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When I put the robber on someone in Settlers of Catan, does the resource I take HAVE to be random? Say I have 3 ore, 2 wheat, and a wood, and player B has a wheat, a wool, and a brick. Player B puts the robber next to one of my settlements and has to take one resource at random. Player B wants to get my wood so they ca...	It must be random as Pat said, but you could immediately offer to trade whatever he draws with the card you'd rather give him.
When is the woodcutter worth buying in Dominion? So far I've found every card in Dominion has its own niche, but the woodcutter's seems to be exceptionally small. I only buy 1 or 2 if its the only card that gives +buys, otherwise a silver is better 99.9% of the time. Am I missing a key factor of the woodcutter? Is th...	+Buy can certainly be very key, so if Woodcutter is the only way to get it, Woodcutter is useful.
Source for significant historical events I'm designing a game that involves identifying historical events, and I'm looking for an online source that I can use to generate a set of event cards. For my prototype, I'm using a copy of the game Chronology , but to publish a print-and-play version, I'd need to find or crea...	I find that the Timetables provide better information (and inspiration!) than the Wikipedia timelines because of the way they connect events, people, and ideas.
What is the difference between thickness and heavy stones? Thickness in Go describes a strong formation of stones. A heavy group is one that's over-concentrated. How do I know when my stones are thick, without going too far and becoming heavy? It seems like this can happen in just a very few moves. Are there any...	Thickness and heavy stones are "similar," insofar as they involve a large number of stones.
Secret Mission Axis and Allies My friend and I sat down one day and made up some "Secret Missions" for all of the countries in the board game Axis and Allies. For example, if Japan takes Western United States, they are immune from counter-attack for one turn. Also, if Russia takes Berlin within 3 turns, they receive an...	If German total IPC worth of naval units is higher than that of the UK, Germany gets an extra 3IPCs per round.
Why is it of high importance to control the center of the board in Chess? One reason for this is that from the center of the board, your pieceshave quicker access to the other parts of the board. Another is thatyour pieces often attack a larger number of squares. What others are there? I often find myself having contr...	Also consider that your opponent thrives to control the center, so you controlling it derails his strategy which gives you an advantage.
What is a positional game in chess? What does it mean to have a positional game, or to play a positional game?What is the opposite? <Q> Every position has both positional ("theory") aspects and tactical aspects. <S> Positional aspects would include the various imbalances in the position: pawn structure, space, ...	A positional game in chess is one where you try to control the territory on the board.
Advice for an experienced gamer who'd like to play nomic games? I am an experienced board gamer (and card too), with a particular affinity for collaborative games (Shadows over Camelot, Pandemic, etc.). I would like to take this a step further by studying self-government games in the style of Nomic . However, the lear...	One Thousand Blank White Cards is a DIY card game with nomic qualities; also suitable for forum play.
How does Rook compare in difficulty to other trick-taking games? How does Rook compare in difficulty to other trick-taking games? It is commonly played by older people in my area, and so my siblings and I learned it as small children. What games would be good to pick up, having that background? <Q> Of all the other c...	Spades, Euchre, and Pinochle each have team play with the option to "go it alone". Hearts also works, but you'd need to remember it's about avoiding taking points.
Timing Rules in Seven Wonders There may or may not be a clear definitive ruling on this in the rulebook, but it's something that keeps confusing me in the actual play, so I'll ask anyway. Here are several questions that, when put together, should illustrate the points I'm having difficulty. I play a card that gives ...	You cannot change your mind & apply a different action to that card by choice, reason being that a player could change his intended action in response to a card played by his neighboring players.
How do Mine and Watchtower Interact? When playing Mine while having a Watchtower in hand, can you put the upgraded treasure card on top of your deck instead of in your hand? <Q> Yes, you can. <S> The card you get from Mine is definitely gained , therefore you can react to it with Watchtower and put it on your deck (...	Yes Mine says you are gaining a card.
TTR: Destination ticket value changes in the America 1910 expansion The BGG summary for the expansion mentions this: a complete replacement deck of the 141 cards from the original game deck: 30 Destination Tickets (4 cards have a reduced value from Ticket to Ride) What were these reductions and why were they neces...	It appears that the minimum number of trains required to complete a destination ticket was the starting point for assigning each ticket a point value.
In Pegs and Jokers, is it legal to split a seven card between my peg and my partner's peg? In Pegs and Jokers, there are two teams of three each. Player A has four pegs in the castle and his fifth peg is two holes away from going in to have all pegs in the castle. Player A wants to play a seven card and move his last p...	In the basic game, except in special circumstances described below, you may only move your own pegs. You can use a split move to take your last peg home and move your left hand partner's peg with the remainder.
What is the name of the following chess opening? What are its pros and cons? At some point, when I was young, I learned an opening that involves the following moves: possibly after moving queen's pawn to the centre (d4), move out king's knight to above the bishop (Nf3), move knight's pawn up one (g3), move bishop up be...	The advantage of fianchetto-ing your bishop is that it very quickly puts the bishop on the long diagonal, its most powerful position. That would be the King's Indian Attack .
Where can I get these Carcassone expansions? Where can I find the mini-expansions for Carcassonne? I've seen there are several such as "The Cathars" and "Crop Circles" but don't know where to get them, my local board game store doesn't have them. <Q> First off, the expansions you have listed are official. <S> Dependi...	You can buy them at various online stores.
What is a good opening for Go on a 13x13 board? I have been playing a lot of Go recently at lunch but we are playing on a 13x13 board instead of a 19x19. I can't seem to ever win! I am beginning to think that my opening is leaving me in a bad position. I generally start by playing 2 of the 4,4's (my opponent mirro...	On a 13 x13 board, I'd make your third move on the center point, and try to "control the center," as in chess.
Name and official (?) rules for this cards game I half remembered There is this card game I like to play whenever I have 5+ people around and the group includes some 'not so serious' gamers. The problem is I have sort of forgotten the real rules over the years and I feel like I forget a few every time I teach new peop...	You are playing asshole, a classic drinking game.
2 draw piles for convenience? Sometimes when the table is large enough, or people don't want to reach too far, a single draw pile is split into multiple draw piles. This has always bothered me. Does it bother anyone else? Are there any statistical reasons to not split the draw pile? <Q> Hypothetically, there's nothi...	Splitting a randomized deck into multiple decks, won't affect the randomization.
How many IPCs does the USA receive in Axis & Allies Global? In the combined global game for Axis & Allies: Europe 1940 and Axis & Allies: Pacific 1940, how much money does the USA receive before and after it is engaged in a war? Many references I've seen list the USA economy at 52 IPCs, but is this the starting economy...	According to the rules, page 34 , the US starts with 52 IPC both in treasury and income:
Can Monty Python Fluxx be used with the regular Fluxx deck, or is it a separate game? As far as I understand, Monty Python Fluxx is a separate game, not an expansion pack, that doesn't require the original Fluxx deck to play. But can it be used with the original deck - can it be used to supplement the original c...	You can definitely use multiple Fluxx decks together, but it will slow the game down - different games use different Keepers, so it will take longer for players to get the right combinations together to meet Goals.
In Catan, should you try to exclude others players from one resource? In Settlers of Catan (the board game), in a game with four players, is it considered a good strategy to try to lock one (or two) other player(s) from a given resource in order to have an upper hand for later trading? I mean, placing your cities so th...	It's not a bad strategy, if (1) you still have access to all resources, and (2) you have a group willing to trade.
Why Do People "Pre-empt" With Seven Of A Suit In Bridge? One advantage of a "pre-empt" is quite clear: You take two levels of bidding away from your opponents with a "three" bid. But could that be cutting off your nose to spite your face? Recently, I had something like KQxxxxx, and a side queen (I forget how the other...	The usual point of preempting is that you rate to take away opponent's bidding space, as well as pointing the way to partner in making a sacrifice over opponents game/slam bid.
In Bridge, Which Forms of Deception Are Ethical? Does This Include "Moodying?" Playing in a casual game of bridge, holding JTx of trumps, I "falsecarded" on the second trump lead with the J. Believing that he had drawn them, declarer stopped leading trumps. Later, I trumped one of his tricks with the T. Declarer pro...	Any deception by use of a bid or card played is legal.
Supporting Routed Units in A Game of Thrones In FFG's A Game of Thrones boardgame, can routed units be supported? In a recent game, one player (the aggressor) attacked another (the defender) but was defeated. His routed units had to retreat into the area they started from and were turned on their sides - exhausted. ...	A battle against routed troops (who have zero combat strength) still follows all the regular rules of combat (including Calling for Support).
When should I pay to invade a neutral country in Axis and Allies What factors should be considered when deciding whether to invade a minor country and pay the 3+ IPC's? <Q> At a basic level, I weigh the 3 IPC payment and the opportunity cost of the units I used to invade it against the benefit to be gained. <S> That's ...	You must always factor in the cost of the units invading, and the resultant loss of combat power where it could do some good somewhere else.
Does anyone use the P-K4 type of chess notation anymore? I have several chess books, all of which use the P-K4 type of notation rather than the e4 type. I am still more used to the older form, since those books were my first introduction to chess literature. I'd like to find out if anyone still uses it or can read it...	The new way of notating - algebraic notation - has pretty much completely replaced the old way - descriptive notation . But to answer your question: yes, I still use it
Are there any reputable chess openings which begin a4, b4, g4, or h4? I have heard of 1 b3 and 1 g3, but never any of those in the question title. Is this because they do not work in practical play? I've tried 1. g4 d5 2. h3 e5 3. d4 Nc6 etc. with a good chance of a strong Bishop-pair and Queen for White. White must...	I have never seen h4 or a4 as an opening move except by beginners.
Is there a variant of chess such that in the starting position Bishops and Knights are switched? White's back row would look like this: RBNQKNBR and Black's would undergo an equivalent change. Where can I learn more about this variant/play this variant with someone experienced? <Q> Swapping the knights and bishops is ...	This is one form of Displacement chess , though I don't know that it has its own name, or any sites/books dedicated to studying it.
In Chess, Why Does Black Sometimes Play "Cramped" Openings? I'm referring to openings such as d6 (Pirc Defense) or e6 (French Defense) in answer to say, e4. These openings often make it more difficult to develop pieces than say, c5 or e5. In particular, the black squared bishop needs to be fianchettoed after d5, and th...	Sometimes it's a psychological strategy to play a slow opening against a player very good at tactics and skirmishes.
What is a good way to store multiple expansions of Dominion? At the moment I just have the base set of Dominion and Dominion-Intrigue, each of which are a full set so currently I'm storing each per the in-the-box organizers in their original boxes. But when we buy another expansion (and more after that) I'm starting ...	The standard I've seen is using card dividers and storing the cards in one of the original boxes with the insert removed. I got 7 sleeves for my Basic + Intrigue sets, put the 49 stacks in, and the Gardens have to roam around with just the rubber band around it.
Public knowledge in Settlers of Catan? Settlers of Catan has a lot of public knowledge. For example, a player cannot hide how many resource cards or development cards they have. Are any of the following public knowledge? Size of the bank : are players allowed to pick up the stack of remaining wheat and count them? ...	Since the size of a players hand is public knowledge, (that is declared explicitly in the rules) when they discard cards, how many cards they've discarded is also public knowledge.
Are enchantments and artifacts considered spells? In Magic: The Gathering, are enchantments and artifacts considered spells? More precisely, can I use Cancel (which says "Counter target spell.") on an enchantment or an artifact? <Q> Since you asked for some citations from the official rules: 111.1. <S> As the firs...	A spell is a card on the stack.
Can a king capture an opposing queen? A Beginner's Scenario: I castle kingside prior to ever being in check. Then, my son positions his queen and on a subsequent turn, takes out the middle pawn of three (see diagram below), thus exposing my king, and declares "checkmate". Is this a legal move on his part? Or, may I t...	Yes you can capture the Queen, unless capturing the Queen would put the King under check again.
Can I sell a third party expansion? I've got an expansion for a semi-popular board game that my friends and I have been having a lot of fun with. I was wondering if I could package and sell the expansion to the game without consent from the original publisher. I know I'd need to create all of my own materials (artwor...	The artwork and language may be copyrighted so at a minimum you'd have to create your own. Realize that anywhere you intentionally sell it, you have to obey their trademark laws, too.
Basic strategies for each country in Diplomacy I found out one of my friends has Diplomacy and wants to play. He's never played before, and neither have I, nor anyone else in the group. I'm confident I can explain the rules, but I don't really know a lot about the strategy as I've never actually played. I'll be able to...	England will not lose very often due to their position in the ocean and they can survive until the later game with their ally. Try to take Tunis and an Italian home center (like Rome) before stabbing England.
In Diplomacy, Is the "Three Emperor's Alliance" a Good Strategy For Russia? Russia, which gets an extra piece, is in some ways the most powerful country in Diplomacy. It is also one of the most vulnerable, insofar as it is surrounded by four potentially hostile countries. (Only Germany and Austria-Hungary is in such ba...	Powers in different spheres cannot effectively cooperate, making alliances unworkable at the start. An ARG alliance would seem to heavily favor Russia, so you might offend Austria and Germany even asking for it.
What is a good board game to use for a programming competition We recently had a programming competition where each team had to write an A.I. for the board game Broadside . It was perfect because the rules were simple enough that the teams had to concentrate on the basic idea of when and how to attack, and not on hand...	RA Ra has simple mechanics, but interesting AI since it's a competitive auction.
How much would the cards from Dominion: Alchemy cost if you wanted to use them while not playing with potions? I've been looking at the cards from Dominion: Alchemy and want to use some of them in my own games through proxying of the blank cards. However, I don't feel like delving into the whole potion thing, especia...	If you want a potion card, you need to invest in a potion that won't be useful for other things.
Are there any specific strategies in Jenga? Does Jenga have any specific strategies for block placement and removal that can be employed? Are there certain moves or ideas I could employ to (for example) increase the likelihood that the stack will fall on my opponent's next turn? <Q> The most unstable situation is adjac...	The trick is to continuously keep checking for loose blocks that can be easily moved, and get rid of them first before your opponent does.
In contract bridge, what are bonus points for? I am a beginner and could not find out the application or the use of those bonus points above the line in contract(rubber) bridge. If the winner in a contract bridge is the pair that first achieves 2 sets of 100 or more points below the line (thus winning a rubber), what i...	I agree with the other answers, of course: but the most important part of "points above the line" is enabling a penalty points system for bidding games you can't hope to make.
How can I identify games that would work better on the computer? What are the things that the electronic version can do to enhance gameplay? Conversely, what could the board game version do to overcome this view? Feel free to use examples if it would help clarify your answer. <Q> Shuffling cards in Dominion is a good e...	Computerized board and card games can have an advantage when it enables automation of what would otherwise be mundane or tedious tasks:
Can poison counters be removed? Is there some way to remove or counteract poison counters? Specifically, once you've already accumulated them, not when you are dealt them. For example, say I already have 9 poison counters. Is there some way to reduce this number? <Q> Counters can be removed. <S> Target player loses ...	However, I believe there is only one card that currently removes poison counters, and that is Leeches
In Scrabble, What is the big deal with playing with etched in tiles? Some people raise the issue of "brailling" tiles and refuse to play with etched in tiles, such as those that which commonly come with a store bought version of Scrabble. Is this a big deal? Have there been issues in the past with "brailling" in top-...	Etched in tiles can be readily rejected by feel by many players.
Can I create my own version of Monopoly and distribute it ? Can I create my own version of Monopoly and distribute it online or physically ? I see that there were patents filed in 1923 . Can I create an improvement on the existing game and sell it online ? If there is any law/copyright protecting this, is it per co...	The specific property names and the rent and prices are pretty much copyright.
How do we speed things up in Bohnanza? Whenever I have a one hour window to play, I try this game, and it tends to take more like 2 hours. So far, I find the negotiating really entertaining - so I'm not sure if I want to go crazy trying to enforce time constraints on play. The box says a game takes 45 minutes. Does th...	Have everyone draw one more card per turn, 4 instead of 3 in a 3-5 player game and 5 instead of 4 in a 6-7 player game. A drastic variant would be to make the last two phases of a turn simultaneous after a whole round of everyone doing the first couple.
What is the best way to print cards for my game? I want to print cards for my game, without using a commercially-available site. Basically, I'm looking for materials I could find in a store. How do I make these cards in a work- and price-efficient way, making sure that they look nice afterward? The cards should be...	You could use common card protectors like people use to protect cards from trading cards games (Magic, etc). 90# high-linen high-clay bond makes great cards; it's hard to find.
Card Games for Three Players? We have a great time playing Hearts, Spades, and Euchre with 4 players. Oftentimes though we have three people available to play but not a fourth. How can I find card games that are interesting for 3 players? <Q> I think one of the best card games for three players is Skat (not to be c...	Hearts with three or five players Spades for Three Players Three Player Buck Euchre Where I live, the canonical three-player card game is Cribbage .
Can I use a card with "Add one mana of any color to your mana pool" in any Elder Dragon Highlander (EDH) deck? I recently tried Elder Dragon Highlander / Commander , and found it to be a ton of fun. I've started customizing one of the pre-cons I got, but I'm a little confused by some of the deck-building requirements...	First, you can only play cards within your commander's color identity.
Where can I find the story of Magic the Gathering? I have been playing MTG for a few months now and was told that there is a story behind each set of cards. I have several small bits of the story that came with the decks, but I would like to read the full story and see if I can construct my themed decks to match how t...	The Wizards of the Coast website has a page within it that contains the full story, minus the novels.
What are the standard time settings in chess What are some of the most popular time limits for chess games? I'm looking for those used today as well as historically. <Q> Blitz games will have 1-5 minutes per side. <S> Most tournaments will have 1-3 hours per side. <S> A popular setup is 1-2 hours per side for the ...	Quick tournament: 1 hour 30 mins to reach move 35, then 30 mins to finish (per player) Blitz: 5 minutes per player for all moves
Can the Big Blind Player Post More than the Current Big Blind? In a Texas Hold-Em No-Limit Tournament, where the blinds are 200-400, can the big blind initially post more than 400 or does the Big Blind need to wait until it's his turn to raise? For example we had a player who was the big blind and wanted to know if he...	The big blind's early raise of 150 is an out-of-turn action.
Go, MahJong, and Chess. Together? Do you think these games have enough in common to start a serious, competitive club focusing around them? There's definitely enough between Go and Chess, but what about MahJong? I know there is plenty of strategy behind MahJong, having played it, but is it too far removed from the othe...	As noted earlier, Mahjong (or dominoes for that matter) is much more luck oriented as opposed to the strategy involved in Chess or Go.
Is it better to learn to play bridge by reading about it, or just playing? I'm an avid card player, and I have a particular love for trick-taking games (above all, Hearts and Spades). I've wanted to learn to play bridge for a long time, and I've bought two different books on the subject, but neither really launched me ...	Bridge is an incredibly deep game, perhaps unequalled in depth by any other game - you could easily spend your life playing it, mastering it, assimilating the ideas of others who have tried to master it.
In Puerto Rico, When should I NOT take a Quarry when I have the opportunity to? It's fairly easy to choose between the different plantations when the settler phase comes around as you just have to evaluate which you have the production capacity for or which you would be able to buy the production capacity for, and take...	The simple answer to this question, is how much value is the quarry going to gain you over and above the other options your have to choose from.
Small World: Strategies for using dwarves in a 2-player game We started playing Small World in a 2-player setup and the race which we found very difficult to play was Dwarves. The con of dwarves is their low number of troops (3), which means that it is hard to exploit their special ability (doubled income from mines, e...	Dwarves just aren't a great race, you're never going to want to pick them highly. If you can capture the mountain mines, then it might be worth it to keep dwarves (along with victory points stacked on the race) - remember that the mines will give you bonus even in decline !
When will playing Rubber Bridge vs. Duplicate Bridge affect your decisions? In Rubber Bridge, you are trying to get more points than your opponents. In Duplicate Bridge, you are trying to get more points than the other people playing the same hand later on do . For a while I thought this wouldn't make a difference, bu...	In matchpoints, any play that stands to gain more often than not is advantageous.
If I have 8+ coins and no Gold, should I buy a Gold or a Province? When playing Dominion, I have developed the habit of buying a Gold the first time I can afford one, even if I could afford a Province instead. Is this a good rule of thumb? My reasoning is that if I manage to hit 8+ coins without a Gold in my deck, I h...	Generally you want to get a Gold before you buy a Province in order to sustain your Province buying. If your playing a game where the end of the game looks like it's coming soon, buying the province is the best option.
How can I play Arkham Horror remotely? Having recently moved quite a long distance away from a friend who owns Arkham Horror, we have decided to continue playing games via telepresence (supplied by google+ hangouts). My first go at playing remotely had me opening pages in tabs on the Arkham Horror wiki and tracking ev...	This evening I played remotely using vassal, the arkahm horror wiki, and google video.
How do Dominion tournaments compensate for the luck that's always present in the game? Dominion is definitely NOT a game of luck. I'd wager it's at least 90% strategy. But at the higher levels I'm sure the luck comes out as players get better at finding the best strategies available to them. In Bridge tournaments, pair...	I think the only reasonable way to mitigate luck is to play a lot of games.
Does Wrath of God really destroy creatures with shroud? I heard - (from an official MtG judge) - that Wrath of God ( "Destroy all creatures" ) destroys creatures with the Shroud ability, because it doesn't target a single creature, it targets all creatures. Is this really true? In my opinion it is very illogica...	Indestructible creatures survive a Wrath because their ability ("cannot be destroyed") specifically interacts with the word "destroy" on the card Wrath of God.
How long does it take to play Elder Sign? This dice game version of Arkham Horror is about to be published by Fantasy Flight but a lot of gamers have already picked it up or at least demoed it at GenCon and PAX Prime. I've read a few comments that stated Elder Sign did not play in one hour as advertised, but these comm...	I've played three games now (two games with two players, one solo), they seem to average around 30-45 minutes (the first game took longer, unsurprisingly). 120 minutes sounds about right for 4+ players.
What are useful guidelines for deciding when to power down in RoboRally? I'm having trouble putting my finger on clear guidelines for choosing when to announce a power down, and would love to hear some analyses. <Q> There are several things to take into account: <S> Your position in the race . <S> If I 'm comfortably...	If I 'm trying to catch up, I will only power down if it seems my progress is getting way too slow due to locked registers. Obviously powering down when near other robots is risky, even more so if there is deadly terrain nearby. I have found that it's clearly wrong to announce when I am expecting to have only 2 damage,...
How do I manage double-faced cards in Innistrad (MTG) tournament play? I read about the new mechanic in Innistrad, the upcoming MTG edition, called double-faced cards . These cards have two faces, and no standard Magic back. They have actual creatures on both sides. In the linked article they describe two options for ...	lol.well..what you could do is buy double cards for cards in deck and sheath the cards one on each side...keep the flip side in a different sheathed pile..it would work well..
How Can I Identify How To Beat My Computer At Chess? This is an embarrassing question to have to ask, but here goes. Recently I've gotten a new Mac laptop which has a chess program on it. I'm not a chess expert by any means: I can beat casual players most of the time, but I suspect I wouldn't stand a chance against a...	Computers are very good at looking deep into "branches" of moves. Get a few books on chess and read them to get a good base of knowledge to start from. Most good players will tell you that they recognize strategies and implement predetermined counters.
Why does Mana-Burn exist in Magic: The Gathering? My understanding of Mana-Burn is that if you have any left over mana in your mana-pool at the end of your turn, you loose that many life. But why is this rule necessary? The only time I see it come into play is when you have cards that give you multiple mana like Dark ...	So, to sum up, it seems that mana burn was created as a game design mechanical fix to avoid memory issues and to avoid some weird situations in the original spell timing rules .
Good first leads in sheepshead In most trick-taking card games when you have a strong hand (as the bidder should in sheepshead) it's good to lead with high cards to retain control. However, in sheepshead players tend to hold on to the point-cards until they know who the partner is -- and they definitely won't drop po...	Leads that might fish out partners are generally more valuable if you have a strong hand (trump) or a lot of points (especially in fail suits), because in both those situations, your hand will be vastly improved by good teamwork.
What happens to loyalty counters on a double faced Planeswalker? When a double faced planeswalker, like Garruk Relentless transforms into Garruk, the Veil Cursed there is no new loyalty symbol at the bottom of the card. Does his current loyalty carry over or is there some new mechanic to deal with DFC Planeswalkers? ...	When Garruk Relentless transforms into Garruk, the Veil-Cursed, he remains the same object, so there's no reason to believe anything happens to his loyalty counters.
What the key minis for a new Ultramarine player to get? I am starting to play Warhammer 40,000 as an Ultramarine Space Marine player. I got the starter kit: Assault on Black Reach and have been enjoying painting stuff since. Where should I look next to start building up my army? My goal is to have an army of around 20...	Dreadnoughts are frequently seen because they provide Space Marine armies with a good source of long-range anti-vehicle fire, without costing as much or being as vulnerable as an equivalent squad of Devestators.
I have an idea for a card game. How can I best start testing it? I've been playing around with an idea for a card game for some time, and I think I've finally got the idea fairly well in place. How can I best start testing it out to refine it? <Q> There are different stages to testing. <S> You need to make sure the c...	Try the game with different people, and see what comes out of it. You can purchase blank faced playing cards that are perfect for prototyping.
What are good resources or techniques to improve one's offence or finishing game? I'm a moderately skilled chess player; I can beat most casual players and survive quite a while against class A, expert, or master players. Unfortunately, virtually all of my skill is in control of the center and defense. I have almost no...	Checkmate and other chess puzzles can be a good way to practice but what you probably need to do is study the Endgame.
Maxing out your buys in early Dominion How important is it to always buy the most expensive thing that you can with your first buys in Dominion? I appreciate that in the later stages of the game you often have more money than you can profitably spend, especially since the more expensive cards are often very situational...	In general, it's important to buy the most expensive card you can afford that works with your strategy for this set of available cards.
What are the rules for the card game "High Nines"? A long time ago, my cousin taught me a card game he called "High Nines": It was a trick-taking game, similar to Euchre, though it used the full card deck. Trump cards were worth one point, except for the 9s, which were worth nine. The 2s would stay in the score ...	If you lose 1 point, then you will lost the game.
How do you tell the difference between Alpha and Beta Star Trek CCG? The 1994 Decipher Star Trek CCG Premier/1st Edition cards were released in black border limited and in white border which I've only recently found described as both alpha and beta releases. I'm processing a huge lot of these cards, is there any way t...	The white bordered alpha edition was produced in 1994 and bears 1994 on the copyright line.
How can we use multiple Carcassonne expansions without the game taking forever? My wife and I were playing Carcassonne last night with several of the expansions and we found that the game was taking a ridiculously long time. We had the base game, the River, Inns & Cathedrals, and Traders & Builders all in play at once...	You could try trying to add a time limit to your play - obviously you're now playing with over 100 tiles total, so if you're regularly taking over a minute to choose your move then
What is the optimal method to shuffle an organised deck of cards In a number of games I play there are a play deck and a discard deck (for example Ticket to Ride and Pandemic). The discard deck, by the way the games are constructed, becomes organised as cards are discarded in groups. However, the play deck needs to b...	I think that for smaller decks like Ticket To Ride, simply splaying them out on the playing surface face down and messing them about, followed by a few riffle and overhand shuffles should be enough to randomize the deck.
In Poker is it true that "you must give action to get action"? In your experience, do most players "fold" when someone who seldom plays enters the pot? Does this mean that it is a good idea to play in some borderline (presumably break even) situations, just to weaken perceptions of one's being tight? And how, if at all...	In general though, if ALL you do is only bet when you have a tier 1 hand, then yes, people are just going to fold.
How many creatures should be in a draft deck? How many creatures should the average, typical draft deck contain? Obviously this depends on a multitude of factors, including the kinds of creatures in your deck, the kinds of non-creatures you have available, and the overall composition of the block you're drafting. No...	Anyway, 16-17 creatures or equivalent is definitely "average and typical".
Best way to improve ourselves when playing against a computer It's often said by world-class Backgammon players that the best way to improve one's play is to analyse one's games with a computer program such as gnubg, JellyFish or Snowie. gnubg has a "tutor mode" that evaluates the quality of the player's proposed move...	Practice technique (one of my favorite uses of a computer): play out theoretically winning positions against the computer to make sure you can always win them.
In The Resistance is it always a bad idea for the spies to fail the first mission? My first thought was that it was always a bad idea to fail the first mission as a spy. As there are only two people on the mission, the spy has revealed himself to one of the players. With 5 players though, it seems like the spies give ...	As a spy, I usually don't fail the first mission if there's only one other person on it, but sometimes I will. No, I disagree with the answer that says to always fail the first one.
Learning to count cards In many games, it can be extremely helpful to know what cards have already been played and/or the number left in any given suit. What are good ways to learn to count the cards played (especially in a game such as pinochle where you cannot inspect your taken-trick pile to see at least what you'...	For counting in Euchre, which I think is pretty easy to get started with, I started by making sure that I could count down the maximum number of trump that could be available as the tricks progress. Depending on your memory, you could try tracking A-K-Q-J of each suit plus all the trump (watch where you count the bower...
Can every game of Klondike-Solitaire be solved? I play a lot of Solitaire games on my Android phone and love to keep an eye out for the statistics. Given that the Solitaire version lets you restart the game endlessly, I usually play until I solve it. But I never managed to solve more than 80% of the games played (1000...	Solitaire is a game that precedes its computer version, and that means that all the cards are truly shuffled, without the computer peeking in to verify the game is solvable.
Where can I sell my Magic: The Gathering cards? I played for quite a few years and have a ton of cards that I want to get rid of. I have a mix of all editions before 2007. 7th, 8th, etc... So the question is where can I sell them effectively. And if it is better to just get all rares out, and then sell the rest as a l...	It's easy to create an auction and sell your cards, especially if they're of high value. For UK players, I'd like to recommend LilianaMarket.co.uk .
Where to play Go online? I used to play regularly on KGS but have been inactive for several years. I am frustrated by the Catch-22 of the KGS system: in order to play rated games, you must have a solid rating. Solid ratings come from playing many rated games. Does anyone have advice for an enthusiast who wants to play...	OGS online-go.com is an excellent server if you're interested in turn-based go.
Where can I find a good Joseki database? I've been wondering about certain positions that arise often. To help me understand them, I would like to study the joseki moves. Since printed joseki dictionaries are out-dated very fast, I'd prefer an electronic database if possible. <Q> Josekipedia http://www.josekipedia.com...	Brugo http://www.brugo.be/ Brugo is probably the only dictionary maintained by pros.
Why are stones placed with index and middle finger? I have read that stones should be picked out of the bowl and placed on the board by pinching them between the tips of the index and middle finger. This seems to be a long-standing tradition. Is this standard around the world? Why is this grip used instead of the more...	The grip of index/middle finger allows you to release smoothly the bottom finger and press down with the top finger, which gives you better precision and less of a chance to mess up the board position.
Why are the boards not square? I noticed gobans are not square, but rectangular. Why is that, and what is the correct orientation of the board when playing? <Q> The design of Go components is all about symmetry. <S> This way they appear to be square when you're playing. <S> Another similar issue occurs with the sto...	Because perspective shortens the vertical height of the board, the boards are made taller than they are wide. I believe the squares are stretched just enough so that vertically adjacent stones appear to be touching and not overlapping (consistent with horizontally adjacent stones).
Why is the 19x19 board so much more common than other sizes? While there are probably some cultural reasons, are there any general reasons a 19x19 board may be preferred? Also, if, say, 21x21 was suddenly found to be in some way superior and a large number of player switched, would modern go strategy need to be signif...	19x19 is, and will continue to be, the most popular board size (as well as the official board size in every country in which its history is respected and professional players exist). It has to do with equi-distant handicap stone placement (in which each stone has equal 'effect' on the starting board position), and a ba...
What is a good strategy for engaging children in playing go? For children what is the youngest age that it makes sense to begin to teach them go? Is it best to start them on a 9x9 board? Will a child that has learned basic algebra be better suited to learn go well? Does anyone have experience working with their own ...	If you want a kid to be happy about continued Go experience, do your best to make sure they're having fun. Just like any beginner, start on a small board with simplified rules. I think you should teach them as soon as they're old enough that they won't eat the stones.
How many points are won/lost during this exchange? $$ six=two$$ -.a.....$$ -....... $$ -...OOOO$$ -4....XO$$ -1OOOOOX$$ -XOXXO.X$$ -2X5.XX.$$ -3......$$ -------- White territory around a is safe.Move 2 and 4 can be swapped for identical result. Most moves have a name (at least in Chinese) I believe 2 would be...	-Black lost 2 points, one at 5 and another one that is needed to be played at 2.-White lost 2 points due to the reduction of 1 and 4.
How to handle handicap as white? I found it very difficult to handle the handicap when my opponent is given 6 or more stones. I don't really like to force something complex when I know it could be severely punished. The right way to handle such handicaps must be to play opening moves that are very light and flexible. ...	The "safe" way for white to play is to make kakaris from the OPEN portions of the board on the lower and upper sides.
What is a good way to get used to counting points? Being able to count is important - in the end, it's about the points. Does anyone have any tips to get used to counting during a game, little things that can speed it up or make it a little less tedious in the beginning? <Q> The advice I have heard most is to count in ...	Another useful trick is to simply balance large pieces of territory against each other, and then count what's left; Count a dead stone as one pair, and if you see a lone empty spot, just mark that in your mind and continue, removing the mark and adding a pair once you see another lone empty spot.
How to protect a large piece of side territory I've played several games where I have gained a good chunk of side territory, but lost it due to invasion by the other player. Below is an example, ignore the placement outside of the area black surrounds and focus on solving the problem inside. $$ Defending the side$$ ....	Usually, you should try to defend actively, by moving out or attacking a weakness of your opponent's stones to make your own stones more secure.
When is Mechana Initiate worth buying? Is the Mechana Initiate worth buying (except at the end to get some easy points)? It's only 1 Rune or 1 Power, which seems weak compared to the other Initiates. <Q> If you're not going to be cycling through your deck again, the goal of buying cards is to maximize the value of what...	Late-game, it's a reliable way to get one honor for one rune.
Strategy for studying professional games? I recently took A. Dinershtein's Go style test . It was useful to me, as the test is aimed at finding professional players who might think the way you do, for study purposes. It has definitely worked for me. But what should I bear in mind while studying professional games? <Q>...	Memorizing pro games is training your pattern memory, and replaying through your own games after you've played them is excellent practice here. It's a really good idea to look at each sequence or exchange in the game and try to tell what each player got out of it.
Where can I find reusable white playing cards for prototyping? The question title says it all : Where can I find reusable white playing cards for prototyping? I find services online to generate cards but not reusable white cards (that you can write on and erase later). <Q> While it doesn't directly answer your questi...	One technique that works ok is to get an old pack or two of playing cards and a roll of sticky labels, and just stick labels over the faces.
Is there a strategy for consistent winning in the base dominion game with the base setup? I've just started playing dominion a little while ago, so I'm pretty new. I get the basic tactics (big money, deck thinning, don't buy copper, etc.) and I do ok when the kingdom cards vary. However, when playing the "basic" game [...	Try buying a single Smithy, and then buy the first thing you can afford from this list for the rest of the game: Province, Gold, Silver.
How can I arrange a Christmas gift exchange for board game geeks? My circle of board game geeks usually celebrate Christmas by a simple gift exchange game where we take turns rolling dice to accumulate gifts, and have 2/6 chance to get a new gift but 1/6 to lose one. However, I feel like we're playing the rock-paper-s...	If there's one wrapped gift per person, you could do it as a white elephant exchange with pick position determined by a game of Settlers.
What is the meaning of 'karai' and how is it applied? A Western insei recently wondered about the term "karai": Japanese players call black 57 "karai", which is a term which I haven't heard used in western go at all! The meaning appears to be close to "(a move creating) a solid position, including a territorial ...	It can also mean strict, harsh, tough.
Table-top Golf game with coins? About twenty years ago I saw this game board. It was huge, the size of a table. Made of wood. And on it was an 18-hole golf course, complete with pegs and barriers for hazards. You played with coins (or at least, when I saw it people were using coins). Using your thumb, you'd slide a qu...	Bumper Golf, published by S&S Worldwide is a version of the Carrom golf board game sometimes seen in parks and arcades.
Is it common practice to publish/sell online versions of board games? I bought the Ticket to Ride: Europe game by Days of Wonder, and it included an online registration code. Visiting the website, I noticed that some of the games had a free online preview available. I have tried the Ticket to Ride one. It was a (Java...	It's actually quite rare. Several 3rd party developers have made money by paid subscriptions to their sites and hosting lots of games under license, and others by advertising supported free online play of various games.

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