A Bar Bet ... The game is called Nim

Nim

Nim is a gambling game played by the ancients. A group of pebbles, for example, is tossed on the ground. Each player can take up to an agreed upon amount of pebbles on his turn. Whoever is able to take the remaining pebble(s) (up to agreed amount) leaving none behind is the winner.

My priviate eye Dominic and I are cigar smokers and so I wanted to use this game in a story and of course, Dominic has to propose the wager and win. It has to look completely impromptu.

Lets us say you found yourself with a group of guys enjoying cigars and on the table is a box of stick matches.

Let us also say that in your pocket is an identical box of stick matches and you knew the exact number of matches in the box.

For this explanation the amount has to be a multiple of four. So lets us say there are 40 matches in your box.

You pick up the box of matches from the table, light your cigar and then put the matches, ‘absent mindedly’ into your pocket. Realizing your mistake, without commenting upon it, you put ‘the’ box of matches back on the table. In reality you have planted your box of matches on the table.

Now your box of matches is on the table and you know there are 40 matches inside it.

Let some time pass then tell your pals about how you were reading about this old time gambling game. Open the box of matches and spill them all out in a heap. Your instructions have to be quick and simple.

“Here’s the game you can take up to three matches at a time, 1, 2, or 3. Whoever takes the last match wins. Go ahead.”

Your opponent has to go first. If he takes 3 matches, you take 1 match. If he takes, 2 matches, you take 2; if he takes 1 you take 3.

The number of matches you start with has to be a multiple of 4 and he has to draw first. If you rig the game this way you can’t lose.

Let’s say you start with 20 matches.

He takes 2 so you take 2, 16 matches remain.

He takes 1 so you take 3, 12 matches remain.

He takes 3 so you take 1, eight matches remain.

He takes 2 so you take 2, four matches remain.

He can only take up to 3 matches so whatever he does, you win!

There is a story about one hustler who tried to pull the game on another hustler. The first guy didn’t know the second guy was wise. The second secretly added a match as he was taking his turn and screwed up the other guys count.

I’d keep it simple and limit the bet to a drink or a cigar. For me the key to the whole thing is switching out the boxes and making the whole think look ‘spur of the moment’.

You will find more stuff like this in my e-book 'Di Carini Investigations'. You can downlaod a free sample e-book by going to my site: www.dicarini.com

Some Scopa Basics

It is generally accepted that, in the second half of the fourteenth century, the Arabs introduced playing cards to Europe, by way of the Iberian and Italian Peninsulas.

It is also generally accepted that European playing cards evolved from the suit system and composition of these cards.

From a simple point of view regarding playing cards, Italy is divided roughly into three parts: the north, north-east, and south. In the south Italo-Spanish suit signs prevail.

These souterhen Italo-Spanish suits are the images you will be seeing in this blog.

You can make an ‘Italian Deck of Cards’ out of a standard deck of cards by simply removing the 8’s, 9’s, and 10’s from your standard deck of cards.

Now you have a deck of 40 cards: Ace through 7, Jack, Queen, and King.

Note: If you are learning to play Scopa or Quindici, you may find it better to remove the Jacks, Queens, and Kings from your standard deck.

Now you have a deck of 40 cards: Ace through 10. The Ace stands for 1, 2 for 2 and so on to 10.

Given that Scopa and Quindici are trick taking games rooted in mathematics, this is a great way to learn the game.

If you did this, the 8’s take the place of the Jack’s, the 9’s take the place of the Queen’s, and the 10’s take the place of the King’s.

 Table One / Card Values for Scopa and Quindici*

The King = 10     The Queen = 9       The Jack = 8           7 = 7         6 = 6 

5 = 5        4 = 4          3 = 3          2 = 2            The Ace = 1

*Scoring is an entirely separate matter.

KEEPING SCORE

Knowing how the score points will introduce you to Scopa (and Qunidici) strategy.

1. The most valuable card in the deck is il sette di bello, the seven of diamonds, in your standard deck.  The sette di bello scores: 1 point. In the examples of play the sette di bello will be represent like so: 7*.

2. If one player is able to collect 6 or more denari, (six or more cards of the diamond suit in your regular deck), that player gets 1 point.

3. If a player wins the la premiera*; that player gets 1 point.

*We will define la premiera in just a moment.

4. If one player takes 21 or more cards that player gets 1 point.

Now you know there are 4 points in each hand.                                                                                   

All 4 points may or may not be awarded depending upon the outcome of the hand.

5. There is another way to score points and that is to make a Scopa.                                                    

Let’s say there are only two cards in the table; a 5 and a 2.

You have a 7 in your hand.

You use your 7 to take the 5 and the 2 (5+2=7).

You have swept all the cards off the table in a single play: that is a Scopa!

Each Scopa scores 1 point.

As you capture cards you place them face down and in a pile near you. You count your points at the end of the hand. During play if you score a Scopa place the card you used to make the Scopa, face up when you put it in your pile of captured cards.

Each face up card stands for a Scopa and therefore each face up card (each Scopa) is worth 1 point. (A face up sette bello would be 2 points; 1 for the Scopa and 1 for the sette bello itself.)

Now let’s take a closer look at Scopa Strategy.

Think of it this way; 4 out of the available 5 points are about which cards are taken, not how many cards are taken.

Your goals: the sette di bello  / the seven of diamonds   six or more diamonds   as many 7’s as you can, 7’s have a high ‘la premiera’ value  and finally cards in general.

These are your objectives. Always look for a way to set up a Scopa and  will always calculate the way to sweep the most cards from the table in a particular play but acquiring the most cards is your final consideration.

Visit Us At: www.italiancardgames.net

A Briscola Opening

I realize most people play Briscola ‘coperta’, that is each players hand is hidden from the other but playing Briscola with all the cards face up is not only instructive, it is very interesting.

Player One has: l’asso di coppe, il cavallo di bastoni, e il sei di spade.

Player Two has: il tre di coppe, il cinque di bastoni, e il fante di spade.

The next card to be won is il fante di coppe, a Briscola card.

Player One has the Briscola Ace, the most powerful card in this particular hand. If Player One leads with his Ace, it is unbeatable.

Player Two would not play his 3, as he would lose. It is far more likely Player Two would play his 5.

Player One has picked up 11 points and the Briscola fante (the Briscola Jack) but now Player Two holds the most powerful card in the game, il tre di coppe.

If Player One led with his 6, il sei di spade, Player Two could not follow suit.

Player Two could only win by playing his 3, il tre di coppe, a Briscola card.

If Player Two elects to play his 5, il cinque di bastoni, Player One does not pick up any points but now Player One has two Briscola cards and his Queen, il cavallo di bastoni commands Player Two’s Jack, il fante di bastoni.

If Player Two had the lead and gambled with his 3, it is very likely Player One would take it with his Ace because Player One picks up 21 points on the first hand of the game and the Briscola Jack, il fante di bastoni.

There would be only two cards left in the deck more powerful than the Jack: the King and Queen.

Each player has an equal chance of picking one or both of those cards.
(Well actually Player Two has a very slight edge at this point because he will get the card immediately below the Jack.

If you were Player Two and it was your lead, which card would you play and why?

I look forward to your thoughts.

D

Scopa Play / Same Card Sequences

Whenever you see your opponent has the same cards as you; you must play out the sequences in your head before you actually play your card.

Look at this hand … You take the 4 and the 2 with your 6.

6   2   9

7*   3   4   2

7   6   2

6    2    9

7* 3

7      2

Your opponent cannot take the sette di bello. He should play his 6.

   

2    9

7* 3   6

7   2

If you were to take the sette di bello; this would leave 9 points on the table and your opponent could take the 3 and 6 with his 9 and make a Scopa.

2   9

3   6

2

Now you must play your 2 and your opponent has another Scopa.

2

2

If lead with your 2 your have set a trap. Your opponent could take your two with his 2, he could take the 4 and 2 with his 6 or he could take the 3 4 and 2 with his 9. (If he he took the 3,4, and 2 that would leave the sette di bello on the table and you would have it and a Scopa.

6   2   9

7* 3 4 2

7 6

It is more likely that he will play his 2 or his 6, in either case you can now take the sette di bello and there will still be a 3 on the table, so your opponent cannot take a card (or make a Scopa).

6     9

7*  4 3  9

7  6

Tresette End Games

Example One

You have the Ace of Diamonds, the Two of Diamonds and the Queen of Hearts.

Your opponent has the Three of Clubs, the Three of Diamonds, and the Jack of Diamonds.

It is your lead, which card do you play? You play your Ace of Diamonds.

Your opponent takes it with his 3 of Diamonds.

Now it is his lead. Let’s Assume he plays his 3 of Clubs.

You play your Queen of Hearts. He wins because you did not follow suit.

Now we are down to the final card. What two cards remain?

The Jack of Diamonds and the 2 of Diamonds .

Which is the more powerful card, the 2 of Diamonds.

Your opponent led … are you following suit? Yes!

Who wins the last trick?

YOU!

Example Two

You have the Ace of Diamonds, the Two of Diamonds and the Queen of Hearts.

Your opponent has the Three of Clubs, the Three of Diamonds, and the Jack of Diamonds.

It is your lead, which card do you play? You play your Ace of Diamonds. Your opponent takes it with his 3 of Diamonds.

Now it is his lead.

Let’s Assume he plays the Jack of Diamonds.

You play your 2 of Diamonds.

You play your Queen of Hearts. Can your opponent follow suit? NO!

Who wins the last trick?

YOU!

Saving a four, un quattro, for your end game is a powerful tatic. A four is the weakest card in the deck, the only time your four will win is if your opponent cannot follow suit. In this case you do not want to win the trick, you want to lose. Losing means your opponent will lead the next hand and there are times when it is beneficial for your opponent to lead as it may force him to play a card he does not want to play or it might cost him the last trick of the game. This is an advanced strategy, an awareness of what cards have been played and what cards remain to be played are a necessary compliment to this tactic.

The word for sly in Italian is furbo.
Era un giocatore di carte molto furbo!

He was a very sly card player!
Study your end game strategies and that is what they are going to be saying about you!

Visit us at www.italiancardgames.net

Thanks!

D

Slydini's Helicopter Card Trick by D. Angelo Ferri

http://youtu.be/EmNRpca30JE

Anyone ever heard of Giuseppe Zangara?

Di Carini Investigations, The San Francisco Files 1932 -1944

This my first post. As I mentioned I am very interested in Italian Cards Games, and the Chicago –Washington D.C. connection.

I asked if anyone had ever heard of Giuseppe Zangara. Here is a little bit about him.

The American People were told it was the attempted assassination of the then President Elect of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The shooting occurred on February 15, 1933, at a political rally in Bayfront Park, Miami, Florida.  The would-be assassin: Giuseppe Zangara from Calabria, by way of New Jersey and Chicago.

Giuseppe Zangara was convicted of trying to assassinate the president elect and was sentenced to eighty plus years in prison. The Mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermak, was also at the rally that night. To look at pictures of Roosevelt and Cermak together you would have thought they were buddies from way back. The Democratic Convention to decide who would get the Presidential Nomination had been held in Chicago. Cermak opposed the nomination of Roosevelt. A deal was made. Cermak went along bringing the union vote with him.

Cermak was the guy who got shot that night. He died in the hospital several weeks later. Zangara was sent to the electric chair after Cermak died.
Giuseppe Zangara was executed on March 20^th, just thirty four days after the shooting, that’s a record from capture, to trail, to sentence, to execution, that still stands. Americans were told Zangara was sent to the electric chair because one of the shots he fired at Roosevelt hit Cermak and that Cermak died as a result of that wound.

It is undisputed that Cermak did not die from the gunshot wound he suffered that night. There is a lot more I can tell you about this and the parallels to the JKF shooting are uncanny.
D

If you are intereseted in this and other stories like it set in 1930's San Francisco please visit us at

www.dicarini.com    or http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052G7EBU