Good Board Games to Gamble on?

[Siegmund]

I think a big factor is how the OP's group wants to see the gameplay go.

Monopoly and Risk are "like a poker tournament" in that players get knocked out and go home in sequence. To some of us, however, that's a flaw, not a feature. Let me also throw into the mix Chinese Checkers... which is pokerlike in that players are self interested and finish in a distinct sequence, but that there is also scope for temporary coalitions and such. (A round of that will usually play within an hour, however - so you might go several buyins.)

Almost any 2-player game that ends with a winner makes for a good heads-up tourney (cribbage, casino, backgammon, OK, connect four if you really want to.) according to a standard knockout or double elimination pattern.

Among games that end with scores like scrabble, it's important to specify before you start whether you are playing for a stake per point, or playing for a ranking.

[govman6767]

Backgammon
Axis & Allies
Chess
Checkers
Shogun
Any DVD game can become +EV... Buy the game memorize the DVD.
Go to the store and suggest you play "that cool looking game for money" RE-buy the game... Don't make it obvious but destroy your friend for a ton of money

[SheetWise]

OP said --
[ QUOTE ]
My friends got burnt out from poker but still have a little gamble in 'em.

[/ QUOTE ]

From this, I would again suggest cribbage. Chess, Checkers, and Backgammon (if you're good) will alienate your opponent -- and require you to hustle.

Cribbage allows you to take bad beats, play a solid game, and enjoy a solid return.

[SamIAm]

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Backgammon (if you're good) will alienate your opponent -- and require you to hustle.

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I thought there was still plenty of luck involved in Backgammon. Aren't there still bad-beats? If you're really good and I stink but know the basic concepts, how often will you beat me?

[jba]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Backgammon (if you're good) will alienate your opponent -- and require you to hustle.

[/ QUOTE ]
I thought there was still plenty of luck involved in Backgammon. Aren't there still bad-beats? If you're really good and I stink but know the basic concepts, how often will you beat me?

[/ QUOTE ]

without the cube, badly. with the cube, completely and horribly.

[Edenfield99]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Backgammon (if you're good) will alienate your opponent -- and require you to hustle.

[/ QUOTE ]
I thought there was still plenty of luck involved in Backgammon. Aren't there still bad-beats? If you're really good and I stink but know the basic concepts, how often will you beat me?

[/ QUOTE ]

without the cube, badly. with the cube, completely and horribly.

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Bill Robertie suggests....
"A good player can win 53-55% of the time against a weaker player without much difficulty. The doubling cube is what gives the better player his edge. In games with the cube at 4 or 8 or higher, the good player will be winning more than 65%."
Obviously a "weaker player" is not the same as a someone who stinks but I think you'd need to train your friends to the level of weak player (I think this is the hustling part mentioned above [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] )

[Hawklet]

Just to clear a few things up.

I play poker online to take money from people I don't care about.

I play games with my friends to have fun in the least -EV way possible.

That being said... we tried Monopoly. We found this relationship: the ammount of luck cooresponds directly with the starting ammount of money. This is probably because buying houses/hotels is too easy. Optimal starting is 1k (1500 normal). By the time you get a monopoly, you have almost 0 cash left and have to decide between risk vs reward for mortaging / trading your property. Any less results in houses being too big of an investment.

[Skipbidder]

There are a large number of good two player games available that would make good gambling games.

There are far fewer multiplayer games that would.

Acquire is a reasonable, but probably doesn't have a high enough level of luck for you.

Can't Stop is probably right.

I know some folks who gamble at Boggle, but I doubt that will be right for you.

Many games will have negotiation or kingmaker problems when you add a gambling element to them.

Ticket to Ride is considered a light European-style boardgame that seems like a reasonable choice. You would get multiple games in the timeframe you are suggesting. I think you could gamble on it.

[Biggle10]

[ QUOTE ]
Backgammon
Axis & Allies
Chess
Checkers
Shogun
Any DVD game can become +EV... Buy the game memorize the DVD.
Go to the store and suggest you play "that cool looking game for money" RE-buy the game... Don't make it obvious but destroy your friend for a ton of money

[/ QUOTE ]

Axis and Allies isn't completely balanced with the standard rule set. There are ways to even it out though with some modifications.

[SheetWise]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Backgammon
Axis & Allies
Chess
Checkers
Shogun
Any DVD game can become +EV... Buy the game memorize the DVD.
Go to the store and suggest you play "that cool looking game for money" RE-buy the game... Don't make it obvious but destroy your friend for a ton of money

[/ QUOTE ]

Axis and Allies isn't completely balanced with the standard rule set. There are ways to even it out though with some modifications.

[/ QUOTE ]

What could have led you to believe govman was looking for a balanced game?

Gaming may be a mystery to the common man -- and that's an advantage worth exploiting -- but when you proactively misrepresent yourself, you're dangerously close to committing a fraud. That's a line you don't want to cross.

Profiting from your opponents ignorance or weaknesses is fair game -- feeding your opponent false information outside of a context where it's expected is unethical (and could be bad for your health).