Pollyanna
Pollyanna Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preparation
Pollyanna is for Two, Three, or Four Players. When two play, sit opposite. When three play leave one side of the board vacant. When four play a partnership game is usually used,—partners sitting opposite each other.
After being seated at the board, each player takes four pieces of the same color as the "Home Entrance" in front of him. Thus, the player seated at the Blue entrance will take four Blue pieces, the player at the Red entrance four Red pieces, etc. Each player places his four pieces on the corner of his color at his right until they are actually in play.
The Object of Each Player
To successfully play all four of his pieces from the starting point around the board to the "Home Entrance" of his own color, and then up the narrow path to POLLYANNA in the center. The player whose four pieces first reach POLLYANNA WINS THE GAME.
In the play pieces are moved according to the throw of dice. They are liable to capture upon the "BROADWAY," but are safe upon spaces of their own color and upon the "TURNOUTS," which are advantageous to use especially in getting around "blockades."
To Start the Game
Throw to see who will start first, each player throwing in turn two dice, the highest count giving that player the first turn.
THE FIRST PLAYER then throws two dice. If either die shows the highest number (6), or if both dice make a combination of 6 (such as 2 and 4), he may ENTER one of his pieces upon the sixth space on the Broadway at his right, which is marked as the entrance space of his color. Should he fail to throw a 6, or combination equalling six, the turn passes to the player at his right. Players throw in succession, the turn always passing to the right. A player may only enter his piece on a throw of 6 as above indicated. A player must enter a piece for every throw of 6 he makes or its equivalent until all four of his pieces are in play.
If he throws, say, 6 and 3 he enters a piece with his 6 and then moves that piece, or another piece already entered, three spaces forward.
If he throws two 6's he enters two pieces and has another throw, as provided by the rule concerning DOUBLETS on the next page.
After a player once has a piece or pieces upon the board he applies the throw of his dice to moving them forward either upon the Broadway or Turnouts with the object of bringing all four safely around and to POLLYANNA. Thus, if a player has only one piece on the board he moves it as many spaces as the sum of the two dice, but if he has two or more pieces already entered and throws, say a 4 and 5, he may, if he wishes, move one of the pieces four and another piece five spaces.
You must make the full and exact move for each die, if you can. Thus, if you throw 5-3 you must move one piece five and then move it three further, or move another piece three. If you cannot play for both dice, play for one. If you cannot move for either, you lose your turn. A play must always be made for both dice, if possible.
Broadway
Broadway is the straight, wide, double-track running around the board. On Broadway one piece may Pass another, or two or three pieces of the same color coming together may form a Blockade, or one opposing piece landing upon the same space as another may Capture that piece. On Broadway the only spaces upon which players' pieces are safe (unless he gets two together, which form a "Blockade" and are safe while remaining so) are the spaces of its own color.
Turnouts
There are four Turnouts all of which are open to all players. The object of the Turnouts is to provide a safe but slower route of travel and also to enable players at times to move around "Blockades." The Turnouts are single tracks and on Turnouts no piece may pass another, nor rest upon the same space. If more than one piece is moved on to the same turnout the piece in the lead blocks any behind on the turnout, until it is moved forward out onto Broadway.
Blockades
On the Broadway one piece may pass another, but two pieces of the same color upon the same space form a "Blockade" which no other piece may pass, as long as the blockade remains. A player may hold a "Blockade" thus made until he is obliged to play one of its pieces. It is often possible to get around "Blockades" by using the single track Turnouts, which are slightly longer, but upon which a piece is safe from capture. A player cannot pass any "Blockades," not even his own, but if his throw takes his piece exactly to his own "Blockade" he may rest a third piece there, making a "Blockade" of three pieces. On his next turn he may move forward. A "Blockade" formed on an opponent's Starting Point will prevent an opponent from entering while it remains.
Safety Spaces
All spaces on the board of the same color as a player's pieces are Safety Spaces. On all other spaces upon "Broadway" any single piece is in danger of capture. Any piece is safe when upon the single track "Turnouts."
A Rival's Piece may pass a single piece resting safely on its own color (counting that colored space as one space when passing over it), but cannot stop on that space thus occupied, even should he lose his turn through inability to play elsewhere.
Capturing
A single piece may be captured by an opponent if the throw of the dice permits the opponent to bring a piece to the same space. A captured piece is removed from the board and must start over, being entered again as soon as its owner throws a 6 or its equivalent. A player capturing an opposing piece has a Reward of 10 spaces which he may apply to the piece which made the capture, or by moving some other piece ten spaces forward.
Example:
If a player throws say a 5 and 3 and there is an opposing piece five spaces ahead of his own, he may move his piece five spaces, capture the opposing piece and hand it to its owner, and then move his same piece, or any piece of his, ten spaces forward as a Reward, and the same piece or any piece three spaces further for the other die.
A capture could be made on the same throw if the opposing piece had been eight spaces away and unprotected, as five and three make eight.
Should the 10 Reward, or his 3, enable him to capture still another piece, he does so and gets an additional Reward of 10. Player may apply his Reward in moving any piece he chooses, but must move the full 10 spaces with one piece, and if this is impossible on account of "Blockades" or other reasons the Reward is lost.
Re-entering
When a piece is captured it is handed to its owner who places it on his colored corner at his right. Its owner must enter it at his starting point the very next time that he throws a 6 on one die or a combination that adds to 6 on the two dice.
Doublets
When a player throws "doublets," i.e., a throw such as 3-3, or 5-5, after moving pieces for that throw, he is given an additional throw, and if he throws another "Doublet" will have still a third throw, and so on as many times as he continues to throw doublets. (Exception) If you throw a "Doublet" and cannot play for both dice and can play for one, play that, but you cannot have an extra throw unless you are able to play for both dice.
Starting Point
If you enter a piece with a 6 and there is a single opponent on your starting point, you capture it. If there is a rival's "Blockade" on your starting point, you cannot enter a piece while the "Blockade" remains there, but must play elsewhere if possible,—otherwise lose your turn.
A player's piece is safe on his own starting point, it being his color, and he can remain there as long as he wishes, provided he can play other pieces.
The Home Entrance
After a player has gone around the board, on reaching the entrance of his color he moves up the straight single track (his "Home Path") toward POLLYANNA. The large central space POLLYANNA must be reached by exact throw of the dice, counting POLLYANNA as the last or "Home" space.
The "Home Entrance" is treated like any Safety Space. It is a safety spot for a piece of its own color, but it is not necessary to stop on it. If a player's throw carries his piece past his Entrance he continues up the "Home Path" toward POLLYANNA. An opponent's Blockade on a "Home Entrance" space will prevent a player from entering his "Home Path" while the Blockade is held.
The Home Path
The small paths from the Entrance to POLLYANNA are called the "Home Paths" and no piece save those of the entrance color may enter that particular path. On the "Home Path" (as on the turnouts) no two pieces may rest on the same space, nor can one piece pass another, even though this causes the loss of a turn. Your move must take you exactly to Pollyanna, counting Pollyanna as the last and final space. Thus, should you need 3 to reach Pollyanna and throw 4-6, you cannot play that piece, but should you throw a 3-6, you may reach Pollyanna with the three and play the 6 elsewhere if possible.
Science of the Game
The use of good judgment is afforded great opportunity in playing POLLYANNA. A wise use of the turnouts on well advanced pieces, the advance of a piece to get close to and in a possible position to capture an opponent's piece well advanced towards his goal, the use of one's play upon pieces liable to become a victim of a probable "blockade," the blockading of opponents, the pursuit and capture of well advanced opponents rather than of those which have just started, are among the features which make good play. The best use of the chances afforded often results in the winning of a close and exciting game.
[Diagram A: a section of the track showing Broadway with the Yellow and Blue entrances and their Starting Points, a Turnout with a Home Path branching off, a Red entrance, and a star marking a Blockade. Caption: "Diagram A".]
Diagram Illustrating Moves
This Diagram shows a section of the track.
YELLOW has just entered a piece at Yellow Starting Point, having thrown a 6 and 3. YELLOW cannot play his 3 on this piece because RED'S BLOCKADE prevents and he must play his 3 elsewhere if possible. Had he thrown 6-2 he could have played two spaces beyond the starting point, removing the BLUE piece behind the Blockade.
Behind Yellow and Blue approaches a RED piece, which may capture BLUE if it throws a 5 or may play onto the TURNOUT behind the BLUE piece there shown.
RED cannot capture YELLOW if he gets a 3, because Yellow is upon Yellow Starting space and is safe. The BLUE piece on the Turnout cannot be passed by, nor captured, and the two RED pieces blockade all passing until either BLUE moves forward out of the Turnout leaving that track free, or until RED'S blockade is broken by the necessity of moving one of his pieces forward.
Suppose RED has only the three pieces shown upon the tracks, the other piece having encircled the board and reached POLLYANNA, RED will be obliged to break the Blockade on his next turn if his aggregate throw is over 6 (unless RED throws doublets, in which case he can move both pieces forward together, thus retaining his Blockade and on his next throw possibly moving up behind his Blockade.) If RED throws 6, he may move his single piece onto his Blockade forming a Blockade of three pieces, but he cannot pass his Blockade, without landing on it by exact throw of one die.
If RED throws say 6-3, he would make a pretty play in breaking his Blockade by moving one piece forward three spaces and then moving his single piece forward six spaces, thus forming a new Blockade in the same location. If Red's Blockade was only one space ahead of its location, it would blockade the turnout as well as the Broadway.
[Diagram B: the full board, with the four colored Home Entrances, the Turnouts, the Broadway loops, the central POLLYANNA space, and numbered spaces 10 and 16 marked on one track.]
This diagram shows the course of play around the board. The player throwing a 6 enters on the space at the right. On a subsequent play if he throws 4 it would take him to the space named 10. A 6 after that would take him to a space named 16. His progress continues around the board as indicated, using the Turnouts, however, when he chooses, which are three spaces longer but entirely safe. When he reaches the Home Entrance of his own color he goes up the single path to POLLYANNA.
Partnership Games
Great Fun for Four Players. Partners sit opposite. You may land on the same space as your partner, forming a "Blockade" or you may land on the same space with your partner's "Blockade," all three pieces then being safe,—but you must land exactly, and cannot pass over. You are safe on your own color, but not on your partner's safety color.
When all of one partner's four pieces reach POLLYANNA he stays out of the game. The game is WON by the partners, whose eight pieces reach POLLYANNA before all of the opponents' eight have done so.