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Here I am in Montreal for three days. So of course I had ti visit Cafe PI.
As it happens there was a backgammon game squeezed in among some 30 chess
games.
After much bemoaning his bad luck, one player leaves the game cursing the opponents 'encroyable' fortune despite playing like 'imbecile'! So I tap lightly on the board to see if I might be accepted as an opponent. "On joux a combien?"
the man asks. "$5 or $ 10" I suggest not wanting to scare the bird with a greater price.
"$3" says the suspicious sort.
"Non, merci." say I and turn away.
OK $5 says the shark not wanting to lose 'un client'.
So we play for an hour at which some eager spectators ask to join to make a 'chouette'. This is the term denoting a group game with three or more players - where the winner of the previous game matches the stakes of the rest of the field. This single man is in effect the banker or the 'man in the box'.
Now, the Cafe PI players have evolved their own rules for chouette play which greatly favor the box player. If the best player in the game gets the box, he can make a good run if he is not dislodged from the spot.
In international play, if the man playing the 'man in the box' defeats him, he takes over the box in the next game.
At Cafe PI this rule does not apply and it is possible for a man to retain the box position for game after game simply by surrendering to the strongest opponent and getting a plus score against the weakies.
So, my suggestion to play international rules was overruled mainly on the strength of the insistence of one bystander who 'knew' all the international rules since he had played in New York City! - another hustler game, no doubt.
So we continued the game under house rules, Not complaining, though - paid for my dinner and then some. So here I am again at Cafe PI awaiting the house sharks to come in the door.
As it happens there was a backgammon game squeezed in among some 30 chess
games.
After much bemoaning his bad luck, one player leaves the game cursing the opponents 'encroyable' fortune despite playing like 'imbecile'! So I tap lightly on the board to see if I might be accepted as an opponent. "On joux a combien?"
the man asks. "$5 or $ 10" I suggest not wanting to scare the bird with a greater price.
"$3" says the suspicious sort.
"Non, merci." say I and turn away.
OK $5 says the shark not wanting to lose 'un client'.
So we play for an hour at which some eager spectators ask to join to make a 'chouette'. This is the term denoting a group game with three or more players - where the winner of the previous game matches the stakes of the rest of the field. This single man is in effect the banker or the 'man in the box'.
Now, the Cafe PI players have evolved their own rules for chouette play which greatly favor the box player. If the best player in the game gets the box, he can make a good run if he is not dislodged from the spot.
In international play, if the man playing the 'man in the box' defeats him, he takes over the box in the next game.
At Cafe PI this rule does not apply and it is possible for a man to retain the box position for game after game simply by surrendering to the strongest opponent and getting a plus score against the weakies.
So, my suggestion to play international rules was overruled mainly on the strength of the insistence of one bystander who 'knew' all the international rules since he had played in New York City! - another hustler game, no doubt.
So we continued the game under house rules, Not complaining, though - paid for my dinner and then some. So here I am again at Cafe PI awaiting the house sharks to come in the door.
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