How to host the perfect home poker game – Part 2

Poker parties should be a casual event. Serve simple food and supply drinks in the bottle. My fondest memory of married-life-before-baby is of our weekly poker games.

THE TABLE

We were fortunate to own a folding poker table with a leather-like tabletop and drink cups. If you are not so lucky, select a table small enough so that the dealer does not have to throw cards like a Frisbee, but not so small that you can see each others’ cards.

Provide coasters to keep cold drinks from getting water on the table. Have treats for the poker table like hard candies or M&Ms. Anything greasy or chocolaty ruins the cards and opens it up the for a unscrupulous player to take advantage of a marked deck. Supply a new deck of cards, but remember that some players distain fancy cards.

HOUSE RULES

Establish house rules and discuss them with the players before the start of the game. At our poker games, we played with quarters, nickels and dimes. The largest raise was a dollar. We did try using chips, but we just liked the look and feel of money better. It also eliminated the counting of chips at the beginning and the end of each evening. Decide on a set amount for an ante, but base it on a consensus. The only other rules that we selected were that the deal progressed and the dealer called the game. If someone called an unpopular game, like Baseball, we let him know. Games we played were:

Omaha or Texas Hold ‘Em

Five Card Draw games

Five Card Stud games

Seven Card Stud games

Chase the Ace or Acey Duecy

TRADITION

If we stood up from the table, we always informed the dealer whether to “deal me in” or “deal me out”. Traditionally, we allowed players to get up at any time.

Eliminated players were send to what we called “the snack bar.” It took away the sting of loosing when you could go into the kitchen for snacks. If the snacks were too irresistible, we would all get up and take a break after that hand was finished.

If there was a big winner, he was wise to order a pizza. That kept everyone from complaining too much. By the last hand, we part friends and vowed to see each other the next week.

The last hand was always a progressive pot game, like Black Mariah, Chicago “high hand with high ace wins” or Chase the Ace. These games largely rely on luck and encourage everyone to stay in the game until the end. It wrapped things up nicely and gave you one last chance to recoup your losses.

This formula worked well for us with large or small groups. We had no complaints and friends returned. If we had not changed our priorities to raising a family, we’d still being playing poker each week.

Drinking Games – Practice Makes Perfect

 

Become a Master at the Game

Possibly the most popular of these drinking games is “quarters”. In this highly strategic game of skill, a shot galls is filled with liquor and then a quarter is passed around the table, each person trying to bounce it off the table and into the glass. It is a difficult game for the novice, but with practice a person can learn to make a ringer every time.

A Game of Strategy

Once a person bounces the quarter into the glass, he or she then points to a person sitting at the table, who then has to drink the shot. Believe it or not, this is a game of strategy if it is played correctly. This is because, two skilled players operating surreptitiously as a team can then work cooperatively to single out one or more persons to be the main consumers of their shots.

Carnal Knowledge

The end result, is that this hapless victim is rendered intoxicated before he or she has a chance to figure out that they have been had. It is not uncommon for a team of one sex or another to single out a member of the opposite sex sitting at their table for their “inebriation attack” for the sole propose and intent of gaining carnal knowledge with them.

Alcohol Induced Coma

It is imperative that when employing this technique for romantic purposes that one not cross the line into an area of behavior commonly known as “date rape”. However; there is nothing wrong with using a a few drinks to increase ones odds at gaining another conquest just as long as the person you are “conquesting” is not in an alcohol induced coma.

How to play drinking games – Part 6

There are many games you can play while you drink. Here is a small list of ones friends and I have played many Saturdays to have fun and stay in one spot without driving. Please drink responsibly and always-ALWAYS have a designated driver if you drink.

Quarters:

Place a shot glass filled with desired alcohol in the center of the table. You have one shot at makeing a quarter bounce of the table in the glass. If you miss you drink it if you make it you choose a person to take the shot. Turns move clockwise around the table.

Drunk Driver:

Make a pyramid out of cards using 1 at top and 6 at the bottom. Lay cards face down. Pass out remaining cards until all players have the same amount. Looking at them have one person designated to turn over each card individually on the pyramid starting at the top. Each person who has a matching card can make someone else drink. 2 drinks for top, each level down the pyramid is x’s 2 say the third row down would mean the person choosen would have to take 6 drinks.

Mushroom’s:

Place a juice glass in the center of the table and take turns going clockwise around the table and lay a card on the glass, making it mushroom out. The first person to make all the cards fall has to down a full beer or take however many shots are chosen to replace the beer in the beginning of the game.

There are many other games to play out there. Please take care when playing drinking games as you are consuming alcohol very fast and may not realize how much you have drank until it is too late. As stated please drink responsibly. There is a difference between having fun and risking lives!

How to play drinking games – Part 8

There is a “how to” on drinking games? Geesh people.. it’s really not that difficult. Whether you buy a shot glass game set from Urban Outfitters for sixteen bucks or create your own, the fun lies in your guests, yourself, and the type of alcohol (or poison if you prefer) that you choose.

Christmas is when I hold my annual shot glass party. And yes, i bought an Urban Outfitters shot glass game however I altered the games to suit for the appropriate number of guests and or toned down some of the “consequences” depending on the crowd.. Even under the influence, certain actions are impossible!

Obviously the smartest thing to do is have room and assume that everyone on your invited list can and will crash at your pad. That is why I keep it exclusive. Also, not too many people I know and trust are hard core drinkers or at least hard core on occasion! The last Christmas shot glass party we downed a liter of Grey Goose like it was Pelligrino!

Some food is essential but nothing over the top. The point is not to get so sloshed you vomit the food and the expensive alcohol but that is always a possibility as witnessed by all of us who had invited a newbie of sorts to our last party and found out quickly that her talk was, well, just that, talk. She spent the remainder of the evening drinking coke “shots” and complaining of her “forehead being heavy” and you can believe we still rag her about that to this day!

Atmosphere is key as well… No one likes to drink good liquor in bright lights and stiff upright chairs. Even the tightest of budgets can find a home furnishings store with a pillow sale, move the furniture out of the main room, and voila! Note to all drinkers… NO, absolutely NO candles. As warm and mellow as they may appear, it is never good to mix highly flammable things (you!) with fire.

Finally, as the host/hostess, make sure you don’t get over the top drunk. If properly planned, you won’t be holding anyones head over the toilet but you may be propping them up against a pillow so they don’t wake up the next morning having slept in the most contorted position ever. And unless you have a great sense of coordination whilst under the influence, use plastic and things that can be easily thrown in the garbage/sink/dishwasher.

So what are you still reading for?! Call up your true friends who can hold their own and get creative! You know you burn lots and lots of calories laughing so the balancing dichotomy is the drinking will not have the full effect of drunkenness as quickly since you will be laughing so much, even snorting (hopefully!) and that means you can realllllly get your “drink on”! Cheers!

Downloadable game reviews: First Class Flurry – Part 5

The cute and addictive ‘First Class Flurry’ is a fun loving, mix and match game in which you play the role of a young stewardess who’s purpose is to keep her passengers happy. The passengers are a varied bunch of people with different attitudes and wants/needs. These needs entail you guiding the stewardess to various different tasks required of you. These task include such things as preparing delicious burgers for hungry tummies or returning with comfortable pillows when sleep is the passengers calling. Once all is well you are rewarded with some well earned points used to upgrade your plane and stewardess such as better shoes for faster movement. Like in real life.

The game at first did not appeal to me. The idea of being a young struggling stewardess just didn’t grab my attention however after playing the first few levels I found myself strangely entranced by the tasks set before me. The game play was quick and precise, easy to understand with helpful hints and instructions and overall fun. The graphics are two dimensional but that aspect does not stop enjoyment from being had. The cute little colorful faces of the passengers accompanied by that polyphonic music theme that had me humming something fierce as well as the addictive game play that always had me saying “….just one more level” completely makes up for the games more ‘elderly’ use of graphics. Now some aspects of the game did strike a few antagonizing nerves such as the overwhelming levels where it seemed every passenger was infected with some sort of coffee craving rabies but that anger soon melted away into a passion for shutting their pie holes, making me play more.

When it gets down to it ‘First Class Flurry’ is a top notch game that flies high above other quick to click downloadable games on the internet today and I would of bought it straight then and there if I hadn’t spent the last of my money on that stewardess costume. Mmhmmmm….

‘First Class Flurry’ holds to its name and even more. It delivers time and time again lovely and addictive gameplay that will keep you up at night drinking the very beverage you will soon be delivering to some caffeine crazed passenger.

Is gaming addiction a problem? – Part 3

It seems society has been trying to blame everything on some sort of psychological disorder lately. You’re kid’s disobedient? It’s okay, he just has ADHD. That guy killed someone? Oh, but it wasn’t his fault. He was suffering from “temporary insanity.” It seems we have excuses for everything thing these days, and no one wants to face up to the facts.

Now, the American Medical Association wants to add “video game overuse” to list of “formal disorders”.

But like drug and alcohol addictions, this is not something that someone is born with. It is something they do to themselves. However, unlike doing drugs and drinking excessively, addiction to gaming is not caused by any chemicals in the body that would keep the user coming back. The ability to stop lies completely in range of the person’s physical abilities. It only takes a little will power.

But before we go off and label this a “formal disorder” and ship gamers off to therapy, we should pay attention to the actual causes of their addictions. According to a 2004 study on on-line gamers, four common causes are: “shyness, lack of spiritual faith, belief that others are controlling their lives, and an elevated belief in chance as an influence on their lives (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Game_addiction).”

These are problems that exist and have existed even without gaming. It’s only since gaming came along that people like this, who find real life wanting when compared to their fantasies, have had such an outlet. Before gaming, they had to deal with these problems in other ways, such as reading books and comics, or in the more extreme cases, developing a case of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (these, by the way, are what real “formal disorders” are supposed to be).

Gaming itself is not the cause of these problems. Gaming is simply a way to help people get through them. And yes, some people may get so used to living in their pretend worlds that they become completely addicted and do not want to enter the real the world, but people like this don’t do well in the real world anyway. These people feel out of place surrounded by actual people and would most likely hide in a corner, lost in their own heads, while everyone else lives in reality.

Gaming addiction is not a problem that is harming the world in anyway because it does not hurt people anymore than they are already hurting. Instead of worrying about how we should save our generation’s youth from the evils of technology, we need to worry more about how to fix the evils in reality. If the world wasn’t such a messed up place, maybe no one would need to hide in a world of make-believe.

Downloadable game review: Kukoo Kitchen – Part 2

Kukoo Kitchen Review

Original, captivating, wacky, Kukoo Kitchen gets a rating of 4/5. This interactive game is best suited fro children from the age of 6 to 11. The key concept behind the game is “Time Management”. Players are serve up tasty treats to extra-terrestrial creatures in order to pay for the rent on Jessica’s spaceship.

The game is applauded on creativity as it as it focuses on teaching key concepts in life such as paying rent and effectively managing time and efficiency. The game is easy to play and the graphics match up to most down loadable games. The sound quality could be better. While the creator trys to make the character voices appear to be space creature like, the voices seem more muffled and distorted.

The game play moves thru the missions very smoothly and characters keep the player engaged. Kukoo Kitchen equipment can be upgraded as you move thru the missions which provides for production efficiency and lead to collecting enough revenue to make the rent payments. A play time clock would be a helpful tool to the game. It was a bit difficult to gage how much time was left to serve up the tasty extra terrestrial culinary treats. Since the game is built around the concept of preparing food to earn money, children are able to relate. Essentially, large scale concepts are broken down into concepts that children are able to make real life connections.

The creator can work on the game description as it suggests that the canine is making confections (ie sweet treats), however the cuisine consists of hamburgers, fries and drinks. Children would really not know the difference but it could be considered a bit misleading. The description also suggest that the game is “Family Fun” while in fact it is geared towards the younger audience. The general theme and animation is not suited for the mature audience.

I have beta tested other games for children and this game was better received by my five and ten year old. I would definitely pay to download this game, it worth the $6.99 with a club membership.

Tips on hosting your own poker game – Part 3

If you enjoy playing poker, why not host your own? This is a great way to hang out with your buddies and enjoy your favorite game. It is easy to set-up for a poker night that is sure to be a hit.

1. You will need a poker table-top or table and chairs. Think about the space you have available. A table top can be cheap and doesn’t take up very much space.

2. Make sure you have enough poker chips (or ask a friend to bring some). Also, playing with two decks of cards will move the game along more quickly.

3. Who to invite. Consider who enjoys playing, who you enjoy playing with and who is likely to come. send out an email or call everyone a few days ahead of time.

4. The rules. To have a successful poker game, it is important to set some important ground rules ahead of time. This avoids confusion later. Determine what game you will be playing. Most likely, this will be Texas Hold Em. Then determine the buy-ins, blind/ante structure and whether you are playing tournament style or not. Will you allow re-buy?

5. To make things easy on yourself, suggest everyone bring a few extra dollars to pitch in for pizza. You can buy paper plates, cups and napkins. Asking everyone to bring some beer or soda also makes your life easier. Just set an ice chest out for them to keep their drinks cold.

As host, the other players will look to you in determining the tone of the game and handling any problems. If there is a misdeal or table-talking that is inappropriate, you should be the one to address the issue fairly.

Online games at Pogo.com

As I sit down to write this I wonder how to best describe my favorite website; until I found this one. I spent more time on it then all others sites combined. I’m not shy letting any one play on it. What’s this site you’re wondering? It’s no other then pogo.com

A little over four years ago my daughters’ father introduced me to it. He had been playing on yahoo games. He bought me a six month gif subscription; I was hooked in a week. Now every yea I can I pay 39.99$ for the year, (yes you will find another article on here saying its 29.99, I explain the price difference later).

Pogo does have free accounts, but they are just so limited. The games range from backgammon, and all the board games you can think of, to poker and any other card game. They have so many games that have been created for pogo like Popit, or Word Whomp. To keep track of how well you do, there are tokens. These can be used in the mini mall, or to enter cash drawing contests. With the Club pogo (the one you pay for) you get lots more, then free pogo. There are many games that are just club exclusive games. If that can’t tempt you for they are some of the funniest.

You have the biggest hook, badges. Every Wednesday they offer to new weekly badges and you can pick an old to earn, one you don’t have or re earn one you already have. Also the majority of the games have rank badges. Then they offer Premium badge albums, but you have to buy those with cash, or gems (you buy gems with cash).

With Club pogo you get a mini (a person you dress and have fun with). You use the hard earned tokens to buy stuff for him or her. There are tons of clothes, backgrounds, goodies, hair, and lets not forget the faces. I have spent over three million tokens in the mini mall and still have millions left.

I found that 29.99$ is an introduction offer. Also you can get that if you register though AOL. After that it’s 39.99$ a year. But as I and lots others think about it, you get unlimited play time. Lots of people use it to keep in touch with their families and friends. So to play talk with family all year for 40$ isn’t that bad if you think the most possible movies you would be to go to for that amount is ten, that includes popcorn or a drink.

What I like best about pogo is he people. 90% of the people I play pay to be on pogo. Every one has to agree with the terms of service. If you run across some doing something wrong, that can range from swearing to stalking; hate speech to over sexual talk. You report them and they either get a warring or lose their account depending on how serous the offense.

You get a mail account and you can talk to your friends. It’s nice to keep track of all your friends you made on there. One of my best friends I met on there. But don’t send spam or advertising for other sites, another major a no no. If reported you’re in trouble.

I love pogo.com and will keep playing I have learned many new games. The badges keep you learning new stuff. I believe since you have to pay for it; and if you misbehave you lose it; people act better. So it’s more family friendly.

Why video games are beneficial for seniors

Since old people were invented (sometime in the 20th century, nobody knows for sure) there has been a general confusion among the other parts of the population as to what exactly are we going to do with our parents and grandparents once they are too old and foggy to pretend to be normal anymore. Like most difficult questions the obvious solution is to simply ask those who have already solved the dilemma, take credit for the answer, and then go out drinking with your friends. However there is no tactful way to ask the old and wise what should be done for the old and insane. You can’t shake somebodies hand while poking them in the eye. I’ve tried, it’s quite difficult.

In times like these some preemptive independent thought is required by you, you young virile caretaker you, to help safeguard the mental wellbeing of the aged. The most effective way to prevent dear grandpa from going senile is to engage him in activities that he enjoys and keep him trying new things. Sixty or seventy years is a long time and most seniors are likely have a large base of knowledge in at least a few fields of fun. Work off these and try to get them involved, if not in something they are passionate for, at least something they are pretending to feel ambivalent about.

Playing a video game, like trying to get an elderly person out of bed and into daily life, can be challenging and unrewarding. You often get the feeling that the whole thing is pointless, but every time you make a tiny step forward you rejoice inside.

So why not introduce old people to video games? I’ve heard that in many cases video games can help make people more violent, which might lead to more physical exercise for some. Sure, it’s very important to keep minds active and such, but interactive electronics can also be a great stress reliever and skill builder. If grandpa kills fifty or sixty police officers every morning before dialysis maybe he will be a little more cunning with the power chair controls and a little bit nicer to his loyal helper.

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