I'm not sure, but I'd say e.g. a game with 50 runners will last for 49 rounds, no matter whether they start with 5.000 or 200.000 points, as long as there will be only one fall into the pond per round. ;-)

Thanks. :-)

Oh, I obviously don't see. Does it mean that the rules are (nearly) the same, the lowest bidder is out of the game, the highest bidder get the bonus and that the only difference (if any) is that the second lower bidder is the brave?

Oh, I see. Does it mean that the 500 points bonus get the brave with the lowest bid?

Vikings: Thanks. -- Would you please explain it so that I can it understand it with my low English level? :-)

Vikings: Would you please tell us more about the Guts?

Well, with 1 point given one must be eliminated. It means the people didn't read the rules. Tough luck. With 20.000 points given I'd suppose the same or a strong dissadvantage in the mathematic (even if I get the reward, I'm staying here with only 500 points which is not so much...).
I think that the 3-points people hoped that somebody will not understand or not read the (rather simple) rules and give only 1 point hoping only the "non movers" will be eliminated. Quite risky, but it worked! :-)

I completely agree with your arguments about points and so. The using of the idiot word in connection with other people is another thing. ;-)

I'd like to be called idiot if I'd still have 19.997 points. :-)
Maybe it was a strange move - but it was a winning move. :-)

You'll have certainly the chance to prove it. I can't imagine that somebody will use all remaining points now, so the third round should be normal. :-)

Sure, I think that the game will last for about 150-180 rounds, so I'd not spend more than 30-50 points in a "normal" second round. The people on the top, who gave luckily 3 points in the first round, wouldn't probably repeat it, but the minimum bet could be somewhere between 10 and 30.

Again (speaking for the 0 point rule): I've never seen it in the second round (i.e. all points spend in the first). It can be seen at the end with only few runners, but in the ending the rewards are quite important (or to avoid the opponent get the reward... :-)), so if I remember correctly (and I'm quite sure I do) this is the first move in all my runs where I can spend only 1 point. Let me enjoy it, please. :-)

Kitti: "0 point moves" are made on every round someone gets eliminated. - Nope, if somebody is eliminated, he/she is eliminated, he/she don't have "0 points", so this situation is really quite unusual.

Mad Monkey: AFAIK the game comes from Germany where it's (well) known as "Ostfriesisches Deichwandern". I played it first time as PBM years ago in a club in Vienna. The "zero point rule" is the only rule which we (me and a lot of comrade-in-run on a Czech discussion server where we played it for years) have added due the translation and testing. I can live with the rule, as I already said, I didn't see it executed much often, but of course it could be deleted (again). I think, both points of view (for or against it) can be defended.

I've googled now for the German version of rules and I've found several variation. I'd prefere the variant with the eliminating of more runners per round if there are lots of them on the route. 2 are eliminated by 10+ runners, 3 by 20+, 4 by 30+ and so on. Then it should be possible to run such HUGE runs without any time problems. (This game should be fun and I'm personally not sure if any game, which lasts for approximately one year, can be...)

I already run around the pond some dozend times and to be honest, this is the first time I see somebody to spend all his/her points in the first round. -- If I know that there will be at least one runner "standing" (i.e. with a 0 point move) I can certainly (and I personally will) give only 1 point and I'll stay dry. But as Kitty said, nobody is forced to give 1 point and I'm quite sure, there will be several reward hunters with much more points spended. Anyway, I think even if it "lenghtens the game unnecessarily", the game is much more shortened by the eliminating of 50+ (non)runners in the first round than lenghtened by this rule.

Btw, the "0 point move" is seen far less often than you can think after this (little bit strange) first round, I'd rather expect it (if even) near the finishing-line. Please note that a run with 200+ runners is something quite special, IMHO the ideal number of runners is 20-30.

Probably the three players didn't read the rules. ;-)

Well, it means that 2 points are hardly enough to get a reward. :-)

Yep. :-) (Besides of the "reward hunters".)