We love a bit of banter here at the BHO. It's a good wholesome way to, well, take the piss out of your fellow competitors. I even use banter in this blog. Read any Match Summary and you will no doubt hear me tear strips off my friends and family all in an attempt to make my posts as amusing as possible.
Banter can be a fantastic thing. It can add great humour to a game of Yahtzee and it can be a great tactic to implement if you need to distract certain players and put them off their game. But you do have to be careful. Like I've said, banter is a great thing providing you know how to do it. It does take a modicum of skill in order to banter correctly as there can often be a fine line between good banter and just plain old bullying!
So, I thought I needed to address it. Not because I don't trust you to be able to distinguish between the two, after all, I can often struggle to distinguish between the two and more often than not I can come away from a match sounding like a complete arsehole. We all have our blind spots. I'm sure some of you do also.
Banter is a lot like having a debate, it only takes one mistimed quip, said in the wrong tone of voice with some poorly chosen words thrown in for it to turn in to a full blown fist fight! I'm not joking, a poorly timed, poorly delivered piece of banter can not only end the upbeat atmosphere of an otherwise upbeat match, and it can also ruin friendships! So... it is incredibly important that you know your audience, but that you also know you're shit when it comes it comes to banter... if you don't, it can cause all kinds of problems!
If you're making jokes at another player's expense and you're getting a giggle from the other players and even the player the joke was aimed at, then all is well. A bit of light hearted ribbing can make a Match all the more fun. But beware, banter is a bit of a tightrope walk. It can be very tempting, after hearing the approving titters of others, to want to chime in with another joke at the same person's expense (approval can get addictive). There's nothing wrong with that if you know that person's tolerance for such remarks, but if you misjudge this tolerance and proceed, you might be in for a death stare or two. If you continue even after the "glare", you could find a knuckle butty coming your way! Or, you could do something even worse...
Yes there is something worse than a smack in the face and that is not realising that your "banter" is actually upsetting the target of your jibes! Take it from someone that knows; making someone cry is a lot worse than making someone angry! I have made this mistake many times and I will probably do it again. The last thing I ever want to do is upset someone, or even get someone mad. I might be able to tell you all to learn how to read the signs of when you are going too far, but the truth is, I have some revision to do as well!
There should always be a competitive edge while playing Yahtzee, or any game, and banter can be used to either lighten the mood or as a strategy to gain the upper hand. But it should stay as banter. You have all gathered together for a game of Yahtzee Monopoly, The Settlers of Catan or whatever. Why? Because it's something you enjoy doing. Nobody attends a Match to get angry or upset! It should always be a positive experience. So if you are playing with someone that might be going a little overboard with at the mouth, don't cause a scene, just let them know. I can't tell you how many evenings have been saved from drama because somebody quietly told me I needed to shut up! And I'm grateful for it. I'm never being malicious and I'm sure most other people aren't either, but, as a general rule, people are usually not willing to take as much as you are willing to dish out. It's actually a stupendously simple rule, but it's a rule I still need to remember sometimes and I'm sure some of you do too! You might not always succeed and there might be a few dice flying around the room from time to time, but, please, do your best! Your frindships rely on it!!!
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