The only thing hotter than last week’s eruption of the Fagradals Mountain volcano were the dice being tossed at the Gammon on the Green (GOG) last night in Reykjavík. Iceland' volcano has been dormant for over 6,000 years, but it didn't take long for the fans at The GOG to erupt as MollyMac and JohnnyU battled it out to the end.
It started out with the early juice being squeezed from Urogdy's dice. JU went up 3 zip after a single win and a gammon. But in game #3, Molly cubed and got hot with 2 sets of the Snowshoes to make it 3-2 (JU). JohnnyU got a pair of sixes of his own to win the next game and take a 4-2 advantage. Molly answered back by winning the next two games. Her 6-5, 6-5, 6-6, was more than enough to knot the tourney at 4s.
Then it was JohnnyU with 3 games in a row, a single win (5-4), an accepted MM cube; winning the race (7-4), and a JU accepted cube that he goes on to win (9-4). It was looking strong for U-rog-dog, but Mac cubed and won the next game (9-6). With confidence, she cubed again...but this time it was JU to win the race (11-6).
The big moment for Mac came in game #12. Down by 5 points, she used her strong position to double. Her position improved and JU was skating on the thin ice of Iceland. With 1 shot and a closed board, he misses. The Mac fans went wild as she rolled over him for a 4-point gammon, slicing the lead down to 1 point. (11-10) JU.
Her fans cheered as she grabbed the mic and fired them up,
"I'm back... Because I'm a SERIOUS competitor".
With the cheers that followed, you'd think we were all a Trump rally. But politics doesn’t even compete with the passion of those fans who follow the IBC and stars of the game. The following game was tight; it was anyone’s game coming down to the final two rolls.. Then BAM.. Urogdy nails the Box Cars and the game ends, execution style. (12-10).
When asked about it after the match, JohnnyU said,
"We weren't excepting the 6s. In fact, with the cadence of the rolls heading down the stretch, no one in the arena was expected it. We were hoping to hit high numbers and bear off in two turns. Looking back, I think it was this game, this roll that won it for us."
JU rode the momentum for another win, going up 13-10. But the tourney was far from over. Mac cubed game #15...JU dropped 13-11. Mac cubed again in game #16. This double was accepted and Molly hammered out the win to once again tie the tourney. This time at 13-13. This was only the second tie of the tourney, the first one coming at 4-4.
In the next game, JU used his advantage to cube. Mac drops and the Crawford light was illuminated.
"I wasn't going to play for the tourney, being down. With 'The Exterminator' on the bench, I was confident that we'd either win a gammon for the tourney or play one more." Mac
In the Crawford game, it was all MacIntosh. With a gammon clearly on the table, Ju was somehow able to wriggle on the hook. But the Crawford light was extinguished and the scoreboard at the GOG flicked to 14-14.. The cool green neon light let the fans know that there would be one final game.
But in an anticlimactic finish, it was JU who got the early rolls and set the stage for victory. With the 15-14 win, JohnnyU takes a 3-match winning streak on the road again.
After the match Molly spoke to BNN's reporter, Fortuna Fibs.
"It was a spirited tourney, unlike the last two which were mundane. Felt good, we climbed out of a hole, used the cube wisely, had some hot dice, didn't make tactical errors, thought we were gonna pull it out. Didn't get the numbers in the final game to win. We needed the gammon at Crawford. That was our shot. Johnny-boy slithered out of it like the snake that he is."
Hot Hanna caught up to JohnnyU,
"Another epic tourney. Could have went either way. Cubing at 13-13 gave us a big advantage to have Crawford on our side. Frankly, I thought I was going to get gammoned in the Crawford game. We were fortunate enough to escape, play at fourteens, and hold on for a win"
BOX News Wire: Justin Rolls reporting
Dice Whisperer Mac Iced as Cubes fly!
No one can call Mac a chicken when it comes to the CUBE. In last night's 19 game, she tossed the cube around like it was a hot piece of lava. And she was effective. Of the six cubes that JohnnyU accepted, Molly won four.
But even her 4-point gammon wasn't enough to break the ice in the cold weather venues. Since the heat of Hollywood.... Russia, Alaska, and Iceland have cooled her jets.
With the adoption of the losing competitor picking venues, we all wonder if she is heading South.
I asked Mac about the dice whispering tactics during the match... Take a listen...
Mac heard whispering "Come on little dicey, heat up for mamma"
"Justin, you know as well as anyone, that dice need to know what you want. Like racehorses, they can't understand every word, but using thoughts and words, powered with backgammon karma and the will of the Backgammons Gods, they can give you just what you need when you need them the most. A little whisper, a little love and a little blowing, works wonders in this world."
"Helps with the dice too, I imagine, Molly... good luck on the Circuit. we love your spirit." -JR