Tablero da Gucci
Article by a Crazy Knife-Throwin' Injun! --- Read more from this authorIt’s a complex world we live in, where every little thing in the events
that surround us can push us to greater levels of stress that leaves us
nearly no escape, except through our TV programs, Movies, and books. We
think of games and gaming as more a simplistic form of entertainment.
But, if we dig a little deeper, we will find that games are used to
simulate real-world events, model complex corporate actions or military
strategies, and also for some basic socializing.
The term “gamer” in our recent years has been used to apply to those who
play RPGs, CCGs, MMORPGs, Computer/video games, etc. Applied, as it
were, to people whose lives revolve around the variety of games designed
solely to entertain. But gamers have been around for centuries. In fact,
through history, people have even used games as a source of income (Yes,
gambling is a form of gaming). Of course, we should never overlook the
social aspect of playing games. The interaction with real people, either
across a table or over the Internet, is what allows for abstract game
concepts to be applied realistically to a multitude of situations. We
learn complex human interactions from the simple play in games.
Keeping that in mind, let’s look at a classic social gambling game: Tablero de Jesus
This is a game played by two players on a board with a 7 x 7 squared
grid. The object of the game is to move coins into line with each other
based on die rolls following the rules of movement, and by doing so
removing the coins from the board. The removed coins are replaced by the
opposing player. Each player stakes fifteen coins, and the game ends
when a player can no longer replenish coins on the board. The game can
be played while holding a casual conversation, discussing the day’s
events and so on. Playing the game was banned by the Roman Catholic Pope
in 1458, no doubt due to the gambling element which might be considered
sinful.
In recent years, a historical recreation society The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA)
recreated the game with a slight twist. The updated version of the game
is called Tablero da Gucci or just Tablero for short.
Rather than playing with coins, the updated rules specify shot-glasses
and beer (Please, don’t make the mistake of playing with whiskey, as I
did. It’s expensive, and potentially unhealthy.) Unlike Tablero de Jesus
where you would line up any number of coins to remove them, the object
of Tablero da Gucci is to line up six or seven of the shot-glasses, and
then “pull” the line, drinking four of the shots and placing for his
opponent to refill. Each player supplies their own beverage for
refilling, and the game ends when a player cannot refill glasses any
longer. Still a gambling game, the da Gucci rules are a bit more fun,
and less stressful than gaming for cash. (NOTE: any beverage can be used
as a substitute for beer. Water, Soda, Milk – whatever. You don’t have
to get drunk playing the game, but it is interesting if you do.)
I recommend this game for light “beer & pretzel” gaming before or after
a heavier gaming session. I also think it might not be a bad idea for
heads of state to give this a shot when working out their differences. I
couldn’t hurt.
-The Crazy Knife-Throwin’ Injun
Tags: classic game, game, tablero da gucci