Games World of Puzzles February 2020

Welcome to the February issue of GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES. Whether you had to shovel a path to the mailbox to retrieve your copy or brave the cold to buy the issue at your local bookseller, we guarantee it will be worth the trouble! Packed with entertaining puzzles and articles, this issue will help you avoid the winter blahs.

Have you ever spent a particularly dull day at the office dreaming about being paid to play games? Todd Kreisman, the author of our feature article, “A Pro Poker Career: Is It in the Cards?” (page 34), has done just that. Eventually, he decided that becoming a professional poker player was the best way to accomplish his goal. And now, he has written about his experiences in this humorous, tongue-in-cheek article. It just might inspire you to catch the next World Series of Poker on TV!

Backgammon, another game often played for money, is the subject of another article in this issue. If you’re like us, you probably associate this game with ritzy casinos in Monte Carlo. But you can play it casually at home with friends or family. To learn the basics, check out “Introduction to Backgammon” (page 40) by veteran player and backgammon author Robert Wachtel.

Once you finish browsing the articles, you’ll want to turn your attention to the puzzles. Candy connoisseurs will enjoy “Sugar Rush: A Candy-Centric Quiz” (page 38) by Raymond Simon. He’s collected a treasure trove of trivia about the sweet stuff—see how many questions you can answer correctly!

As always, our Pencilwise section contains plenty of delightful crossword variants, such as Mike Nothnagel’s Mixed Doubles (page 3), a perennial favorite, and Patrick Berry’s “Cloud Nine” (page 22). Highlights from the math/logic category include Conceptis Puzzles’ “Slitherlink” (page 13) and “Domino Theory” by Margery Albis (page 54).

Enough from us…sharpen your pencil, make yourself a cup of hot cocoa, and get busy solving!