Felix: Game has begun! Round 7 - Send Cats [4/5] (Matt)

[dethwing]

Felix is a bidding game involving buying cats that are in a sack.

Each player starts the game with 15 "mice money" [Which incidentally are also end game points, see below], and an identical hand of the following 10 cards:
5 Positive cats worth: 3, 5, 8, 11, 15 points
2 Negative cats worth: -5, -8
1 Bunny worth: 0
2 Dogs worth: 0 [But with a special affect, see below]

One player is randomly determined to be start player, and each player randomly discards 1 card from their hand. [This simply makes it harder to count cards].

The game takes 9 rounds, 1 for each card in your hand, and each round has two phases.

Phase 1: Each player selects 1 card from their hand and places it in the sack. The cards in total represent the total value of the sack, but each player will only have some knowledge, as they know what card THEY put in, but not any one elses....yet.

Phase 2: The players bid on the sack. Note: You are bidding on the ENTIRE sack [Good or bad]. Winner gets it all.
First, the current start player's card is revealed to all the players, then the start play either makes a bid or passes. Each player in turn, can then either raise the bid or pass. Once a player passes, do the following 3 things:
1. Keep all money you had previously bid. [So it's not like For Sale!]

2. Each player who passes will get some consolation money for passing. First player to pass gets 2 bucks. Second gets 3. Third gets 4, and last person to pass gets 6. So the longer you stay in, the greater the reward.

3. When a player passes, the next players card is revealed, so that the remaining players gain knowledge of what is in the sack.

To clarify: The cards are placed into the sack in a specific order, starting with the start player and going clockwise. This means after the first pass, the card put in by the player immediately after the start player is revealed.
The player who is LAST [to the right of the start player] will have his card remain hidden until the end of the bidding phase after everyone has passed.

Dogs: Each player has two dogs, a small and a large. If there is more than one dog in the sack, then they have no effect. They are discarded as they fight each other.
If there is EXACTLY one dog in the sack, then it will chase off one specific cat. A large dog will eliminate the BEST cat [Highet value, or least negative], while the small dog will eliminate the WORST cat [Highest negative, or least value].

Note: Bunnies are NOT cats!

The winner of the bid becomes the start player for the next round, and you repeat until end of game. Winner is the player who has most points in cats plus money.

Extra note: There is a "bank" of money in this game that starts at 33, and "pays" the passing players, and collects winning bids. If the bank lacks enough money to pay EVERYONE in a round, then NO ONE is paid.

Any interest? My gaming group loves this one, it's great filler.

[MatthewV]

How could I not be in? I only got far enough into the rules to see "bidding game"

And if Scurra is playing, I am going to win.

[Scurra]

I like this one. Have yet to win it, but I still play in the hope that one day I will understand it.

So - in the interests of keeping MattV happy as well - I'm /in.
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Jedo the Jedi]

[Undercover Monk]

perhaps I am stertching myself a bit thin here on the labyrinth but this sounds like too much fun to pass up. /in
_________________
The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[dethwing*]

4 is playable, and still good, but game caps at 5.

So I'll wait a little bit and see if a 5th wants to join.

[Zag]

I'm puzzled as to why anyone would put a positive cat into the bag to be bid on. What have I missed?

[dethwing]

First, you have to. You'll go through your whole deck.

Second, so you could win them.

[Scurra]

Indeed. If you know that there's at least one big cat in there, then your bidding strategy will change - well, right up to the point when a big dog appears, anyway. Or, you might just be bluffing.
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[MatthewV]

Uh oh, it appears the Scurra has played this before. It will make my victory that much sweeter

[dethwing]

Zag, I think i understand your question. The cats you start with as your hand, are not "yours", per-se. You only get the points for the cats if you win a bid.

[Zag]

Oh -- so when you a 'sack' of cards, they don't go into your hand (possibly for play into future sacks)? Got it.

[dethwing]

Are you in for the 5th?

[Zag]

Ok, sure

[dethwing]

Round 1 begins!

Turn order:

1. Scurra (15)
2. Jedo (15)
3. MattV (15)
4. Zag (15)
5. Undercover Monk (15)

Bank: 33

Scurra you are the start player. All players, send me your choice of cards for round 1, remember which position your card will be revealed in.

[dethwing]

Round 1 revealed cards: 8, ?, ?, ?, ?

Scurra's bid.

[Scurra]

Bid 4
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Jedo the Jedi]

Bid 7
_________________
Paragon Tally: 18 mafia, 3 SKs (1 twice), 1 cultist, numerous chat scum...and counting.

[MatthewV]

Bid 8.

[Zag]

bid 9

[Undercover Monk]

Bid 13
_________________
The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[Scurra]

Pass <grrrr>
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Jedo the Jedi]

Bid 14
_________________
Paragon Tally: 18 mafia, 3 SKs (1 twice), 1 cultist, numerous chat scum...and counting.

[dethwing]

Scurra passes for 2. Jedo's card is revealed:

8, 0, ?, ?, ?

[MatthewV]

Pass!

[dethwing]

Matt passes for 3, revealing his lovely -8:

8, 0, -8, ?, ?

Zag to bid.

[Zag]

Nice move, MattV!

I pass.

[dethwing]

Zag passes for 4, revealing a 3.

Round 1: 8, 0, -8, 3, ?

Monk to bid.

[Zag]

I'll be out of touch all day tomorrow.

[Undercover Monk]

question do mice money=cats points. as this will determine if I pass or bid. once we are out of mice money we auto pass the next round correct. Or do we start each round with 15 mice money?

I will most likely be passing if this works the way Im thinking. as in jedo would win the pool but be down to 1$ to bid next round. If this the case then I pass if not I need to rethink my strategy. sorry about holding up the game just trying to make sure I understand this.
_________________
The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[dethwing]

You start with 15, and the only way to make more is passing.

And yes, mice money = points.

[MatthewV]

It is too bad that UM put in a 15. (my guess)

[Jedo the Jedi]

I figured he must have put in something big to bid so high. I really deliberated over whether to pass. I would be more happy with it had the -8 not been in there.
_________________
Paragon Tally: 18 mafia, 3 SKs (1 twice), 1 cultist, numerous chat scum...and counting.

[dethwing]

Ok, I'll assume that Monk passes then as he indicated he would if he understood the rules correctly [Which he did].

Last card was indeed a 15. So Monk passes for 6, Jedo pays 14 for:

8, 0, -8, 3, 15 = 18 points

1. Scurra (17)
*2. Jedo (1) [Cats: 18]
3. MattV (18)
4. Zag (19)
5. Undercover Monk (21)

Bank: 32

* = Next Start player. Submit for next round.

[dethwing]

Round 2: -8, ?, ?, ?, ?

Jedo told me in a message that he bids 1.

So Matt to bid.

[Zag]

I guess that I'm confused why you passed, UMonk, if you knew that +15 was there. Jedo, nice catch!

[dethwing]

Because Monk made 6, and Jedo made 18 - 14 = 4.

[Zag]

Ahh. Excellent point. I had forgotten that the cash, including what you receive for passing, also counts as points.

[Undercover Monk]

exactly a gain of 4 wasn't worth losing all the wiggle room I would have with 15 plus dollars
_________________
The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[MatthewV]

oh right, the internet.

bid 2