 pm:
The six of us played Metro. Dan K arrived while we were playing.
2:38 pm:
Noreen won with 57, Bob had 35, Dave had 33, Carol had 32, Gwen had 31, and Eric had 28.
2:42 pm:
Carol left to pick up Rachel. Dan, Gwen, Dave, Bob, and Eric played Attila.
4:03 pm:
Dan won with 74, Eric had 68, Dave had 57, Bob had 44, and Gwen had 40.
4:10 pm:
Rachel S arrived. We decided to play Boomtown, even though it is only recommended for 3 to 5 players.
5:08 pm:
Rachel S won with 59, Bob had 49, Gwen had 46, Noreen had 45, Dan had 36, and Dave and Eric tied at 30.
5:28 pm:
Rachel J and Carol returned. Dave, Gwen, Rachel S, and Rachel J played Einfach Genial. Carol, Noreen, Bob, Dan, and Eric played Modern Art.
6:15 pm:
At the end of Einfach Genial, Rachel J had 11, Dave had 10, Gwen had 9, and Rachel S had 8.
6:42 pm:
Bob won Modern Art with 440, Dan had 416, Noreen had 370, Eric had 366, Carol had 346.
7:07 pm:
Dave, Carol, Andrew, Rachel J, Gwen, Bob, Dan K, and Eric played Bang! Andrew was the Sheriff. Dave and Bob were the Deputies. Gwen and Dan K were the Renegades. Eric, Carol, and Rachel J were the Outlaws.
7:17 pm:
The Outlaws won in the second round. Andrew and Rachel J were the only two people to even get a second turn.
7:22 pm:
Bob and Dan played Brawl.
7:27 pm:
Bob won.
8:25 pm:
We took a break for dinner: pizza from Domino’s. Bill, Alex, and Stephanie R arrived. Dan K, Rachel S, Alex, Stephanie, and Noreen started Ticket to Ride, while Carol, Bob, Bill, Dave, and Eric played Santiago.
9:47 pm:
Stephanie won TtR with 114, Rachel S had 104, Dan K had 96, Alex had 86, and Noreen had 63.
9:51 pm:
At the end of Santiago, Bill had 77, Bob had 68, Dave had 62, Carol had 54, and Eric had 50.
10:29 pm:
Jason, Bill, Stephanie, Rachel R, Rachel J, and Eric played Metro while Dave, Bill, Alex, and Carol played Dschunke.
11:21 pm:
Rachel J won Metro with 49, Bill had 37, Stephanie had 34, Jason had 30, Eric had 24, and Rachel R had 22.
11:42 pm:
Alex won Dschunke with 78, Bob had 72, Carol had 48, and Dave had 42.
12:02 am:
Bill, Stephanie, and Alex left after Dschunke. Dave, Carol, Rachel, Jason, Bob, and Eric played Power Grid.
3:00 am:
Jason won with 15 cities and $154, Dave had 15 cities and $136, Eric had 14+$209, Bob had 14+$138, Rachel J 14+$140, Carol 12.


Tote Board
Einfach Genial
Bob 14, Carol 12, Eric 12, Dave 11
Bob: This is a great abstract by Reiner Knizia. Everyone who plays it seems to love it.
Metro
Noreen 57, Bob 35, Dave 33, Carol 32, Gwen 31, Eric 28
Bob: Noreen’s last route, finished as the last tile down, scored enough points to win the game for Noreen by itself. Yikes.
Attila
Dan K 74, Eric 68, Dave 57, Bob 44, Gwen 40

Boomtown
Rachel S 59, Bob 49, Gwen 46, Noreen 45, Dan K 36, Dave 30, Eric 30
Bob: We apparently played with more players than the game can handle. Good game, though.

Dan K: I definitely agree with the good game part--I think our objection wasn’t that you can’t play with 7 players, but that the strategy intended by the game designers is severely compromised with so many players. The game ended too quickly--you didn’t have enough turns to execute any real strategy in your gameplay. I would love to play this game again with only 4 or 5 players.
Einfach Genial
Rachel J 11, Dave 10, Gwen 9, Rachel S 8

Modern Art
Bob 440, Dan K 416, Noreen 370, Eric 366, Carol 346

Bang!
Outlaws: Eric, Carol, Rachel J; Sheriff: Andrew; Deputies: Dave, Bob; Renegades: Gwen, Dan K
Eric: We played with the Dodge City expansion and two Renegades. This was one of the shortest games of Bang! ever. Six of the eight players didn’t even get a second turn.
Brawl
Bob, Dan

Ticket to Ride
Stephanie R 114, Rachel S 104, Dan K 96, Alex 86, Noreen 63

Santiago
Bill 77, Bob 68, Dave 62, Carol 54, Eric 50

Metro
Rachel J 49, Bill 37, Stephanie R 34, Jason 30, Eric 24, Rachel R 22

Dschunke
Alex 78, Bob 72, Carol 48, Dave 42

Power Grid
Jason 15+$154, Dave 15+$136, Eric 14+$209, Bob 14+$138, Rachel J 14+$140, Carol 12

September 18, 2004

We had a smaller group than usual this time, but still played a lot of games and had a lot of fun. Congratulations to Alex who was celebrating his sixteenth birthday! Happy Birthday, Alex.

Eric’s summary is below. Check out what happened to him after he left our house. He certainly should have stayed for another game. :-) Bob

Here’s the tally (winner listed in bold):
Metro
Bob 59, Eric 46, Dan 39, Noreen 32, Carol 22, Dave 20
Bob: Metro is very similar to Streetcar but quicker and more chaotic. It plays up to six players. This was my first time playing and I think it’s a great game.
Das Amulett
Bob, Noreen, Dave, Dan, Eric, Carol
Bob: First playing as a group. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. Some have commented that it goes long with 6 players but it didn’t. The number and variety of spell cards was not hard to follow. Beautiful bits.
Acquire
Eric 31700, Rachel J 29000, Carol 28500, Dave 26600, Noreen 22100, Bob 20900 Bob: Only a half dozen mergers the entire game. Frustrating.
Einfach Genial
Bob 16, Dave 11, Eric 7
Bob: I’m not big on abstracts, but this is a fantastic game! It’s quick to play, offers lots of choices, some tough decisions, and is quite beautiful. This is why Reiner Knizia is my favorite game designer. Wow.
Bohnanza
Rachel 15, Carol 15, Bob 14, Eric 12, Dave 10, Noreen 8

Piratenbilliard
Eric 16, Dave 14, Bob 10, Rachel 6
Bob: A very odd game of physical dexterity. Dave got this really cheap on-line and it turns out to be lots of fun. Check out the description at BoardGameGeek. Definitely unusual!
Piratenbilliard
Dave 18, Rachel 10, Eric 8, Carol 8
Piratenbilliard
Rachel 8, Eric 6, Bob 6, Carol 4
Quo Vadis
Jason 19, Dave 18, Bill 17, Bob 10
Quo Vadis
Bill 19, Bob 19, Jason 17, Dave 10 Bob: Bill won because of the tie breaker. The second game, we played with the variant tiles for the first time. It added even more intrigue and cut-throatedness (is that a word?). I like the purity of the basic game, but will play the variant again.
San Juan
Carol 28, Alex 27, Rachel 24, Eric 23
Corruption
Dave $2.8 million, Carol $2.2, Jason $2.2, Eric $1.9, Rachel $1.4, Alex $1.2, Bob $0.6 Bob: Fun, fun game! Alex pulled a clever move against me on the final turn to assure he would not finish in last place.
Piratenbilliard
Alex 18, Jason 12, Rachel 2
Amun-Re
Bob 44, Alex 40, Jason 37, Rachel 35, Dave 33 Bob: A good, hard fought game. Dave and I did very poorly in the first round of scoring. It cost Dave the game. I managed to acquire a large number of pyramids during the New Kingdom for the win.


Eric’s Notes
2:23 pm:
I arrived at Bob’s around 1:30. Dan was already there. The Fairs arrived shortly afterwards. We played Metro. Bob won with 59, I had 46, Dan had 39, Noreen had 32, Carol had 22, and Dave had 20.
2:27 pm:
Bob brought out Das Amulett.
4:56 pm:
Bob won with 8 gems. Dan left after Das Amulett.
5:15 pm:
Rachel J joined us for the next game. Dave suggested we play Acquire.
6:43 pm:
I won Acquire with 31700, Rachel had 29000, Carol had 28500, Dave had 26600, Noreen had 22100, and Bob had 20900.
7:18 pm:
We took a break for dinner. After dinner, Bob, Dave, and I played Einfach Genial.
7:51 pm:
Bob won maxing out 5 of his 6 colors, with 16 in his last color. Dave had 11, and I had 7.
Einfach Genial
8:02 pm:
The six of us decided to play Bohnanza.
9:03 pm:
Carol and Rachel tied at 15, Bob had 14, I had 12, Dave had 10, Noreen had 8.
PiratenbilliardPiratenbilliard

9:36 pm:
Noreen left. Dave, Bob, Rachel, and I played Piratenbilliard. I won with 16, Dave had 14, Bob had 10, and Rachel had 6. We played again, and Carol took Bob’s place.
9:53 pm:
Dave won with 18, Rachel had 10, Carol and I had 8.
10:05 pm:
For the third game, Bob replaced Dave. Bill, Alex, and Jason arrived.
10:06 pm:
Rachel won with 8, Eric and Bob had 6, and Carol had 4.
10:09 pm:
Bill, Jason, Dave, and Bob started a game of Quo Vadis.
Quo Vadis
10:13 pm:
Carol, Rachel, Alex, and I played San Juan.
San Juan
10:40 pm:
Quo Vadis ended with Jason the winner at 19, Dave had 18, Bill had 17, and Bob had 10. They decided to play a second game of Quo Vadis.
11:10 pm:
Carol won San Juan with 28, Alex had 27, Rachel had 24, and I had 23.
11:22 pm:
At the end of the second game of Quo Vadis, Bill and Bob had 19, Jason had 17, Dave had 10. Bill won because of the tie breaker.
11:36 pm:
Bill left. The rest of us decided to play Corruption.
12:57 am:
Dave won with $2.8 million, Carol and Jason had 2.2, I had 1.9, Rachel had 1.4, Alex had 1.2, and Bob had 0.6.
Piratenbilliard
3:43 am:
I left Bob’s around 1:00. On the way home, I got caught in a back-up about two miles south of White Marsh at about 2:15. Apparently a major accident. The tow trucks had trouble getting through because so many cars had pulled onto the shoulder. People were getting out of their cars, walking around and chatting. By 3:45, almost everyone had turned their engines off, and it got very dark and quiet.
4:51 am:
Around 4:25, the cars in front of me were starting up again. Within a few minutes, we were moving again. I got home around 4:40.