Yahtzee can be a cruel mistress. It can have you flying high for days, weeks or even months if you're on a coaster. But it can also leave you feeling like shite for days, weeks or even months if you just cannot catch a break. Now, obviously if you're winning, all you wanna do is carry on and keep rocking them dice! Why wouldn't you? You're playing like a demon! On the other side of the coin, however, if you just can't find a win, you may end up never wanting to look at a set of dice again! It's a sad state of affairs and it has affected all of us that play Yahtzee on a competitive or regular basis at least one time or another. Some of us have the mental fortitude to ride it out, but for some, it's enough to make them seriously consider packing it in for good. But don't get me wrong, I'm not denigrating these people in any way. I've "almost" been there myself. But, if you notice any player at their breaking point, threatening to leave, this is where you need to step in!
Yahtzee has been around for years, obviously, but the BHO hasn't! And we need the members, so we can't afford to be losing any because they're a little frustrated! Even losing a regular player not affiliated with the BHO in any capacity is a huge loss as that's just one more potential member that has gone forever. So don't let it happen! Some people have soft centers (including me, but I'm too involved in Yahtzee to give up now) so they just need a calm, quiet moment and a few encouraging words. I'm not suggesting that you mother them, there's nothing worse than an absolute baby. In my opinion them types are better out than in. I'm talking about those that do genuinely love Yahtzee, but they're just struck with a crisis of confidence. They need retaining. But not just for the BHO, but because they'll regret it if they walk away! Yahtzee is a game where success can often come in swings and roundabouts. Things always get better, then usually worse... but then better again. So, it's really not worth giving up on!
So, what do you do if you're confronted with such a player? I am by no means recommending that you cuddle each othe and weep about past losses! Nah, after all, Yahtzee is a competitive sport (yes, sport), and you still wanna maintain that edge, right?
First of all, you need to know what type of person you're dealing with. Like I said, no-one likes a crybaby. These types of people are just born whiners and their moaning is very rarely reserved just for Yahtzee. For these people, everything's a drama, a trauma and a source of terminal consternation. They can just say hello to a person and form a decade long vendetta against them. For this reason, you're pretty much guaranteed to identify them. They're also ten a penny so it's pretty bloody likely you already know quite a few of them. So what do you do with these walking black clouds. Well, to be blunt, nothing. Why? Because there's pretty much nothing you CAN do. Misery is their business and if you're not careful, you'll be their next customer! So for your own sake, stand well clear. This advice does not simply apply to Yahtzee but everyday life also. They're not worth it unless you want to cry yourself to sleep as well. And let's be honest, who wants that?!
The other type of person is the "genuine" person, by which I mean they genuinely care about the game and give 110% every single match, but so far it's just not working. They can't figure out what they're doing wrong, or even IF they're doing anything wrong. They're at the end of their tether and ready to bow out "gracefully". THESE are the people you need to engage with and encourage! First of all let them know that there is no such thing as bowing out gracefully! If you notice a player like this you need to take them to one side, dry their tears, pat them gently on their head and have a serious heart to heart!
Personally, I can relate to these feelings of despondency as I have been through it many, many times in my forty years on this planet. I have also tossed aside many a fine endeavour because I'd reached an impasse that I couldn't immediately figure out how to traverse. This just resulted in a lot of wasted energy, effort and potential skill. Shameful. It never pays to give up too early, and that's the message you need to share. Greatness awaits if you just persist. It's important to realate this to your battle weary comrade, sometimes that's all it takes; to know they aren't the only one's that have gone through the same thing and that it does get better eventually!
Your attempt to calm the wounded hero could have gone one of two ways; either they're just not buying your shtick as they might see it as mollycoddling or patronising (I certainly have that effect at times) or they've quietened from a blubbering wreck to a sniffling that reminds you of a three year old that has just scraped their knee. Either way, there's still work to be done. If they are still blubbering then slap them until they are just sniffling (this may take a while) or if they're already sniffling, get down to the basics: their game.
It is very easy to learn how to play Yahtzee, but many people think it just stops there. There is a certain amount of thought required to make the best decisions possible in order to maximise your score. I have discussed this in previous posts so I won't repeat myself here, but it could be a good idea to ensure that your fallen brethren is doing all they can to secure victory. I'm not saying that you should give away all your well honed Yahtzee secrets, but just make sure that they are not just rolling the dice and hoping for the best. It's amazing the amount of people that approach a match with this mindset then wonder what went wrong when they finish dead last, so a nice friendly nudge towards some online resources can make all the difference to their near suicidal demeanor!
If this fails, you may need to resort to the nuclear option, which can be basically summed up in a single phrase: "Pappa ain't raise no quitter!". Yeah, that's right, let them know that nobody likes a quitter and it's their duty to prove to everybody and, more importantly, themself that they can do so much better. Quitting is for the weak, the loser, the friendless (like me). I'm joking, you don't have to be so savage, but it's good to let them know that nobody achieves anything by just giving up.
Now, if THAT doesn't work, it's probably time to cut your losses. You can let them know that it would be a shame to lose them, but ultimately you have done all you can. If they're still gonna leave after all all your valiant efforts, it's just best to let them do it and hope they return at some point in the future. I'm certainly not suggesting that you stalk them like some love lorn fifteen year old virgin and start begging. You tried your best so just leave it at that.
Finally, I know what you're thinking. And you're right. This is a lot of effort to get someone to continue to play Yahtzee. This is true. If you are casual players that just pick up the dice every now and again then I wouldn't even bother. But if, like me, you play competitively, then it's important to preserve your membership. If you play regular and host regular tournaments or Leagues, it's important that you maintain your numbers. The BHO is now over eighteen months old, but we are still in our infancy. Every member we have matters a great deal. So we (or I) do our best to retain them whenever possible. Also, the last thing we want to see is ex competitive Yahtzee players move on to another game... like Monopoly (dear God, no!)...
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