Hacker News Reader

Comment by monk_the_dog | Hacker News Reader

This reminds me of the game "clomp" (which I may or may not have invented+) but I used to play with my brother on car rides. Here are the rules:

1) Pick any integer. Your partner picks an integer without knowing yours. The first person to think of a number says "clomp". They are locked in. The other person can say their number any time after "clomp". Honor system. No cheating.

2) If your number is less then your opponent, but not one less, then add your number to your score.

3) If your number is one more than your opponent, then add your number and your opponents number together and add it to your score.

4) Otherwise no score.

5) First to 21 or more wins.

+I may have stolen this from Martin Gardner, I honestly don't remember if I came up with it or I read it. My brother came up with the name "clomp".

View on HN

Alternatively, here is a great drinking game called Fives (based on Spoof, but no coins required http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoof_(game)). Prob best for small groups.

You sit in a group, elbows on the table, fists in the air.

You take in in turns to go, clockwise.

When it is your go, you say a number that is a multiple of 5, from 0 to number of people x 10

As you say the number, everyone can either keep one or both of their fists closed, or spread their five fingers out (i.e each hand either counts as zero or five).

If the number you say is equal to the number of fingers shown, next time you use one hand not two. And then the next go, if you get it right again, you are out. Play continues until there is one person left, who then drinks the forfeit.

I like it! Wonder if you could deal with the potential cheating by using tokens that people hide in their hand and reveal on a count?

It reminds me of a drinking game played in China (more or less the same as Liar's Dice from Red Dead Redemption) involving dice and cups. There's a street of bars ("Bar Street" I think it might be called) in Lijiang where almost every table is full of people buying beers half-a-dozen at a time and playing this game loudly.

A similar game: both players pick positive integers. The one who picked the larger one wins but only if it was larger by no more than 50.

so...is there an incentive to deviate from "clomper picks 1, opponent picks 0, first clomper wins?"

The way I read the rules, this would be the strategy:

If you pick 1, and opponent picks 1, then no score.

But if opponent picks 1, and you pick 2, then you will win 3 points.

If your opponent thinks you are going to pick 2, he can pick 3 for 5 points. But if you go 1 instead, then you win 1.

Yes, this is how it's played. It really is a fun little game, especially if you and your opponent are the type of people who over-think things. Try it sometime!

I think I will - it sounds fun!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com