Racko

Over the past few months I have been playing a lot of games with Natalie. Usually after school we’ll play Connect Four or Uno or something like that. She likes playing with me because (1) I’m not that good, (2) I’m not that competitive, (3) and I often tell her she is pretty.

Lately she has been on a Racko kick. I am good at Racko. I may not be good at a lot of things, but I am Racko-gifted. Something about the numbers and spacing and probabilities (and keeping track of what’s been played) all just works for me. That combined with my opponent’s propensity to narrate her issues (I have a 7 in the last slot!) and I can win almost every time.

Another great thing about Racko is that it is easy is to inauspiciously lose.  In Racko not only can you put cards in incorrect slots, you can get Racko and just not call it. It’s great; two ways to lose. I don’t lose every time, but sometimes it is convenient. The other day I won the first two game, and she reasoned that I must be wearing the “lucky hat” so she took my cap from me for game three. Cap in place her “smack talking” intensified.  It was great and there was no way I was going to debunk the magic hat theory. (But then she beat me cleanly the next four – maybe the hat is magic!)