Munchkin: The Card Game

"Kill the monsters. Steal the treasure. Stab your buddy."

These three tenets, emblazoned on the box to the dedicated card game Munchkin, is a fairly accurate assessment of what you can expect when your group of 3-6 players sits down to play a game. Munchkin is essentially a dungeon crawling style role-playing game, just without the pencils and paper, heavy rulebooks, and role-playing. Much of the seriousness is removed as well, since nearly every card is dripping in satire lampooning traditional D&D styled games. Humor which is only built upon with cards brilliantly illustrated by John Kovalic, best known for his Dork Tower comic series.

So if you take all that boring stuff out of a role-playing game, what does that leave, you ask? Namely a faster paced game filled with monsters, loot and experience levels. In a race to be the first player to reach level 10, you and your friends will find yourselves teaming up to take down bigger monsters, all the while screwing each other over on a regular basis. The comical nature of the game helps in defusing resentment when a player starts to feel picked on, but the right crowd could still find themselves in heated debates over the occasionally ambiguously worded card. Don't take it too seriously though. Munchkin publisher Steve Jackson Games certainly doesn't, with rules like, "Any disputes in the rules should be settled by loud arguments with the owner of the game having the last word" and cards like Cheat that let you break established rules and equip items that you normally wouldn't be able to.

The game is played with two different types of cards, door cards and treasure cards. All players start as a level 1 human with 'no class (heh heh)' with two of each type of card in your hand. A player's turn begins by entering a new room in the dungeon by 'kicking down the door' (by drawing a door card face up). Door cards often consist of curses/traps, monsters, or cards that modify the player's class or race. If the player isn't forced into battle by drawing a monster face up, they can go 'looking for trouble' and choose to fight a monster by playing one from their hand. There's a wide array of monsters, ranging from a level 1 Potted Plant to a level 20 Plutonium Dragon. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew, though. Opposing players can make your fight tougher by playing cards on your monster that gives it bonuses such as Enraged or Intelligent, increasing its fighting power.

Defeating a monster in combat will net you an experience level and some treasure. Treasure cards are usually items that modify your combat rating such as the Mace of Sharpness or the Big Rock or special cards like Bribe The GM With Food, which allows you to immediately go up one level. If you're unable to defeat the monster, you'll have to roll the die to run away. Fail to escape and you are forced to face the Bad Stuff, consequences of your defeat that are unique to each monster. Lose a fight to a level 10 Floating Nose and you might only lose a level. Go up against a level 18 Bullrog and fail and you might get killed, forcing you to start back at level 1 and draw a new hand of cards. If you're in a tight spot, you can try to convince someone at the table to help you in battle, adding their battle rating to yours, but they're not likely to help you out for free, and you might need to watch your back.

The game is published by Steve Jackson Games, a company that has created and published a myriad of card, board and role-playing games for over 30 years, including Car Wars, Chez Geek, and GURPS (Generic Universal Role Playing System). Since its original publication in 2001, Munchkin is far and away one of SJ Games' best sellers. No wonder, since it's such a fun and amusing game, and good for small to medium groups. In addition to multiple expansions, there have also been several spin-offs such as Munchkin Conan, Munchkin Zombies, western-themed The Good, The Bad and the Munchkin, and the upcoming Munchkin Apocalypse. Several Munchkin titles are available at your local Slackers today, and according to SJ Games, all spin-offs and expansions are compatible with the original Munchkin base game.

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Texas Holdem A Common Player Error - Miscalculating The Overlay Profit

As a poker coach, I am asked a lot of questions about how to win playing holdem. Two recent, important questions were, "What is an overlay and how do you calculate it?" You will always win in the long run playing Texas Holden if you know how to always create a real overlay. Here is how to do it.

Good poker players are always calculating the odds of completing their hand and winning more money than they have invested over all. This is figuring the odds of winning the hand against the number of bets in the pot called pot odds.

As an example, 18 bets in the pot with a one in three odds (2:1 ) of winning the pot should create an overlay. (There is a string attached.) Many players figure that if they miss their draw twice and catch it once they will come out ahead when they catch their draw when there are 18 bets in the pot.

Here is an example of this using a $3/$6 fixed limit game to figure the pot odds. It is easier to calculate this by setting $3.00 as the amount to count as a bet. When the bet doubles to $6.00 count that as two bets. If you bet or call all the way to the river but miss your draw and fold on the river twice and bet all the way to the river including a bet on the river you will have made 16 $3.00 bets for a total of $48.00. The same formula is used at every limit no matter how high the blinds are. That would still be 16 $200.00 dollar bets in a $200/$400 blinds game.

If the hand you win has 18 $3.00 bets in the pot, the total pot is $54.00. Your cost from all three hands, the two you missed your draw and the one where you caught it, is $48.00. The difference is only $6.00. (Here is the string attached.) You will have only won $1.00 in a casino poker room. The rake and the promotional drop would have taken $5.00. Oops, don't forget the dealer tip. You just broke even and it will get worse. Keep reading.

Most casinos now days are raking 10 percent of the pot up to pots of $40.00. They also drop $1.00 to pay for promotions such as bad beat jackpots and payouts for four of a kind and larger hands. It is important to always subtract $5.00 for this and $1.00 for a tip.

Now how many blinds did you go through before you caught your draws. In a game with a $3/$6 blind ($1/$2 in most Nevada poker rooms) you pay $3.00 or $4.00 every time you go through the blinds. Now you will win other hands that will help you cover your cost of the blinds. Most players fail to count anything for the cost of the blinds when they win a pot. I find it is accurate to subtract the amount of one small and one big blind from the number of bets in the pot when I win a hand. When I do this, I find that I am not drawing to hands that do not have a possible overlay. This means that you will need 22 bets in the pot to earn a real profit.

It is important to note that you can not come out ahead in the long run unless you receive an overlay on most of the pots you win. And an overall overlay is the money you actually win. Figuring the overlay is a matter of counting the number of bets placed in the pot in relationship to the number of bets you place in the pot. Then you calculate the odds of you winning that pot against the number of players in the hand. You can win some pots and lose some pots and still make a consistent profit with the right overlay potential in every pot you play.

This may sound difficult. But by playing the right cards in the right position this happens almost automatically. Here is a link to an eBook that will show you how to always have an overlay. Overlay means profit for you. Play to win. Winning is more fun.

http://bookstore.booktango.com/Products/SKU-000580757/Your-Guide-To-Winning--Texas-Holdem.aspx

I have earned money playing holdem for 18 years. I put a lot of effort into learning how to always come out ahead in the long-run. The way to win is to only play with the odds in your favor. This means that there is an overlay. I have coached for the last eight years.

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Plants Vs Zombies IOS

Let me just say that I really like zombies. I mean, I doubt I'd be saying that if (and, let's face it, when) they rise up and start looking to munch on our juicy innards, but for now they're a-okay in my book. I never met a film or game zombie that I didn't like, and despite the fact that the game was made for a smartphone, Plants vs. Zombies for Apple's iOS platform is one incredibly addictive playing experience.

Plants vs. Zombies is a typical tower defense game. Here, your house stands on one side of the screen and the encroaching zombies are on the other, separated only by your lush green lawn. To keep the undead from waltzing in, you have to set up plants which will effectively combat the various enemy types that appear on the screen.

It might sound a little boring on paper, but it's actually quite fun. What an interesting mash up of differing worlds: zombie apocalypse and gardening! The plants at your disposal act almost as characters themselves. They each serve a differing purpose (some peashooters are like machine guns while some plants sit idly waiting to reach out and eat a nearby enemy) but the cartoonish design gives them a personality that makes watching them get eaten by a stronger zombie almost sad. Also, players have to be on the lookout for drops of sunlight which must be collected in order to grow new plants for when a horde of last minute zombies comes shambling toward the house.

The first few levels are more introductory, so fending off attacks isn't all that difficult. But, that just makes some of the later levels all the more challenging when you find yourself suddenly attacked by zombie pole vaulters who can jump your walnut blockades, or old newspaper-reader zombies who rush at your plants once they start taking damage.

The environments offer some nice variety, too. The action starts on your lawn, but then shifts to nighttime (when it's harder to collect sunlight), then to the backyard with its pool and a different set of water-based enemies, before finally winding up on the roof, where the angle of the playing field and lack of soil make things like corn on the cob catapults and flower pots a necessary consideration. Everything leads up to a rooftop boss fight pitting you against a really big baddie.

The game is a blast. And the music that plays walks a nice line between fun and slightly sinister. Honestly, if I hear that music playing in my house someday, I'll probably bob my head along with it while going to check all the windows for undead quarterbacks or zombies wearing traffic cones on their heads, just like in the game.

Plants vs. Zombies does nothing to sway me against the oncoming zombie apocalypse. If anything, it's reassuring to know that when I have to defend myself against zombified quarterbacks and undead disco dancers, I can do so from the relative safety of my home with little more than a few lily pads and giant walnuts.

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The Secret World Character Progression Overview

In an any role-playing game, one must know how to develop a character in order to progress deeper into the game. However, unlike most of the MMORPGs, the upcoming game called The Secret World does not have classes nor levelling systems. Instead, Funcom has created a game that allows players to build their own characters through their own choices of weapons, skills, and abilities with the help of talismans, gears, and other consumable items. So what will the player's joinery be like?

Player's progression in reference to the Secret World leveling guide depends on the amount of experience points that players acquire. Players receive experience points mainly by killing monsters, winning in PvP battlefields, completing missions, and crafting items using transcribing system. These experience points are shown at the bottom of the screen in the experience bar. When one third of the bar is filled up, the player receives an ability point. This ability point is to be used to purchase abilities in the ability wheel. There are 525 abilities available for all players, and a player can potentially learn every single ability in this game. However, player must pick 7 active abilities and 7 passive abilities. There are tons of combinations of weapons and abilities that players could try. Using those combinations, players can move further into the game's storyline.

On the other hand, when a player fills up the whole experience bar, the player receives a skill point. A skill point is used to specialize in a weapon. The weapon skills in The Secret World guide contains a levelling system starting from 1 to 10. Players may equip up to two weapons at a time. Each weapon has two roles, where one role is always to damage the target. Second role varies from healing ability, supporting ability, and to player's survivability. For example, weapon skills of hammers include survivability skills such as mitigation buff and increase in health. Whereas, blood magic includes healing ability such as blood shield, which creates a shield-like barrier that helps restore the target's health. By increasing the weapon skills, players may equip stronger weapons, and may develop one's own form of gameplay.

The amount of experience points needed to gain an ability point or a skill point is set statistically by the developer. However, there are tons of battlefields, war zones, and missions that will provide players with experience points. There are xp-bonus for players who have successfully kills a strong monster. There is a coloring system that tells if a monster is lower, equal, or higher than oneself; monsters will be colored green, yellow, or red respectively. Gain as much experience points as possible to build one and only one character in the world.

The Secret World is a recently released massively multiplayer online game developed by the video game developer, Funcom. Learn more about it by visiting http://fycgaming.net/tsw-the-kingsmouth-code-walkthrough-guide/ right now.

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Saints Row: The Third - Talk About That!

The Saints are back with a whole new city to conquer! Unlike the previous Saints Row games, Saints Row: The Third takes place in an all new city, Steelport. The legendary criminal fraternity, the syndicate has taken over Stilwater and drive the Saints right out of their own city, and force them to move to the decaying city of sin, Steelport.

Now, in Saints Row: The Third, The Third Street Saints must defend their title as the top gang of all! You must help the Saints dominate the city of Steelport and now that they're well known and loved by most of Stilwater's citizens, you can enjoy all the fame and glory that has paid off from all of the hard work of killing gang rivals, and running over the occasional pedestrian every now and again. Store owners displaying Johnny Gat bobble heads, people wearing Saints sneakers, and thirsty pedestrians quenching their thirst and boosting their energy with Saints energy drinks!

The Third Street Saints must now tackle and demand the respect of new enemies including the legendary criminal fraternity, The Syndicate, and trained military forces. The Saints must defend and maintain their status as the top gang and fight their way to the top yet again in the decaying city of sin, Steelport. Especially now that the Syndicate has decided they want to shove the Saints out of Steelport too!

In Saints Row: The Third, you must fight three new gangs all run by the Syndicate:

The Morning Star - a group of European businessmen, led by Viola and her twin sister Loren along with Kiki DeWynter, who control Steelport's sex and weapons trade.

The Deckers - a cyber punk gang of professional, elite hackers that uses Tron-like clothing, vehicles and weapons who launder money for the Syndicate.

The Luchadores - a group of heavily armed Mexican wrestlers ran by their leader, Killbane.

Once again, like in the previous Saints Row games, in Saints Row: The Third, you play as the leader of the Saints in this action-adventure, open world, urban warfare in this critically acclaimed series whom you can customize with all new wacky details such as green, gold, and shiny skins! You must acquire respect in order to take on the missions which lay ahead by completing mini-games and all new activities. This time, respect earned can also be spent on new skills and upgrades for your weapons!

Buy Saints Row: The Third HERE

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Make Healing Possible Using This WoW First Aid Guide

As a ton of you might currently know, this WoW first aid guide combined together with these suggestions and ideas is surely an indispensable ability that may practically help you save a raid from a wipe. First aid is actually a supplementary profession and has now grown to be an enormous part of World of Warcraft game for all characters and classes. Are you sick of barely dying, especially when you thought you were likely to win the battle? Then you need to most likely have the first aid career! It is important to keep area inside your pocket's simply because you'll have to carry cloth that you simply locate on your travels so you are able to convert them to healing bandages.

It really is common to start thinking about the components aspect from the game for example where to locate the mats you will need. Properly, they are going to be all more than the location so forget that thought now. We have all played the professions that make discovering mats an endless battle, am I right? But, that's not first aid, particularly not with this wow first aid guide. This can be not like herbalism where you have to go out and hunt for them. It could not be less difficult, since they will truly discover you on your journey. Most of my supplies for first aid are found in dungeons while I fight with my clan anyway, so this tends to make it so easy. Just before you get right into a random location to acquire components you need to search about to determine if that place drops a bunch of what you will need first. Before you venture out on the hunt for any material be sure you take a look as much as see if that's the optimal spot to get the most for your time. Quit wasting time! This one trick can aid you minimize your wasted time looking for supplies and rather focus on creating you components quicker.

If you like tailoring you discover this portion in the game especially easy simply because you're searching for cloth fairly typically also. Should you get tired of hunting constantly there's yet another way, and that's the auction residence. Want a single of my very best ideas for making a bunch of gold in World of Warcraft? This is certainly going to be my quantity 1 tip to take advantage in the auction residence along with your added mats. Play intelligent. Should you have ANY added materials go ahead and sell them for gold.

For those warriors as well as other individuals whom can not cure themself this could be the very best move yet. It could be helpful to heal oneself in struggle with first aid. If you do not have first aid and don't know if it will aid you, then you have to grab it since it will. This is especially correct for any class with few chances to heal themselves. You clearly need to have as numerous chances to self-heal as you possibly can. As opposed to dying in the midst of fighting, you are able to continue to live on and battle another battle.

Anybody that runs out of mana simply because they heal too often should also look into first aid. It may take a ton of time out of the daily tasks to quit and heal yourself, and this can be multiplied by the amount of people inside your party. So, it's greatest to avoid this wasted time at all expenses by staying ahead from the group and getting ready in terms of healing with first aid. Quit dying so frequently and get your first aid bandage collection going! Even when you've a ton of heals, first aid will really help you as to avoid using a ton of mana all of the time. Being able to stay alive and battle a bit longer is in the long run everything we look for with all the first aid profession.

It's fairly clear now to most game enthusiasts precisely why first aid is really beneficial. It is feasible with the usage of first aid to restore your own partners, level quicker, and a lot much more. Should you waste a large amount of time walking through the graveyard maybe this really is the perfect time to get first aid as a profession. I hope this WoW first aid guide helped you in you happen to be road to learning to be a stronger WoW figure.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Premier Initial Thoughts!

We told you it was coming, today at Gamescom Activision and Treyarch demoed live streaming to the world through Xbox Live, the first views of Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

The highly anticipated next iteration of the Call of Duty franchise, Black Ops 2 we demoed today at Gamescom in Germany, and streamed live over the internet and Xbox Live to the world. Not only did Treyarch and team show off what looks to be an awesome addition to an addicting franchise, but they introduced multiple new features and game play modes that will be available in Black Ops 2.

A great update to the game is that now up to 18 players can play all the time instead of just in ground war!

First Impressions of Gameplay Footage:

Fluid, that's the first thing that comes to mind. The game play looks smooth and seamless, from the main user interaction to the surrounding elements everything seems very polished and ready to go. The environments look familiar, which is to be expected, but the maps are what make the multiplayer, and these new maps are different and look awesome.

This game will certainly scratch the itch that fans of the franchise have. It keeps the familiar feel and elements that make the game successful and loved by players. Because it's a Black Ops 2 game, it brings back diving, which we've all missed! They've added new weapons, new perks, new attachments and updated character models and movements. These all add to the updated and refreshed feeling of the game that will get you hooked back in to the franchise if you've drifted away to say, Battlefield 3?

Newly Announced Features:

Multi-Team Team Death Match - six teams increases the level of carnage within Call of Duty. Players can pick six different factions to play as and team up against up to 18 players in these mosh pit style games. Communication is important here, with this level of mayhem you have to stick together and call out enemies or else your team is going to lose.

Hard Point - Similar to king of the hill or headquarters, teams have to defend specific areas within a map to earn points. The location changes and teams have to move to recover the position.

COD-casting - a way to share your game with viewers, adding to the entertainment level of the game. One of the things that Treyarch has said that they want to do is increase the competition and "sport" of playing COD. COD casting adds a way to save games and share them out into the world along with adding in color commentary. This is something that is certainly going to make a big push on YouTube because one large source of videos is gameplay tips and tricks, this will certainly make these types of videos easier to put together.

Live Streaming - Yes live streaming, it's exactly what you think it is, you can stream gameplay live to other viewers.

Target Finder - A weapon attachment that helps you identify targets at a distance. Cheap yes, useful of course!

League Play - A new gameplay type that pits you against equally skilled players to level the field and increase the competition level. You're playing against people who are as good or as bad as you.

Perk Combinations - not exactly new but they are enhanced now and the combination system is improved.

Ryan Carroll is a technology enthusiast interested who shares his opinions and insights of technology through his blog http://www.techstify.com/. He founded his blog after seeing other technology blogs and feeling that they did not provide the insight that he was looking for when it came to technology, video games and phones.

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