The Captain's Mistress Rules
These rules are provided by Masters Traditional Games, an Internet shop selling quality traditional games, pub games and unusual games. We publish free game rules in order to promote game playing around the world. To find out more, visit the website www.mastersgames.com or email custserv@mastersgames.com.
You are welcome to print, copy or pass these rules on but only in their original form including the copyright and the information about Masters Traditional Games. The disclaimer on the Masters Traditional Games website applies.
These rules are comprehensive instructions for friendly play. They are not a complete set of standard regulations encompassing all situations that might be encountered. If in doubt, players should always abide by locally-played or house rules. The Captain's Mistress is supposedly the game that so engrossed Captain Cook during his long voyages, that his crew gave it the name that has stuck to this day. Modern day copies such as Connect-4 are simply rehashed versions of this game.
Masters
Games sells a giant version of The Captain's Mistress as well as the normal
sized game.
Equipment
The game is set in a box that also acts as a store for the wooden balls. The lid of the box, while opened, acts as the playing area. It has 7 channels into which balls can be dropped and there should be 21 balls of a light shade and 21 balls of a darker hue.
Preparation and Objective
All chutes start empty which is usually achieved by temporarily removing the retaining bar that lies along the bottom of all the chutes allowing the balls to fall into the box. A coin is tossed to decide which person plays with which set of balls. The player with lighter balls plays first and this is generally thought to be advantageous.
The aim is for a player to get four of a player's balls in a row, diagonally, horizontally or vertically. To offset any advantage in going first, a series of games should be played and the player with the most games at the end wins the match.
Play
Players take turns to drop a ball into the chute. The game is won as soon as one of the players drops a ball into a chute that successfully completes a line of four balls. Should all the balls be played without a line of four balls having been completed, the game is drawn.
Copyright © 1999 Masters Games. All rights reserved.
Product Index
General
Info
View
Basket
Contact Us
Game Rules
Shortcuts
Chess
Go
Croquet
Skittles
Bowls
Poker Sets