Do you see your friends' personalities change once you start rolling dice? Do cards turn your friends into Matt Damon and John Malkovich? Do you still have friendly games played at your house or do you declare it a "movies only" zone?

Or are you the one to change? Do you become highly competitive with your friends?

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1999

Answers

My wife plays for blood.

I'm not saying I ever "throw" the game, either, I usually play as hard as I can, but sometimes I will hesitate just a little. A triumphant and victorious Barb is a pleased, and oftentimes, a ready- to-be-pleased Barb.

Talk about a win-win situation...

Al of Nova Notes.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1999

Friends? No. My friends are competitive.

My husband, on the other hand, is the worst.

What makes it even WORSE is that he's SO damn good. That boy can play ANYTHING and win.

I *hate* playing against him. I don't even get the wife, sympathy, "I'll let you win" card. It's to the death with him, no matter what. Infuriating, I tell you.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1999

I generally resist my friends' occasional attempts to teach me new games precisely because I turn into such a competetive monster. At first, they will become frustrated with the extraordinary effort required to teach me even the simplest games - I ask too many questions, stumble over gaps in the official rules, and generally frustrate the heck out of everyone.

But once the whole gestalt of the game falls into place for me, I suddenly become unbeatable (I have amazing and apparently irritating beginner's luck streaks). When I finally learn a game, I get fiercely competetive and the just-for-fun friendly night of games turns into a take-no-prisoners bare-knuckle showdown.

And that's just Jenga.

Heaven help the poor soul teamed with me for Pictionary.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1999

Scrabble. No one must ever play Scrabble, ever, with these two friends of mine. They play for blood. Heaven help the person who tries to add an 'S' to already existing word. I even seen them throw the board after one person tried to pass 'moo' off as a word. I don't even play with them anymore. However, I can kick their butts at Catchphrase:).

-- Anonymous, November 03, 1999

My sister is the only one of four siblings who doesn't have a graduate degree. So, she proves she's no slouch by beating us regularly at every game she can think of. To appease her, we crowned her "Jeopardy Princess" - complete with an aluminum foil tiara - but still she gives us no quarter. In real life, she's a sweet person who would do anything for her family and friends, but unfold a gameboard and she turns into Attilla the freakin Hun.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 1999

I recall playing Pictionary with a young couple, a few years ago. She was obviously cheating, because her partner suddenly said in an embarassed voice, "Hey, you aren't supposed to write the actual word out!" and she just giggled. Six months later, we heard he had killed himself because she had rejected him. Moral: Don't take up with those who cheat at games?

-- Anonymous, November 06, 1999

I'm anti-competitive and don't give a crap about winning or losing games. I generally play sort of half-heartedly, in that I don't agonize over moves or take too long to make decisions, and enjoy myself throughly anyway. However, if you get competitive on me, and try taunting or flaunting, I will trounce you at least once to make it stop.

I can kick ass at Vodkopoly because vodka has no sulfites and thus it takes a massive dose of it to affect me (not that I'd be stupid enough to drive). I have won EVERY GAME EVER. (Then I get up the next morning and eat a huge greasy breakfast and feel marvellous and am hated royally for it.)

I also do well at word games and art games, seeing as how my majors in college were Art and English and I read voraciously and perpetually (I spend more on things with words in them than I do on things with calories in them).

Games with pattern recognition involved like puzzles or Othello and the like are things I do fairly well at, too.

So we can play nice, and be gracious winners and losers, or I can bring out Boggle and cream your ass, and by an embarrassing margin. Your choice. Our house is a taunt-free zone. :) Those who derive as much (or more) pleasure from the "in your face!" and "I am the champion! you suck!" crowing and gloating commentary afterwards as from the actual game don't like these rules much.

But really, I'm not competitive at all. Honest. :)

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2000