Okay, so I stumbled across this game called Potts Race online a while back, looked kinda simple, figured I’d give it a spin. Seriously, the rules sounded easy enough at first glance – place your bets, roll some dice, move your piece, try to get it home first. Boom, done. How hard could it be?
My First Attempts Were… Rough
Grabbed a set of dice I had lying around, scribbled a makeshift board on some paper (yeah, totally low-tech start!), and roped in my nephew to play. Let’s just say… I got schooled. Hard.
- The betting thing threw me off. You gotta place a bet before you see what number you need to roll to move your piece? That felt backwards. Kept betting high when I needed a tiny number, or low when I needed the big one. Felt like an idiot.
- Blocking and getting blocked. I thought if I landed on his piece, cool, I send him back. He kept doing it to me, constantly! My piece spent half the game sulking near the start.
- Getting home took forever. You need exactly the right number to finish? Seriously? Countless rolls where I just sat there, one space away, rolling everything but the stupid ‘1’ I needed. So frustrating.
After like, the fifth game where I got totally owned by a ten-year-old, I decided it was time to actually think instead of just flinging dice around.
Where I Started Figuring Stuff Out
Instead of just playing annoyed, I started paying attention. Played a bunch of solo games against myself (felt weird, but useful!), trying different stuff.
Betting Smarter: This was the big change. I realized betting super high early on was usually a bad gamble. That big number (usually 6) you need often doesn’t come up right away, so you risk losing a lot. I started betting lower at the beginning, like 1 or 2. The odds felt better for those smaller numbers showing up. Then, once I actually got a piece out and moving okay, maybe I’d risk a higher bet if it felt right.
Blocking Became My Weapon: Instead of being the victim, I actively tried to park my piece right behind my opponent’s. Makes it way harder for them to move without rolling exactly what they need to jump over you or land on you. Suddenly, my nephew was the one getting grumpy!
Patience Pays Off: Trying to force that last roll for home is painful. I learned it’s sometimes better to just play defensively, focus on messing with the other player’s pieces with smart blocking, and wait for that perfect roll to happen naturally, rather than rolling desperately and getting sent back constantly.
What Actually Seems to Work (For Me, Anyway)
After getting my butt kicked and then slowly clawing my way back, here’s the gist of what I found helpful:
- Bet Low Early: Seriously, stick to 1s and 2s at the start. Conserve those points until you have a piece moving well.
- Aggressive Blocking: Don’t just land on them if it happens. Plan to land just behind their pieces. It’s the best way to slow them down.
- Don’t Rush the Finish: If you’re one space away? Cool. Don’t get fixated. Keep blocking, keep collecting points from safe bets. That winning roll will come eventually.
- Watch Opponent’s Bets: If they bet high, they’re clearly trying for that number. Maybe position yourself where they want to land? Adds another layer of messing with them.
Look, I’m not saying I’m some Potts Race grandmaster now. Luck is still a huge jerk sometimes. But after banging my head against it, these simple shifts in thinking – betting smarter at the start, blocking like it’s my job, and chilling out near the finish line – changed the game from total frustration to something actually fun and strategic. Give ’em a shot next time you play!