by Cogs42
I just want to post this as a warning to others who are new to the game, and who have purchased the Z-Man edition.I finally got this on the table last weekend, but was distressed to realise shortly afterwards that I had misinterpreted the rules. A clearer English translation of the game's rules are here:
http://www.bambusspiele.de/spiele/flaschenteufel/e_flt_rules...
It was by reading this translation that I realised my mistake. The rules that come with the Z-Man edition are by no means difficult to read, and I may have just been having a dense moment. I thought I would share it anyway.
Here's the bit I find obscure. Under "The Bottle Imp" heading, the Z-Man rules are worded as follows:
"... If only one player plays a card whose number is lower than the current price of the Bottle Imp, then the Bottle Imp automatically transfers to its new owner at the end of the trick. That player takes the Bottle Imp card from the middle of the table, or from another player if applicable, and places it in front of him. He also places the card that won the trick face up on top of the Bottle Imp card to indicate that this is the new current price of the Bottle Imp.
If more than one player plays a card with numbers lower than the current price of the Bottle Imp, then the player who played the highest such card (the one closest to the current price) receives the trick and the Bottle Imp card. The card that won the trick is placed face up on top of the Bottle Imp card, becoming the new current price of the Bottle Imp. That player is also now the current owner of the Bottle Imp. ..."
My mistake was that upon reading these paragraphs, I thought that if there was only one card played below the current bottle imp price, that player received the bottle imp but not the trick. We assumed that the highest card still won the trick. In hindsight, I can see that this severely undermined gameplay for obvious reasons!
On reading back these rules, I realise they mention placing the card "that won the trick" on top of the Bottle Imp card, but I simply missed that phrasing. We were placing the card that effectively "won the Bottle Imp" on top of the Bottle Imp card instead.
I think that section is much more clearly stated in Rick Heli's translation, quoted here from the above link:
"... If somebody plays a card whose number is lower than the current value of the Bottle Imp, then the Bottle Imp automatically transfers to its new owner at the end of the trick.
If only one player has played a card lower than the Bottle Imp value, then this player gets the Bottle Imp and the trick.
If more than one player has played a card whose values are lower than the Bottle Imp, then the player who played the highest such card receives the Bottle Imp and the trick.
The card which won the player both the Bottle Imp and the trick is placed face up under the Bottle Imp. This is the new value of the Bottle Imp. The card which denoted the previous value of the Bottle Imp is added to the taken trick pile of the former owner of the Bottle Imp. (It is possible that this person is the same as the current owner.) ..."
The earlier "About the Game" section of the rules is also more obscurely worded in the Z-Man version, which could otherwise have also helped.
Anyway, flawed translation or dense moment, you decide, but ultimately I hope this helps someone. The correct interpretation of the rules will provide a better game!
