Texas Holdem Strategy

cybrarian · Retired Moderator Joined: 05 Dec 2003 Posts: 11112

NOTE: For current census, and pages marking the end of days, see Louie's posts below.

----------------

I'm delighted to announce first international Supersleuths symposium, which will start sometime next week, lasting a not entirely known number of days, but probably somewhere between 3 and 5, depending on exact delegate numbers.

We have some exciting speakers lined up, let me tell you, so you're strongly advised to book now to avoid disappointment. Already confirmed as appearing, we have:

Brother Cadfael
Inspector Jacques Clouseau
Scooby Doo
Simon Templar
Dick Tracy

I'm sure you'll all agree that it's going to be a tremendous occasion. And a slightly weird one.

Any other great detectives, sleuths, or crime-fighting dogs who want to attend the conference should register their interest to me by Private Message.

cybrarian · Retired Moderator Joined: 05 Dec 2003 Posts: 11112

Ah, it's good to be popular... registration is being held open until the morning. But then we really must get going.

Night all.

Louie Knight · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 74 Location: Aberystwyth

Excitement doesn't visit us all that often round here. Lorraine Kelly switched on the christmas lights in the high street once, I remember - who could forget? The power surge devastated half the town's electricity supply after all. Merry Christmas indeed for some of us, but not for those forced to share trestle tables in the scout hut over the weekend.

But I got word of some kind of convention happening down at the seafront, at the Hotel Splendour - something about great detectives and great minds, so I decided to check it out.

There must have been a score or so of them, all arriving at once: the strangest assortment, like someone flipped the switch to random and took the first twenty hands in the air, no matter who or what they were. No delegates badge for me, of course - not for me the conference lifestyle, and the jet-set of the cross-border businessman: I prefer my comforts closer to home - but I do have a certain standing in this town, or at least I do have contacts, so getting access to the hotel wasn't any trouble.

Nothing much was happening yet, but you could just tell it was all about to happen. And then some...

Louie Knight · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 74 Location: Aberystwyth

Like I said, I have the odd contact here and there, and even in your own town, it pays to know the desk-girls at the most exclusive hotels. Or hotel in our case. There is more than one hotel in town, but none that you could call exclusive. Except in the sense that you'd be the only guest if you were unlucky enough, or down at heel enough, to find yourself staying in one of them.

So my girl on the inside got me a list of everyone checked in at the hotel. Even now, some minutes after first reading through the list, I can barely read it without an involuntary whistle through the teeth, and a shake of the head that is both knowing and yet curious at the same time:

Louie Knight · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 74 Location: Aberystwyth

Underneath the list, a second slip of paper, featuring a very untidy scrawl. Someone wrote it in a hurry. But who?

-------------
Don't ask me how I know this, I just do. Trust what I say and everything will be fine.

It's a set up. There are 20 of them.

5 are mafia
2 are masons
1 is a detective
1 is a vigilante
11 are regular innocents.

They're all going to get a PM in the next 30 minutes or so, detailing their role. Some of them will have special powers, and will need to take action immediately. But more of that later.

They'll all get one of the following:

Louie Knight · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 74 Location: Aberystwyth

What's this - more paper? I'm intrigued...

Apparently Simon Templar sends his apologies. And Maxwell Smart has been added as a last minute replacement.

Louie Knight · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 74 Location: Aberystwyth

Basic rules, stolen from everyone before me:

The basic rules of mafia can be found in another thread that I can't post a link to yet...

Here are some specific rules for this game or rules that people often query.

Lynching

- Whoever has the most votes at the end of the daytime period will be lynched, regardless of whether or not the town reach a majority. If it is a tie, then the victim will be determined by RNG.
- All votes must be clearly stated in bold. Votes NOT in bold will NOT be counted, nor will votes where it is not completely clear who you are voting for.
- I vote to lynch nobody is a valid vote. If more people vote to lynch nobody than any particular person, then nobody will indeed be lynched. If it is a tie with ‘nobody’ being one of the participants, then a best-of-3 coinflip will be used. "Nobody" will be heads, any living player will be tails.
- You are allowed to change your vote at any time up until the end of the day period. Any vote you make will replace any other votes you have made previously in that day. For example if you vote to lynch player A and then later vote to lynch player B then your vote for player A is canceled.
- If you want to cancel your vote without voting to lynch somebody else or nobody, then say something like I rescind my vote or I cancel my vote.

Mafia Kills

- The mafia may choose to kill one player during the night phase. That player dies and their identity is revealed.
- The mafia may, if they wish, choose not to kill anybody during the night phase.

Chatting

- Only the mafia players may chat outside the game thread. No other players, including the masons, are allowed to do so. You may not send PMs or emails to other players, nor may you chat about the game in IRC or in real life (if you happen to know another participant IRL). Also, dead players should not PM still living players and vice-versa. Any player can, however, PM the event secretary at any time and for any reason. Any rules queries should be handled through the event secretary first. If public discussion is needed, the event secretary will make a public post.

- All chat in the game thread is considered to be ‘in character’. In other words, don’t take anything said in the game personally, the player is merely acting out their role as an innocent villager or mafia member.

Mod Kills

A player may be mod-killed for any of the following reasons:

- Not voting for two days in a row (a vote to lynch nobody does count as a vote. A rescinded vote does not).
- Editing a post in the game thread. We have some new players. Please know this rule. If you break this rule, you will need to provide VERY good reasoning as to why you edited a post for me not to lop off your head.
- Chatting about the game outside of the game thread (if you are not mafia).
- Posting in the game thread any PMs you receive from the moderator.
- Proposing or accepting any side bets (even with a player already dead)
- Doing anything obviously against the spirit of the game or ITH community. Most things are fair game in mafia, I think everybody in this game knows where to draw the line.

Ultra-exceptional rules appear on the other sheet, in your pants.

Louie Knight · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 74 Location: Aberystwyth

OK, so leaving paper in a man's coat is one thing, but interfering with his smalls is something else. Just goes to show there's something strange about some of these so called professional detectives. I'll give you pants, Mr Anonymous, with your barely legible script.

Unwilling to investigate the contents of my underwear in front of strangers, I exited the main hall. On my way to the bathrooom I bumped into a member of staff I didn't recognise. We apologised awkwardly and mutually, and to adopt a stance of some relaxed authority, I plunged my hands deep into the very practical pockets my new trousers afforded.

And found more paper, naturally.

The other rules

Well, not so much rules as guidelines, but still

You have all chosen an alias for this game. The hope and intention is that you become, as much as you can or want to, that alias. This doesn't mean you have to dress as the character before you log in to the game (although that would certainly be interesting in some quarters...) or that you have to research their favourite breakfasts and eat appropriately.

But it does mean that you get to have some fun if you want to. It's up to each of you how you approach the game, but just try to enjoy it.

Oh, and don't just tell everyone who you really are. If I wanted that to happen, I could tell everyone myself, and save us all a lot of effort.

So - to summarise - announcing who you are is not in the spirit of this game. Playing a role, being someone new, is the spirit of this game.

---------------------

Well this was getting less and less normal, even by local standards. I decided to head for the tea rooms to take stock.

Louie Knight · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 74 Location: Aberystwyth

Someone I didn't know, at the other end of a telephone call I wasn't expecting, just told me that they're only expecting 19:

Ace Ventura
Brother Cadfael
Charlie Chan
Data (as Sherlock)
DI Jack Regan
Dick Tracy
Frank Drebin
Inspector Clouseau
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Harry Callahan
Jonathan Creek
Lieutenant Columbo
Marge Gunderson
Maxwell Smart
Nancy Drew
Nero Wolfe
Scooby Doo
Shaggy
Sid Halley

5 are mafia
2 are masons
1 is a detective
1 is a vigilante
10 are regular innocents.

I was also informed that the game would start with a day phase, whatever that meant. But that the detective would be able carry out an investigation before Day 1 began.

Days

Day 1 - starts on this page!
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Census

Ace Ventura
Brother Cadfael
Charlie_Chan - An innocent, who breathed his last adage on night 3, courtesy of the mob
Columbo
DataAsSherlock
DI Jack Regan Innocent, but unpopular enough to be asked to leave on Day 3
Dick Tracy
Frank Drebin - A vigilante taken out by the mob on Night 2
Jacques Clouseau
InspectorGadget - A detective lynched on day 2
Harry Callahan
Jonathan Creek
MargeGunderson
Maxwell Smart - Innocent - and on his way home after Night 4
Nancy Drew
Nero Wolfe
ScoobyDoo - A masonic cartoon dog, impounded on Day 1
Shaggy
Steve McGarrett

Louie Knight · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 74 Location: Aberystwyth

Morning came, slightly later than usual it has to be said, and I headed to the hotel. I was intercepted on my way by a junior staffer from the Gazette wanting to know if I'd heard the news -

"What news?"

"About the detectives!"

"What about them?"

"You know one of them's a detective, right?"

"One of them? I thought they all were. Or at least some of them. Or maybe none of them."

"Yeah, well one of them really is a detective, and the word on the street is that he made an investigation last night."

"Well, well. Well, well, well."

"Yes?"

"Yes. Well, thank you. You know what? I fancy breakfast at the hotel this morning."

Dick Tracy · Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 117 Location: UNKNOWN

This is Dick Tracy reporting to duty and I am very happy to now be a citizen of Ithica.

All of these years I have fought mafia scum so I am no newbie to the chase of scum.

Now I am new to this city and will be doing my own private investigation.

So when I question you about something don’t take it personal it’s my duty to this city.

I am prepared to sniff out these Mafia scum and help us win are you?

Suited_Jock · ITH Heart Throb Joined: 20 Sep 2004 Posts: 3009

This town seems strange... I think I best keep driving.

Frank Drebin · Joined: 07 May 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Police Squad

I'm off for an early morning swim in raw sewage. I love it!

Dick Tracy · Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 117 Location: UNKNOWN

DI Jack Regan · Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 75 Location: Scotland Yard

Carter, get the shooters!

	Odds Chart & Calculators Rakeback Comparison	TRY THIS US FRIENDLY POKER ROOM!!	FREE POKER GIFTS \| VISIT TITAN POKER
Internet Texas Holdem Poker Forum Party Poker Bonus PokerStars Bonus Texas Holdem Strategy Internet Poker Bonus Poker Book Store
Poker Blogs Internet Poker Rankings
FAQ \| Search Forum \| Watched Topics Memberlist \| Usergroups \| Register \| Profile \| Log in \| Log in to check your private messages

Internet Texas Holdem

Poker Forum

Party Poker Bonus

PokerStars Bonus