Family Game Night

Chapter One

It was 7 pm, the eve, (Dec 25, 2020) of family game night for Wong’s. This was taken very seriously for the family of four. Peter, 16 and his sister Andrea, 15 hated losing to their parents or and especially each other. Their parents, Sammy, and Luna felt the same way too. Every Friday night 7 pm, was game night at the kitchen table. They would play a different game every week. They had a point system each week and those weekly points earned went towards to the end of year of point total.  The tier system works this way: TIER ONE: Pure Chance victories: worth ONE POINT. TIER TWO: Semi-skilled: worth THREE POINTS. TIER THREE: PURE SKILLED: 5 POINTS.

The person with the most points at the end of the year gets to pick their prize equal to the value of the points they earned for the week. The prize can be cash, gift cards, coupons, investment seeds, or toys. Only the winner(s) would get the points for the week. Some games were worth more than others and were pre-decided by the Wong family. They decided this because some of the games requires more luck than skill, and others are vice versa, or even a mix. They had also decided in team-oriented games it would be pair battles where the winning team would both get the max points won. The losing team would not get any points. Every week would be a different game, and occasionally, the family would go shopping for new games. The only allowable games would be board games. For tie breakers at the end of the year, if there was a two-way tie, then they flip a coin, if it was three then they discuss what game they would want to play. And if it was a four-way tie, then they will place all the “pure skilled” games in a hat and Sammy, the head of the family would pick the game that they would play. This is a tradition that they have been doing for eight years.

Sammy, his father called Peter who was working very hard on his science fair project for school. He had won the contest 2 years consecutively. Peter rushed down the stairs to the kitchen. Tonight’s game was Monopoly. He was uber excited. Peter Wong had a proposal for his family. The rest of them was anxiously waiting.

When Peter entered into the room, he immediately it said, Mom, dad, can we buy Monopoly deal, or buy some video games, or even go play some individual sports today, like bowling, darts, pool, billiards, pop-a shot, something cool Mom, dad, can we please?

Luna looked liked at Sammy. Sammy looked at Luna. That’s an interesting idea, said Luna.

But Mom!!! We decided it would be only be only board games, said Andrea, their best scrabble player by far in their family. The reader in the family.

Sammy said to Peter, what did you have in mind?

Dad, how about bowling?

I think that’s a great idea, let’s go today!

Luna agreed.

Aww man, said Andrea.

Sammy said, go change you guys, we’re going bowling. We’ll meet you in the car in ten minutes. Hurry, hurry, now.

Thanks dad!! Said Peter.

Chapter Two

Sammy order the shoe sizes for the kids, and his wife Luna, told them where to go and went they started heading there and imputing the data into the machine to get ready for the game. Sammy then ordered the family some fish and chips, with burgers, beer for himself, and a cocktail for his wife Luna. When the family saw the tray that he bought opened their eyes popped wide opened. They certainly were not expecting such a great gift on Christmas day, the last family game night of the night.

Thanks dad! together the rest of the family said.

Sammy pulled out the spreadsheet that they all had on their tablets in a pdf format, and an Excel format. Daily, it was monitored to make sure nobody cheated and changed the results. The internal controls that were applied included taking a photo of the results, and having a different person being assigned to monitoring and sharing the document on the Dropbox on their tablets.

Sammy said let’s see according to the spreadsheet since this is the last week of the family game nights, the maximum point total you could have would be 255, and with today’s total it would be 260, however we do not have all tier three games. We have some tier two and tier one games, 17 tier ones, 17 tier twos and 17 tier threes. So, the max point total you could have coming into today is 153. So, what point total do you want to assign to today’s special night. We gone to mass yesterday, given our gifts in the morning, had some fun, but now there is some work to do. Decide people, decide said Sammy.

They talked among themselves and collectively got FIVE POINTS.

Okay, said Sammy. Sammy continued, now that we have all that straighten out, we can review the standings. In first place:

1)     Peter with 41

2)     Luna with 38

3)     Myself with 37

4)     Andrea with 37

Sammy continued by saying, since the standings are so darn close, literally any one of us could win the family night game tournament that we all set up together, I think we should make this an individual competition, rather than a pair competition. What do you guys think?

One at a time, they agreed and voicing their opinions on Sammy’s suggestion.

Alright let’s start said Sammy. Who is first? Ah it looks like the order is Andrea, Luna, Peter and then me. You guys wrote it in alphabetized order.

No dad, said Andrea, it automatically alphabetizes the order of the names.

This bowling center has a very different scoring system than the typical ones. It was five rounds, much shorter than normal. An individual non-consecutive strike is worth 15 points, and a spare is worth ten points, consecutive strikes are worth DOUBLE the strike value PER STRIKE. So, if a player was on a roll their score would not be added till their pattern of scoring broke (till their streak ended).  Being on a roll includes rotating between strikes and spares. For example, if Peter, had hit a spare, then on his next two shots he got two strikes, then got a nine, in the fourth frame his score will show up for the first time, and it will be: 10 + (30*2) + 9 = 79 points in four frames. If there are any ties at the end, then there is an extra frame to solve it. A new frame is a constantly added until there is a winner.  The bonus system was different. This would require strategy to win, not just skill. Normally for most bowling places a space is 10 + whatever is knocked with the next bowl. Consecutive spares do not get you extra points, they are only worth 10 points.

Andrea, your up first, said her dad. 

Andrea stepped up for her first shot in five pin bowling.

He kicked her legged out, released, and didn’t cross the line. The ball rapidly rolled, straight, but was not released with a strong enough force to knock them all down. At the end, only two remained.

Awe man!!!

That’s okay, said Luna, her mom.

Then she tried again, released the ball but she wobbled, and the ball curved back and forth as it went down the aisle. Bang! It hit the left pin, then swung to the right slamming the other pin down.

A strike!!! Yippee!!! Andrea walked back to her seat grinning from cheek to cheek.

Luna walked up next released the ball with confidence, thud! All the pins fell. STRIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOO YA! TOP THAT EVERYONE!

Peter hit a gutter ball, followed by a nine-pin performance.  Dam it! Said Peter, so close to a strike!

Then Sammy stepped up, and matched the power, and release of his mother, also getting a strike.

Sammy, said, so far, because both your mother and I have gotten strikes we are in the lead after round one with points, followed by Andrea, who a strike, then Peter who has nine points.

Andrea bowled her next shot, ANOTHER SPARE! Instead of Andrea jumping up and down, Sammy, jumped up for joy for her, congratulating her. Andrea, looked depressed, since she was a competitive bowler who has bowled a 300 winning gold once. Her point total now became 30, doubling. She did this by scoring an eight and two. In other competitions she had not done so well, since that one competition, though she kept getting better leading up to that 300-point performance.

Luna got a spare, getting a six and a four on the next turn.

Peter got a strike.

Then Sammy bowled his shot, getting ANOTHER STRIKE. Yahoo!!!!!!! I am still leading topping everyone so far, including you LUNA. HA!

Don’t make fun of us said Andrea!

Now, after two rounds (of five), the scoreboard read:

Andrea: 20

Luna: 25

Peter: 24

Sammy: Strike, Strike,

Which meant that Sammy had at least (30*2) = 60 points, twice that of Andrea.

Andrea got up, bowled her shot, and the ball went hard rolling toward the pins, bang! All ten were hit, bringing her score up to 35, still a little bit behind her dad.

Luna got a seven, then a three, and thus this brought her total to 35 as well.

Peter was next, he bowled a strike, getting better with each turn, bringing his total to 39, getting neck and neck with Sammy, his father.

Sammy said, this is starting to look like a real close horse race for third place isn’t it?

Daddy, you are next, said Andrea.

Sammy got back to back gutter balls. After each gutter ball both Luna, and Peter snickered, but Andrea didn’t. One was so bad it went into the next door’s bowling lane.

See!!!!!!!! That’s why you do not make fun of us; now how do you feel? Andrea said.

Andrea looked up at the score board, and said that you only have a twenty-five pin lead over mom and I and a one pin lead over Peter, but you could have had a much bigger lead if you just focused more on the game and winning, than bragging and rubbing it in our faces about how good you are at this.

Hey why are you picking on me said Sammy, why do not you also pick on your mother, she said “STRIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOO YA! TOP THAT EVERYONE!”? said Sammy.

Well that’s different, that’s okay, and sportsmanlike because she did not single anybody out. You did, and your intent clearly was there to harm continued Andrea.

Fine, said Sammy, I will be nicer. Sorry said Sammy.

Thank you, said Andrea.

Andrea walked up the next and got a spare, getting a pair of fives.

Luna followed up with a five and a four.

Then Peter hit a strike.

Sammy hit a spare, a two then an eight.

Round Three ended with the following score:

Andrea: 50

Luna: 44

Peter: 9 + (30+30) = 69

Sammy: 60

See, daddy, now you are second, and there are still two more rounds to go, so Peter can still win. Technically, anybody can win this tonight, but Mom and I are probably long shots, its up to Peter to defeat you, but since he is currently leading in the overall standings, and he is leading in this game, I definitely do not want to see my brother win tonight. I got to win. Anybody but him.

HEY!!!!!!!!!! Said Peter,

What did you expect me to say? said Andrea. You are my competition.

Luna said well she does have a point. Doesn’t she? Let’s remember to put fun first, then winning. That’s why your father and I created this family game night years ago. Anyway, I think it is, my turn.

No, mom, its mine, said Andrea.

Andrea bowled he next two shots, and knocked down one pin, then nine more, giving her a strike in round four, and a point total of 60, tied with Sammy.

See! Now I am tied, if you get another double gutter ball, we’re tied, and you fall further behind dad. I value sportsmanship. Now its your turn, mom, go.

Luna went getting zero, then a strike, but because she took two bowls, she was credited with only a spare, making her round four score to be 54.

Peter got a double gutter ball, resulting in his score remaining with just 69 points, just nine more than his sister, and nine more than his father. He was certainly upset, looking at the floor on his walk back to his seat.

Your turn dad said Peter.

Sammy walked up, and bowled getting another gutter ball, and thus now has a major gutter ball streak, three consecutively. Then on his next bowl he got a nine, but it looked like a strike, the pin looked like it was refusing to fall. It had won the battle against force. Sammy felt cheated, but he knew he wasn’t. Sammy walked back to his disappointed, looking up at the standings for the night, entering the final round. When he did, he realized he was still technically in the lead, but he was tied with his most favourite (and only) son in the world, Peter at 69.

Okay, Andrea, this is the last round, make it a good one, you are next. You are at 60, six points ahead of mom, and nine behind both dad and me. Anybody can still win this, including you.

Andrea took a deep breath and took her shot. The ball rolled down the lane, smashing her nine points. She sighed. Andrea was disappointed, and said, mom you can have my next shot. It was a disappointing night.

Really, you sure are you want to do that?

Yes, mom, go ahead.

Her mom, stepped up, and went hard, but not too hard directly in the middle, and boom, the pin was knocked down, another spare. This family was great at getting spares tonight, even overall. Andrea normally was a striker, tonight she wasn’t great, but her mom really helped her out. Her mom’s effort brought her from 60 to 75, now a new temporary leader. For the first time she led.

Yahoo! Luna and Andrea high-fived. That’s my mom there!!!!! Bo Ya! Said Andrea.

Congratulations said Peter.

Sammy said, its not over yet, you only have a six-pin lead over both Peter and me. All we need is seven so far. And if you mom gets a strike and then we get double zeros then this game becomes interesting because we have a three-way tie and then we add frames and rounds till we can decide the winner. Here we pay per game, not per hour like some other places I know of.

Luna stood up and got her battle face on.

She bowled a strike!

Luna said, looks like that’s starting to happen. My score jumps to 69.

Then Peter and Sammy both got double zeros.

Luna said, looks like you need to be careful what you say and imagine, because Sammy, it came true. Didn’t it.

Imagine if you had said that we all got strikes, imagine that. We would have put have five strikes consecutively. But no, you wished me harm, now you suffer, and we 69 play a playoff, or tiebreaker, extra fun, extra frames said Luna. Just your luck continued Luna.

What shame said Andrea.

Mom look up at the score board, look at it. I won. There’s a three-way tie though, so does that mean we discuss together what we win dad said Peter?

No silly, Peter, Andrea won fair and square, and it is fair because out of her own free will she came up to a person in the standings below her and asked her to bowl for her that shot which she thought was hopeless. And we let her do it free of charge. So, we paid the cost and penalty for letting her do that. I guess the lesson here is that you can always find a way to win, and get what you want, essentially, never give up. And don’t celebrate too early. She won scoring with seventy-five, and we only got 69.

So, now let’s see. With the five point win you move from tied for fourth to well look at this, if this wasn’t a third-tier game you wouldn’t have won the fame game night tournament this year. Finally getting your first. Now everyone in the family has won once. And ended my three-year winning streak said Sammy. Congratulations Andrea. Congratulations. Everyone one at a time congratulated her. What would you like darling? You accumulated $42 USD?

Just give me two, Franklin's and two $10 Starbucks gift cards.

Okay, darling said Sammy.

Sammy pulled out two Franklin's from his wallet and gave it to her. You will get the rest tomorrow when the mall opens, I will get you them.

Thanks dad said Andrea.