Thursday, April 28, 2016

Bunko

So my wife goes to a monthly Bunko game.
I have never understood this game or how it is played.

Tonight Bunco was to be hosted at Casa De La Bryan.
I observed closely and I think I have figured out the rules.

First, the host borrows tables and chairs from family and friends and sets them up in the house.
Now I believe this is a diversionary tactic as they did not appear to ever actually be used for anything.

As another diversion Dad (Me) is ordered to read with the kids and get them cleaned up and in bed. This is the tricky part because I think a lot happens during this process but I missed most of it.

Now I come out to observe this "game" and it seems now the ladies (about 10 of them) gather in a circle standing around the kitchen. They circle several hors d'oeuvres moving from one to the next.

Now each of the women brings their own game piece. These game pieces all take the form of wine bottles; some red some white.

They seem to open the bottles in a sequence and pour the wine out into glasses.
I think this is how you earn points.

When one bottle is empty, the first lady to jump in with another bottle and get it opened shares it with the other ladies.

I was riveted. I watched as one of the more advanced players threw them all for a loop by quickly dashing to the fridge and grabbing a beer and opening it.
So for her turn, she drinks the beer and then has to say a secret phrase.
Her phrase was "Do y'all recycle?"
I think this is to distract the other players and put pressure in the host who has to quickly come up with the proper response which tonight was "Yes, but just set it aside and I will handle it"

This went on for several rounds and then like a flash the rules changed.
Suddenly plates of brownies, muffins, cookies, and some praline looking things were strewn about replacing the area previously populated with cheese sticks, quiche, and spinach artichoke dip.

Now the cadence in the discussion dissolved into a rumble of discussions about the affect of aging on breasts, who is using what procedures to prevent more children, and how we should all sell our houses and move into the same neighborhood.
I get the feeling that the game pieces were working when I heard that.

The last phase of the game involved wrapping up partial left-overs and critical thinking in the form of deciding which bottles of wine should remain and which would go back home with their original owners.
From what I gather, almost all unopened game pieces go back home.
Any game piece that it less than 2/3 full stays at the house with the host.

Then at 9:30 the final move was for all of the players to exit the house quickly amid discussions about how tomorrow is a work day and I promised my husband I would be home by 9:45.

I have processed this several times and have been unable to determine who won or what the actual point total was but I have this sneaking suspicion that bunko is not a real game at all.
I think they are actually playing a game I'm going to call Wine-o

At any rate, I need to hit the sack.
I have a long game of Beerko tomorrow night with the guys.