Gaming With Grandma - 24

Another Saturday morning gaming with my Mum (Grandma to our kids). Deb was helping Maddie clean her room so that gave me a chance to play a game of Scrabble with Mum.

I went first after drawing a G to Mum's H.

Turn 1 [Me] DIVE 16, [Mum] BOL(D) 14
Turn 2 [Me] T(O)Y 14, [Mum] (I)mP 10
Turn 3 [Me] (BEA(T)/A(B) 16, [Mum] HIR(E) 11
Turn 4 [Me] O(V)A/(M)A 10, [Mum] (H)OT 6
Turn 5 [Me] (MA)G/(E)GG 8, [Mum] (G)IN 6
Turn 6 [Me] (HOT)eL 21, [Mum] (HOTeL)S 8
Turn 7 [Me] PA(R)/A(B) 18, [Mum] (S)UN 4
Turn 8 [Me] (ImP)I 5, [Mum] TA(P) 10
Turn 9 [Me] I(T) 6, [Mum] (U)RN 5
Turn 10 [Me] (N)AIL 4, [Mum] VA(I)L 11
Turn 11 [Me] Z(I)N 24, [Mum] (V)ETS 21
Turn 12 [Me] (NAIL)ED 9, [Mum] HO(T) 14
Turn 13 [Me] (N)O/OUNCE 16, [Mum] (D)IRT 6
Turn 14 [Me] (Z)AG 13, [Mum] FE(E) 18
Turn 15 [Me] JOIN(T) 24, [Mum] W(I)RE 7
Turn 16 [Me] QU(E)ER 45, [Mum] (FEE)S 8
Turn 17 [Me] (T)O 4, [Mum] (TO)N 3
Turn 18 [Me] (AB)A 5, [Mum] (ZAG)S/S(HOT) 21
Turn 19 [Me] LE(A) 3, [Mum] (L)YRE 21
Turn 20 [Me] (E)XAM 16, [Mum] F(A)D 13
Turn 21 [Me] (M)E/(D)EW 11, [Mum] pass
Turn 22 [Me] (H)I 5 [Mum] (ME)D 6
Turn 23 [Me] pass [Mum] pass

I was left with a C for minus 3 points and Mum was left with an M, K & U for minus 9 points. It was a strange game with my early to mid-game being deluged with vowels and from the mid to end game being constrained by places to put down words. Final scores were [Me] 290 and [Mum] 214. I averaged 12.61 points per turn.

Probably the most obscure words I played were IMPI (a group of warriors - ie Zulus), AB (abdomen), ZIN (a dry red wine), ABA (a sleeveless Arab garment), LEA (a meadow), and OVA (plural of ovum).

Maddie then joined Grandma and I for a game of The Simpsons Slam Dunk Card Game. I picked this up at Toyworld in the Myer Centre in Brisbane for only $2.50. Even more surprisingly is it's designed by the famous Reiner Knizia (previously published as It's Mine!).

Slam Dunk is simple - watch the cards the dealer lays down. When you like what you see, hit the "Slam Dunk!" board and grab them all. The catch? Somebody else may want the same cards you do. The first one to slam the board claims the cards. Most cards are good, but some aren't. "Double or Nothing" cards only count if you claim a pair of them. "Toast or Most" cards only score if you have the most of them, and "Jackpot" cards score jackpot points depending on how many you get.

We played one hand with me 1st on 47 points, Maddie 2nd on 40 points and Grandma 3rd on 37 points.