Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 12:41:29 -0400 From: Residue@aol.com To: bjones@microsoft.com, blahedo@quincy.edu, crb11@cus.cam.ac.uk, csg419@wing.rug.nl, dchatham@utk.edu, dgwagner@math.uwaterloo.ca, dug@halcyon.com, ferro@chem.cmu.edu, G.J.McCaughan@pmms.cam.ac.uk, honsingr@charm.net, jaw@cpu.us.dynix.com, jgoodman3855@stu.oru.edu, joshuah@microsoft.com, jwelton@pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu, KUNNE@frcpn11.in2p3.fr, mage@vt.edu, mbr2@midway.uchicago.edu, mkkuhner@genetics.washington.edu, morendil@micronet.fr, oerjan@matstat.unit.no, paoluzi@mat.uniroma1.it, peter@wolfe.net, pritcc@ut.rockymt.net, rpw11@eng.cam.ac.uk, S.R.E.Turner@statslab.cam.ac.uk, selengut@mit.edu, stein.kulseth@nta.no, tpmsc46@ic.ac.uk Cc: andyl@harlequin.com, hap@iglou.com, Residue@aol.com, tanner@math.wisc.edu Subject: FRC: End of Round 54 Assuming I got all the mail there is to get, Round 54 ended at 96-04-18 10:30:09 GMT. Congratulations to Andre and Vanyel, the new Judge and Wizard, respectively...and honorable mention goes to Hoyle, who wasn't playing, but somehow managed to eliminate two players anyway. Can we go back to the "official" FRC mailing list now? Is everyone plugged in? Here's the final Round 54 summary. All times are GMT. Player Eligibility Style ---------- ----------------- ----- Andre 96-04-18 11:06:50 0.0 <-- Round 55 Judge Ronald ineligible 0.0 Sharkey ineligible 1.0 Stephen ineligible 0.5 John ineligible 0.0 Vanyel ineligible 1.5 <-- Round 55 Wizard Rule 54:1 (Ronald) VALID 0.5 Style Points Rule 54:2 (Stephen) VALID 0.5 Style Points Rule 54:3 (John) INVALID 0.0 Style Points Rule 54:4 (Ronald) INVALID -1.0 Style Points Rule 54:5 (Vanyel) INVALID 0.5 Style Points Rule 54:6 (Sharkey) VALID 1.0 Style Points Rule 54:7 (Vanyel) INVALID 0.0 Style Points Rule 54:8 (Ronald) VALID 0.5 Style Points Rule 54:9 (Andre) VALID 0.0 Style Points Rule 54:10 (Vanyel) INVALID 1.0 Style Points Rule 54:11 (Stephen) INVALID 0.0 Style Points Rule 54:1 (Ronald) VALID 0.5 Style Points >>>>> Our card game has the usual set of 52 cards. In each Rule two cards shall be played in a manner consistent with the rules of the game. In this Rule I play the Two of Spades, followed by the Queen of Hearts. Furthermore, every second valid Rule shall state something about Hoyle. >>>>> Judgment: A nice, safe first rule. Half a Style Point for adhering to the suggested theme, "The Card Game Hoyle Didn't Want You To Know." Rule 54:2 (Stephen) VALID 0.5 Style Points >>>>> The reason Hoyle didn't want you to know this game is that he lost the first time he played it at the age of seven, which experience scarred him for the rest of his life. I play the Four of Spades and the King of Hearts and pick up the Queen of Hearts. The players of this game are all those people who post a valid fantasy rule during this round. Each player begins the game holding exactly four of the 52 cards (different from those held by other players, of course). Only cards held by a player may be played by that player. No card may be picked up unless it has previously been played by another player. Playing two cards must be done before any other game actions in a rule. >>>>> Judgment: Half a Style Point for laying some important basic groundwork. Rule 54:3 (John) INVALID 0.0 Style Points >>>>> Hoyle is considering legal action against those who are playing this game. I play the four of clubs and the two of clubs, and pick up the four of spades. The sum of the cards any player plays must be even. For purposes of calculating this, aces are one, jacks are 11, queens are 12 and kings are 13. >>>>> Judgment: Inconsistent with 54:2, in which Stephen played a four and a king (4 + 13 = 17). Rule 54:4 (Ronald) INVALID -1.0 Style Points [changed by rejudgment from VALID, -1.0 Style Points] >>>>> After having played eir two cards, a Player shall take zero, one, two or three cards from the table. The number of cards e has to take depends on the cards on the table. Future Rules must explain how. I play the Ace of Spades, the Three of Clubs and pick up the King of Hearts and the Two of Spades. Hoyle is an astronomer and SF writer. >>>>> Judgment: Yuck. Because of this, I won't be able to conclusively judge subsequent rules that would otherwise be VALID until either A) someone successfully explains the number-of-cards-to-take rule or B) the round ends. One of Ronald's Style Points to the person who resolves this crisis. Rejudgment: Oops! Ronald played the two of spades himself in Rule 54:1 and so cannot pick it up, as per Rule 54:2 ("No card may be picked up unless it has previously been played by another player."). Rule 54:5 (Vanyel) INVALID 0.5 Style Points >>>>> "The reason," I mention as I look over my cards, "that Hoyle hated this game was that he couldn't get all the rules down. They change, you see." I pull the two of diamonds and the five of hearts from my hand and lay them on the table. "Oh, look! I made a five-card straight using all four suits. I guess I get to make the first `extra' rule of this friendly game. Hmmm... Oh, I know. From now on, everyone has to play at least one high card, 9 or over, every turn. Ace counts either way, just like it always does." I pick up the ace and the three, and sit back in my chair. >>>>> Judgment: Since Rule 54:4 is INVALID, there is no ace or three to pick up. I suspect this could have stirred up controversy later on, for reasons that might not be immediately apparent. Half a Style Point for subtle potential troublemaking. Rule 54:6 (Sharkey) VALID 1.0 Style Points >>>>> "You are quite right about the rules changing all the time.", I say as I lay down the two of hearts and the eight of diamonds. "The 'extra' rules you mention are rules which do not apply to previous turns of the game. A player may only create an 'extra' rule when forming a straight or flush of four or more cards, or a four-of-a-kind, with the cards currently played on the table." After a moment of hesitation, I pick up the two and four of spades. >>>>> Judgment: One whole Style Point to hopefully encourage folks to further restrict or better define this "extra rule" stuff. Rule 54:7 (Vanyel) INVALID 0.0 Style Points >>>>> "I can't think why you were worried about what to take; two and four in the same suit are really valuable! After all, they could be part of either a single straight _or_ a skip straight!" In response to Ronald's look of puzzlement, I turn and explain, "Single straights are the type you usually see, in poker or whatever. Skip straights are when the gaps between the five cards are of equal width: thus, 2-4-6-8-10, or A-4-7-10-K. So anyway, like I was saying, that two and four of spades could be part of a single straight _or_ a skip straight. And a straight flush, to boot." I stop chatting long enough to check my hand, and exclaim, "Oh, lovely!" As I toss the Jack of clubs onto the table, I turn to Stephen and state, "You know what a black Jack on a red King means--and you laid down that King. Hold up your hand." Stephen throws me a nasty glare as I snatch one card from his hand, and give him a relatively worthless one in return. I smile at the card I drew, and console, "Oh, don't look so annoyed. Hoyle wouldn't approve," I smirked. "You'll just use one of the other Theft Rules to get another good card to play." I turn to the player sitting right across from me. "You know all the theft rules...tell poor Stephen at least one that he can use." >>>>> Judgment: Rule 54:2 says "playing two cards must be done before any other game actions in a rule." Here, Vanyel attempts to take one of Stephen's cards after playing only one. Tsk, tsk. Rule 54:8 (Ronald) VALID 0.5 Style Points >>>>> Like me, Hoyle was and always will be a real beginner at this game. Nevertheless, when somebody puts me a finger in my mouth, I'll bite! After Sharkey's play I see immediately that I can put 4 cards of the same suit on the table, by playing the Ace and the Three of Hearts and picking up the diamond Eight! As I am short of cards, I declare that the extra Rule in future plays will be: "After making the play of two cards, a Player shall give me, Ronald Alexander Kunne, a card." Realizing that Extra Rules can not be repealed (Meta Rule #1), I feel quite confident in making a few bucks this round. >>>>> Judgment: Though superficially similar, I don't have the same problem with this as I did with Rule 54:4, so no Style Point penalty. Half a Style Point as congratulations for making the first extra rule. Rule 54:9 (Andre) VALID 0.0 Style Points >>>>> Hmmm... That leaves an interesting situation... I play the H4 and the H5. In fact for now I am not very sad about Ronald's rule, I give him the C2. As anyone knows, someone who plays the C2 must immediately put all his/her other cards among the played cards as well, so I don't want to have this card anyway. I pick up the HK and HA. This leaves a flush, which, however doesn't count, as there was already a flush before my last play. It however also makes a straight. My extra rule is that a player who plays the eight of hearts, may pick up any number of extra cards above the ones he may or must take anyway, including cards (s)he played him/herself. When I make this rule, of course everyone knows I hold the card, but just to make sure, I show it. By the way, Hoyle, although being terrible at this game, is quite a good bridgeplayer. He likes telling the story about the game in which he made his contract because he had the 8 of hearts. If it had been the seven instead he wouldn't have... >>>>> Judgment: This rule itself does not violate Rule 54:2. As for the rule that attempts to actually use the extra rule defined herein...well, we'll just have to wait and see. I'll give half a Style Point for laying this (potentially backfiring) trap, but take it away again for so blatantly stiffing poor Ronald in this "friendly" first week. Rule 54:10 (Vanyel) INVALID 1.0 Style Points >>>>> "Nice maneuver, Andre... Ronald probably won't be able to play that card this late in the round. That `Rule of fours and fives' has always caused trouble. After the first play, each turn must make the sum on the table either four or five greater or lesser. Aces are low, jacks 11, queens 12, and kings 13. With such low cards on the table... well, poor Ronald will have a hard time picking his `two cards or less' to pick up, I'm sure." As I say this I lay down the two of diamonds and the three of clubs. "Not much, I know, especially after the last two turns, but I had to play something! Here's your card, Ronald." As I pass it to him, it slips from my hand and flutters to the table, where everyone sees that it is the jack of spades. "Oops! Sorry about that, Ronald." I scoop up the four and the five, and sit back in my chair. >>>>> Judgment: I have a particular fondness for restrictions that apply to all rules instead of just future rules, so a whole Style Point for the nifty "rule of fours and fives." Unfortunately, according to Rule 54:1, it's time for another Hoyleism, and this rule doesn't have one. Rule 54:11 (Stephen) INVALID 0.0 Style Points >>>>> I play the Queen of Hearts and the Three of Spades, and give Ronald the Nine of Diamonds from my hand. As there was both a flush and a straight already on the table before my move, any flushes and straights I make this turn won't count. So I pick up the Four and Five of Hearts. After every sixth move, one more card is dealt from the pack of unused cards to each player, if there are enough cards left in the pack. I carry out this dealing now. I see that I have just dealt myself the Ace of Spades, which is one of the two wild cards in the pack. >>>>> Judgment: Still no sign of Hoyle... Bryan Bowe residue@aol.com