Postal Pass The Pigs

Postal Rules by Allan Stagg

Overview Pass the Pigs is a popular game where players throw two plastic pigs, scoring points for the pigs' posture when they come to rest. A non-scoring throw will result in a player losing their score for that turn, and in extreme cases they will lose their current match score. A player may, after any throw, declare their turn over, and add their turn's score to their match score. The first player to reach 100 points wins.

Postal Play

The Orders

In this version, the pigs will be thrown by the GM. Players will decide each turn when they wish their turn to end. This may be based on a number of throws, achieving a certain number of points, or other criteria. Examples of valid orders are:

Turn will end after 3 throws.

Turn will end when turn score reaches at least 10 points.

Turn will end when my total score reaches or exceeds 60 (total score = match score to date plus current turn score).

Turn will end if I am the only player left in this turn.

Turn will end after Jim has ended his turn.

Turn will end if Ted and Bill have ended their turn.

A player whose turn will end when another player ends their turn will finish at the same time as that player. A player planning to quit after another player has finished will play an extra turn. Note that it is possible for two or more players to submit orders that can not be satisfied - Jim will finish after Bill has ended his turn, Bill will finish if he is the only remaining player. In this case the GM will continue throwing the pigs until a non-scoring throw closes the round, or a player wins.

Players must specify only one condition that must be met for their turn to end. The default order, for NMRing players and for players who have submitted unacceptable orders, is to quit after the first throw.

The Turn

The GM will throw the pigs, note the score, check if any player's instructions mean that they now drop out of the turn, and then throw again. The GM will continue throwing, either until he makes a non-scoring throw, or all players have dropped out of the turn, or a player's total score has now reached or passed 100 points.

The first throw will always be a scoring throw, but subsequent throws may be non-scoring throws. A turn may last as little as two throws. In practice, the average turn should last between three and seven throws, but it is always possible that a turn might last a sufficient number of throws that 100 points will be scored in that turn. It is more likely that the non-scoring throw will wipe out a player's total score.

Example

Bill's turn will end after 5 turns, Karen's turn will end after Bill has dropped out, Ted's turn will end when he has scored 25 points on the turn, Geoff's turn will end if Bill and Ted have finished their turn, and Jim's turn will end if he is the only player left.

The GM throws 1 - 1 - 5 - 1 - 10 - 1 - 5 - 0 The adjudication is as follows.

Bill scores 18 pts (1+1+5+1+10)

Karen scores 19 pts (1+1+5+1+10+1)

Ted scores 0 pts (turn has ended before score reached 25 pts)

Geoff scores 0 pts (Ted had not finished his turn when the 0 point throw occurred)

Jim scores 0 pts (Ditto)

The GM will declare the game at an end the moment a player's total score reaches or passes 100 points. If two players achieve this at the same time, the player with the higher score is the winner. If both have the same score, they are declared joint winners.

April 2000