During league play, you will see many teams compete within themselves by playing a version of poker. For every strike or spare, cards are drawn from a central deck and at the end of the game, the best poker hand wins.

In our bellaonline bowling forum, there are descriptions of some games that I play. Even if you don't compete in a league, you can spice up a bowling get-together by introducing the following games: (See the bellaonline bowling forum.)

1) This game is widely played in Hawaii and it is called "syndicate." (It is referred to in the forum as a version of "skins" but, the name doesn't really matter.) Before the start of each game, everyone will ante up an amount easily divisible by 10 since there are ten frames in a bowling game - only the first ball in the 10th frame counts. The object of the game is very simple: if you are the only person in the frame to have a strike, you capture the "syndicate" and take out an appropriate amount from the pool.

For example:
a) Each frame is valued at a quarter so for the whole game, everyone kicks in $2.50.
b) There are 4 people, so each frame is worth $1.00.
c) If no one is the only person to have a strike in any frame, the amount rolls over into the next frame.
d) In other words, if two or more people strike in any frame (or, heaven forbid, no one strikes), the $1.00 carries to the next frame and that frame is worth $2.00.
e) Theoretically, then, if there are no "syndicates" in an entire game, there will be (on a 4-person team) $10.00 carry to the next game and the first frame of that game will be worth $11.00.
f) The pool carries over each week that we compete so it sometimes does build up.

2) This next game is called, "blind draw doubles."
a) Pick a complete team with no vacancies or absentees on a nearby lane from where you are.
b) Write down each players name from that team on a slip of paper.
c) Each person on your team picks one of the slips with a player's name. (They have been placed face down so you can't see the names."
d) That is our doubles partner for the night.
e) Your entry fee can be any amount. Our team usually does $2.00 per game and the same amount for series total so we kick in $8.00 to the prize fund.
f) High score (scratch or handicap is your decision), like in any tournament, decides the winner.

3) The name of the game is "Best Frame Game." If you know how to keep score, this game will sharpen your scorekeeping skills; If you don't know how to keep score, this game will help you learn.

a) Draw the ten frames (including the 11th and 12th) on a sheet of paper 4 times for each person playing. (Looking at what you have drawn, it would be four complete games for each player.)
b) If someone on your team knows how to use a spreadsheet program, they can devise a printed one -- a lot of times, you can ask the bowling center if they have blank scoresheets.
c) You bowl three games in league and the 4th is for making your composite game.
d) As the games progress, each person will have to keep track of their strikes, spares, and opens by marking them into the scoresheets that have been drawn. (You should have exactly what is showing on the computer scorer.)
e) After your three games are completed, you will move the best frame of the three down into the 4th scorekeeping game. The highest score of the composite game is the winner.
f) Example: 1st game, 1st frame - 9 and spare; 2nd game, 1st frame - 8 and open; 3rd game, 1st frame - strike. The strike moves into the 1st frame of the composite (4th) game because the strike is the "Best Frame of the three." You do this for the first 9 frames.
g) For the 10th frame, it is treated as one whole frame; for example: 1st game 10th frame - Strike, 9 and spare; 2nd game, 10th frame - Strike, Strike, 7; 3rd game, 10th frame - 8 and spare and 7. The 2nd game 10th frame is the "Best Frame."
h) You can play scratch or handicap. You can set your own entry fee.

A little friendly competition among teammates and friends is always fun. Instead of using money, you could devise some sort of a point system as the reward for the winner. If you have any other ideas, go over to the bowling forum and add it to the thread.

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)