16: In the Cards Release Date: Nov. 6, 2006 Running Time: 84 min. Listen Now: Enhanced Version - MP3 Version

Shuffle up, and deal! We look back 400 years to play Scopa, a classic card game that feels modern and then play Parlay, the secret love-child of Scrabble and Poker.

News & Notes: Tanga, Occasional Gamer
The List: Scopa, Parlay
Backshelf Spotlight: Queen's Necklace, Hare & Tortoise
Truckloads of Goober: Krieg & Frieden
Game Sommelier: Five games for the perfect gamer geek bachelor party
Mail Bag: finding new game groups, Dave's thoughts on lamination

Complete Show Notes continue after the break.

Tanga Link

Different discount deal every day (including board games), plus a cool puzzle of the day feature which allows you to accrue tanga points.

Occasional Gamer Link

Play a free online version of the fantasy board game classic Talisman!

The List

Scopa BGG entry

A 400 year old card game classic that feels very modern.

Buy Scopa decks online: $4 decks (as mentioned), more variety here

Parlay BGG Entry

If Scrabble and Texas Hold'Em had a kid it would be this game.

Backshelf Spotlight:

Can you see two connection between these games?
Email us with your guesses!
The answer will be part of next episode's Spotlight!

Congratulations to Seth in New York, our winner for Episode 15's connection contest! Last week's two games with an odd connection were Java and Jambo. Listen to the episode to find out what the connection was!

The Queen's Necklace BGG Entry

Compete to sell the best gems to the king. Necklace included!

Shameless plug: Francie, Stephen's partner in crime and fellow spieler, is a jewelry designer. Check out her site!

Hare & Tortoise BGG Entry

Board game with roots in the 19th century, winner of 1st Spiel des Jahres.

Truckloads of Goober

Krieg & Frieden BGG Entry

Medieval builders compete to complete a massive wooden Cathedral

Game Sommelier

The Challenge:

Dave must find five games for the perfect gamer geek bachelor party.

Dave earns an extra thumb for his cool poker run theme to tie all the games together. Nice job, Dave.

Next week's challenge:

Stephen must find five games to convert a video gamer to board games.

Mail Bag

Highlights include: how to find game groups in a new town, Dave's thoughts on laminating game components, and some suggestions for a cowboy and pirate game party

Errata

A "scopa" is capturing all the face-up cards from the middle of the table, not all the face cards as Stephen says, initially.

Dave says antithesis when he means epitome.

I'm sure there are some goofs in there somewhere. Let us know if (when?) you find one!