In this long, troublesome life of ours, we happen upon many a varied character, the gamut of God's rich tapestry, if you like. But it is one particular type of character I wish to appraise you of right now. That is the cranky types in our midst, especially as it pertains to this great game of ours, Yahtzee. Now as I have mentioned numerous times about numerous character traits, but I feel it only right and proper to mention it here too, we are all capable of being cranky, none more so than me, but I speak only of those that let their crankiness seep in to their Yahtzee game, often to the benefit of those that play with them.
Crankiness in Yahtzee can be seen more like a spectrum of irritability; at its most minor, it can be seen as a slight twinge of annoyance; at its most extreme, it can be dice dodging, Yahtzee board deflecting crankiness, the likes of which were prophesied in the Bible. Now, depending on your moral compass, these traits could either be addressed as a good samaritan, trying to assuage another's lust for vengence, or you could learn these traits and exploit them for your own gain. I'm not going to be the one to tell you which approach you should use, but read on and make the desicion for yourself.
The cranky player is often like the Human equivalent of flipping a coin. What you get is 50/50. So you might not know which player you're getting when they first approach the dice board, OR, you may full bloody well know what you're about to get! They may rock up to the dice board as cool as an Aldi brand marital aid, smile on their face, as if they already know how the match will play out. Or, they may approach the dice board already huffing and puffing, already agitated by just about everything. My point being, it may be incredibly simple to spot a cranky player, but it may also take a little while to spot the telltale signs of crankiness, but trust me, you will spot them if you keep a lookout.
Once you have positively identified them, you have a decision to make. You can either perform a kind and altruistic gesture for the benefit of the whole room and attempt to get them to either calm down or shut up. This is not often the easiest of tasks, but it's possible. It often requires that you baby them slightly, whisper comforting words into their ear, y'know, just to dampen the flames of that irritatable inferno, then maybe the rest of the competitors and yourself can enjoy the remainder of the match in peace.
On the other hand, If you wish to benefit from those whom cannot retain control of their emotional faculties, then the cranky player can prove to be a bonanza. If your morals lay somewhere in that grey area that lingers between good and bad, you could just give the cranky player the incentive they need to tip themselves over the edge. This can benefit you and your own game in not one, but two ways.
I mentioned earlier how we all have a cranky player resting deep within us, just waiting to get out. This, believe it or not, is a good thing. This means you know exactly the types of things you absolutely do not want to hear when you're feeling particularly cranky, and that's exactly the type of thing you should be saying to the cranky player. In fact, sometimes you don't even need to use words to aggravate them. Sometimes, just a well placed snigger will suffice to uncage the beast. But, if you do need to resort to those pesky words, then keep it simple. When they roll their dice, whether it's a good roll or bad, just chuckle, and ask "why?", this is guaranteed to invoke their best impression of a beetroot. OR, you could just pretend to be really nice, this works best when it's clearly going terribly for them. Keep asking the how they're doing with sickening sincerity, or really patronise them, put your hand on there shoulder and tell them to "hang in there, champ". This may get you a smack in the mouth, so you need to decide whether an improved chance at a victory is worth the mis-shapen jawline. Before you decide either way, consider this; not only will your (admittedly, very shady) tactics put the cranky player off there stride, but the increased volume and twittering coming from said competitor could also serve to distract all other competitors around the table, leaving you to proceed with abandon! This is a very questionable, and possibly downright unsportsmanlike behaviour, so I'll leave it to you to make the decision on whether to proceed with this option. But it is, after all, an option.
A little word of warning if you do decide to put your hand in the cage of the cranky player. It takes a delicate touch to provoke them successfully. One prod too many and they can easily mutate from a cranky player to a volatile player, or a down right explosive player. It's one thing to goad a tetchy player in order to peeve off the other players, but it's another thing to have the match halt entirely because you have gone too far and the cranky one has gone full blown neanderthal and proceeds to destroy the building you are occupying with their bare hands, brick by brick, and you may find yourself coming away with more than a broken jaw. So for the love of sweet Jehova, proceed with caution. I do not want blood on my hands...
Crankiness in Yahtzee can be seen more like a spectrum of irritability; at its most minor, it can be seen as a slight twinge of annoyance; at its most extreme, it can be dice dodging, Yahtzee board deflecting crankiness, the likes of which were prophesied in the Bible. Now, depending on your moral compass, these traits could either be addressed as a good samaritan, trying to assuage another's lust for vengence, or you could learn these traits and exploit them for your own gain. I'm not going to be the one to tell you which approach you should use, but read on and make the desicion for yourself.
The cranky player is often like the Human equivalent of flipping a coin. What you get is 50/50. So you might not know which player you're getting when they first approach the dice board, OR, you may full bloody well know what you're about to get! They may rock up to the dice board as cool as an Aldi brand marital aid, smile on their face, as if they already know how the match will play out. Or, they may approach the dice board already huffing and puffing, already agitated by just about everything. My point being, it may be incredibly simple to spot a cranky player, but it may also take a little while to spot the telltale signs of crankiness, but trust me, you will spot them if you keep a lookout.
Once you have positively identified them, you have a decision to make. You can either perform a kind and altruistic gesture for the benefit of the whole room and attempt to get them to either calm down or shut up. This is not often the easiest of tasks, but it's possible. It often requires that you baby them slightly, whisper comforting words into their ear, y'know, just to dampen the flames of that irritatable inferno, then maybe the rest of the competitors and yourself can enjoy the remainder of the match in peace.
On the other hand, If you wish to benefit from those whom cannot retain control of their emotional faculties, then the cranky player can prove to be a bonanza. If your morals lay somewhere in that grey area that lingers between good and bad, you could just give the cranky player the incentive they need to tip themselves over the edge. This can benefit you and your own game in not one, but two ways.
I mentioned earlier how we all have a cranky player resting deep within us, just waiting to get out. This, believe it or not, is a good thing. This means you know exactly the types of things you absolutely do not want to hear when you're feeling particularly cranky, and that's exactly the type of thing you should be saying to the cranky player. In fact, sometimes you don't even need to use words to aggravate them. Sometimes, just a well placed snigger will suffice to uncage the beast. But, if you do need to resort to those pesky words, then keep it simple. When they roll their dice, whether it's a good roll or bad, just chuckle, and ask "why?", this is guaranteed to invoke their best impression of a beetroot. OR, you could just pretend to be really nice, this works best when it's clearly going terribly for them. Keep asking the how they're doing with sickening sincerity, or really patronise them, put your hand on there shoulder and tell them to "hang in there, champ". This may get you a smack in the mouth, so you need to decide whether an improved chance at a victory is worth the mis-shapen jawline. Before you decide either way, consider this; not only will your (admittedly, very shady) tactics put the cranky player off there stride, but the increased volume and twittering coming from said competitor could also serve to distract all other competitors around the table, leaving you to proceed with abandon! This is a very questionable, and possibly downright unsportsmanlike behaviour, so I'll leave it to you to make the decision on whether to proceed with this option. But it is, after all, an option.
A little word of warning if you do decide to put your hand in the cage of the cranky player. It takes a delicate touch to provoke them successfully. One prod too many and they can easily mutate from a cranky player to a volatile player, or a down right explosive player. It's one thing to goad a tetchy player in order to peeve off the other players, but it's another thing to have the match halt entirely because you have gone too far and the cranky one has gone full blown neanderthal and proceeds to destroy the building you are occupying with their bare hands, brick by brick, and you may find yourself coming away with more than a broken jaw. So for the love of sweet Jehova, proceed with caution. I do not want blood on my hands...
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