6TAKES - Aqua's Game 23 - Hand 6 - DreamLyrics Play-by-Post

6TAKES - Aqua's Game 23 - Hand 6

Final Board:

Code

 START                          BUST   CURRENT
 CARD                           ROW    ROW TOTAL
   V                             V
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |
|  46 |  71 |  78 |  83 |     | xxx |      4
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  70 |  77 |  90 |     |     | xxx |      11
|  *3 |  *5 |  *3 |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
| 101 |     |     |     |     | xxx |      1
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  99 | 100 | 104 |     |     | xxx |      9
|  *5 |  *3 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------

Total scores for this game:
Exeter 65

Weez 70
Gypsy 73
AJ 74
Argus 104

Code

Row 1:  18  |     |     |     |     : (1)
Row 2:  40*3|     |     |     |     : (3)
Row 3:  59  |     |     |     |     : (1)
Row 4:  74  |     |     |     |     : (1)

Order of Play:

Weez - 6
Exeter - 43
AJ - 75
Argus - 80
Gypsy - 96

With so many cards that would fit on Row 4, players were understandably wary of risking being 5th there. Weez went to almost the other extreme, playing a single-digit card and swiping away Row 3 for a point, leaving two low-card rows for the next round. Exeter played on the old Row 2, while AJ, Argus, and Gypsy leave a single spot on Row 4 for a daring soul.

Code

 START                          BUST   CURRENT
 CARD                           ROW    ROW TOTAL
   V                             V
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |
|   6 |     |     |     |     | xxx |      1
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  18 |     |     |     |     | xxx |      1
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  40 |  43 |     |     |     | xxx |      4
|  *3 |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  74 |  75 |  80 |  96 |     | xxx |      7
|     |  *2 |  *3 |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------

Order of Play:

Gypsy - 11
Argus - 20
Exeter - 51
AJ - 97
Weez - 99

With room at the low end of the board, Gypsy decides to throw some points onto Row 1, while Argus throws a few more points on Row 2. Exeter decides Row 3 has plenty of room for him.

Meanwhile, Weez channels John Paul Jones: "It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win." She risks. Unfortunately, AJ had a non-risky play and beat her to the punch, filling up Row 4 with 8 points for Weez to pocket.

That does guarantee we won't go to Hand 7, but there are still plenty of points to go around (there are 20 on the board already!) and nobody's out of it yet!

Code

 START                          BUST   CURRENT
 CARD                           ROW    ROW TOTAL
   V                             V
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |
|   6 |  11 |     |     |     | xxx |      6
|     |  *5 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  18 |  20 |     |     |     | xxx |      4
|     |  *3 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  40 |  43 |  51 |     |     | xxx |      5
|  *3 |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  99 |     |     |     |     | xxx |      5
|  *5 |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------

Order of Play:

Weez - 22
AJ - 25
Gypsy - 50
Argus - 100
Exeter - 104

Despite 3 spaces on Row 1, nobody plays there. Instead, Row 2 attracts Weez and AJ while Gypsy holds her breath.... landing in the last spot with a sigh of relief before she turns blue.

Argus and Exeter take advantage of the wide open Row 4 that Weez set up last round.

Room on Row 3... or is there, as it's a prime bust target?

Code

 START                          BUST   CURRENT
 CARD                           ROW    ROW TOTAL
   V                             V
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |
|   6 |  11 |     |     |     | xxx |      6
|     |  *5 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  18 |  20 |  22 |  25 |  50 | xxx |      14
|     |  *3 |  *5 |  *2 |  *3 |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  40 |  43 |  51 |     |     | xxx |      5
|  *3 |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  99 | 100 | 104 |     |     | xxx |      9
|  *5 |  *3 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------

Order of Play:

AJ - 10
Weez - 14
Exeter - 15
Argus - 58
Gypsy - 82

With neither row 2 nor 4 having playable cards, players generally had three options. Row 1 (cards between 12 and 49) offered guaranteed safety for 12 thru 14 and a tiny risk for 15. Weez and Exeter went that route. Row 3 had an illusion of safety, but as the lowest point row, carried a risk that the row would be removed and players would end up on Row 14.

And the third option was an intentional bust with a card under 11... the option AJ took, sacrificing 5 points of his own in order to plant the seeds of chaos.

It was a brilliant tactical move on AJ's part, as his 5-point sacrifice put him 9 points down to Argus (but still barely in second place)... and it's Argus who gets caught on the 14-point Row 2!

Gypsy breathes a huge sigh of relief.

AJ is now in the lead with 62 points

while Gypsy is right behind with 63, and Exeter within striking distance at 65. Even Argus (67) and Weez (70) are not out of it... only 8 points separate first and last!

It's the wild, wild west! Shootout at the OK Corral!

Code

 START                          BUST   CURRENT
 CARD                           ROW    ROW TOTAL
   V                             V
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |
|  10 |     |     |     |     | xxx |      3
|  *3 |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|   6 |  11 |  14 |  15 |     | xxx |      9
|     |  *5 |     |  *2 |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  58 |  82 |     |     |     | xxx |      2
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  99 | 100 | 104 |     |     | xxx |      9
|  *5 |  *3 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------

Phew! Thanks Argus

Exciting skin of the teeth game!

Order of Play:

Gypsy - 2
Exeter - 9
AJ - 85
Argus - 92
Weez - 94

There's room for three cards on Row 3, and three players head there!

Er, not so fast.

It's Gypsy's turn to play spoiler, unloading her 2 for a cool 2 points, that still keeps her under 66 and places her in a tie for 2nd place with Exeter, 3 ponits behind AJ. Exeter had the same idea, both second-placers probably hoping to snag AJ with their tactics.

And AJ could have been snagged had either Argus or Weez played a card between 16 and 84. Alas, they don't, and when Row 3 disappears, AJ lands safely in the last spot on the old Row 2, making it an 11-point row just in time for Argus to collect those points, moving him unceremoniously from first to last in only two rounds.

Weez counts her lucky stars and files in two pips behind Argus.

Code

 START                          BUST   CURRENT
 CARD                           ROW    ROW TOTAL
   V                             V
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |
|   2 |   9 |     |     |     | xxx |      2
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  10 |     |     |     |     | xxx |      3
|  *3 |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  92 |  94 |     |     |     | xxx |      2
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  99 | 100 | 104 |     |     | xxx |      9
|  *5 |  *3 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------

Order of Play:

AJ - 5
Weez - 19
Exeter - 30
Gypsy - 45
Argus - 95

There's plenty of space on the board, and that leaves room for varying tactics.

AJ has the lead by 3, and spends 2 of those points taking out Row 3, still in the lead by a single pip with 64 points!

Weez, Exeter, and Gypsy file onto Row 2 where there's plenty of room... room for one more, even, which is good news for Argus who had hoped to land on the old Row 3 but now takes the final spot on the new one.

Code

 START                          BUST   CURRENT
 CARD                           ROW    ROW TOTAL
   V                             V
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |
|   5 |     |     |     |     | xxx |      2
|  *2 |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|   2 |   9 |     |     |     | xxx |      2
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  10 |  19 |  30 |  45 |  95 | xxx |      11
|  *3 |     |  *3 |  *2 |  *2 |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  99 | 100 | 104 |     |     | xxx |      9
|  *5 |  *3 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------

Order of Play:

Argus - 3
Weez - 33
Gypsy - 34
AJ - 41
Exeter - 56

The overwhelming majority of cards fall on Row 2, between 9 and 95, where it's good not to be fourth. Playing low would generally be a good tactic here, but many low cards are not an option as evidenced by plays in the 30s, 40s, and even Exeter's 56, which would have been fourth on Row 2...

Except that Argus did Exeter a big favor by taking Row 2 out, leaving four spots on the old Row 1 for everyone to file on to! A bullet dodged this round, but anyone with a card higher than 56 might be feeling a little nervous.

Code

 START                          BUST   CURRENT
 CARD                           ROW    ROW TOTAL
   V                             V
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |
|   3 |     |     |     |     | xxx |      1
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|   5 |  33 |  34 |  41 |  56 | xxx |      10
|  *2 |  *5 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  10 |  19 |  30 |  45 |  95 | xxx |      11
|  *3 |     |  *3 |  *2 |  *2 |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  99 | 100 | 104 |     |     | xxx |      9
|  *5 |  *3 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------

Order of Play:

Argus - 37
Gypsy - 55
AJ - 70
Weez - 77
Exeter - 90

There's plenty of room on Row 1, but it takes a card blow 56 to be able to play there. Both Argus and Gypsy take advantage!

For the rest, however, it's a matter of hoping someone else is lower, and AJ's tenuous grip on the lead is lost as he's forced to take the 10-point Row 2. Weez breathes a sigh of relief and Exeter joins her in a group exhale.

Exeter and Gypsy are now both tied for the lead with 65 points!

Code

 START                          BUST   CURRENT
 CARD                           ROW    ROW TOTAL
   V                             V
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |
|   3 |  37 |  55 |     |     | xxx |      9
|     |     |  *7 |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  70 |  77 |  90 |     |     | xxx |      11
|  *3 |  *5 |  *3 |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  10 |  19 |  30 |  45 |  95 | xxx |      11
|  *3 |     |  *3 |  *2 |  *2 |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  99 | 100 | 104 |     |     | xxx |      9
|  *5 |  *3 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------

In the joint lead one point from disaster! You couldn't script this

Order of Play:

AJ - 60
Gypsy - 61
Argus - 62
Weez - 65
Exeter - 88

There's room for only four cards, but two of those spots require cards that no one has. Everyone crowds on to Row 1, where being first or last is good, second or penultimate is fine, and stuck in the middle the worst case scenario.

It's a tight race to be first, with three consecutive cards vying for the honor, but it's Argus who ends up adding 13 points to his total, leaving the rest of the crowd momentarily relieved...

Code

 START                          BUST   CURRENT
 CARD                           ROW    ROW TOTAL
   V                             V
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |
|  62 |  65 |  88 |     |     | xxx |      8
|     |  *2 |  *5 |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  70 |  77 |  90 |     |     | xxx |      11
|  *3 |  *5 |  *3 |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  10 |  19 |  30 |  45 |  95 | xxx |      11
|  *3 |     |  *3 |  *2 |  *2 |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  99 | 100 | 104 |     |     | xxx |      9
|  *5 |  *3 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------

Order of Play:

Gypsy - 46
AJ - 71
Weez - 78
Exeter - 83
Argus - 101

While co-leaders Exeter and Gypsy both have high hopes going into the final round, as the final cards are played, the picture becomes clear!

Gypsy, unfortunately, holds the lowest card in play and is forced to take a bust. The lowest option available is Row 1's 8 points, making Gypsy the fourth and final player to break the game-ending 66 mark, leaving Exeter, who started this game in last place at 65, now in sole possession of the win after a perfectly played game!

While Exeter celebrates his last-to-first victory, Argus does the opposite and quietly plays the final card in this interesting game, collecting the inevitable 11 points from Row 3.

Code

 START                          BUST   CURRENT
 CARD                           ROW    ROW TOTAL
   V                             V
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |
|  46 |  71 |  78 |  83 |     | xxx |      4
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  70 |  77 |  90 |     |     | xxx |      11
|  *3 |  *5 |  *3 |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
| 101 |     |     |     |     | xxx |      1
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------
|     |     |     |     |     |  x  |   
|  99 | 100 | 104 |     |     | xxx |      9
|  *5 |  *3 |     |     |     |  x  |      
 -----------------------------------

Final scores this hand:
Exeter 0

Weez 9

Gypsy 10

AJ 17

Argus 51

And total scores for this game:
Exeter 65

Weez 70
Gypsy 73
AJ 74
Argus 104

What a crazy game! Congrats on the fine finish, Exeter!

Ludicrous. Well played, Exeter.

Excellent fun! And so close!

Well done Exeter!

Now that was unexpected.