Dylan Thurston wrote:
I learned about an amusing game recently which I haven't seen described very much, called "Quantum Fingers". This game is much like "Go Fish", with the crucial twist that the hands dealt are determined only by the statements made by players as the game proceeds.
This game sounds very interesting. I don't know "Go Fish" but I guess it's what we call "Happy Families" in the UK, with a couple of differences: * in Happy Families you can only ask for a card of a suit that you have at least one of yourself. Your example demonstrates that this is not a requirement in Quantum Fingers. * in Happy Families you must say please and thank you when you ask for and receive cards :). I do have a more relevant question:
There are two ways the game can end. If one player gets rid of all her cards, she wins.
I guess this means you can win either by giving away all your fingers, or by putting down four fingers in a suit and then having none left. If I have three rationals and you have one, and I ask you for it and then put down the set, we would both have no fingers left. Is it specified whether you, or I, or both of us win? If the rule allows you to win by giving away your last finger, then there will be stalemate situations. For example, suppose four people are left, and they each have one finger (all of the same suit). The first person to ask someone else for a finger of the right suit will cause them to win. This leads me to suggest a modified rule: if you give away your last card then instead of winning you are out. To win, you have to get rid of all your cards by putting down a set. Almost equivalently: to win you have to have no cards left, and it has to be your go. (Since once you have no fingers left nobody will bother to ask you for any, you might as well be out.) Then again, I haven't played this game yet (though I'm keen to try it) so I'm not really in a position to be making up rules. Richard/