It was a holiday weekend and we were looking for something different. There were seven people in my NYC apartment that evening; Sluggo, Pete Kolp, Just Ray, Cyndi, Christy Gaiti, Sam and me. We played two heated games; in the end Pete Kolp was victorious with a cumulative score of 610. The Yahtzee Cup had yet to be created; Pete went home with a bowling trophy I bought at The Salvation Army. It was a great night we sang we laughed and we took pictures of Pete and Ray in compromising positions with the Trophy, or so we thought – Sadly there was no film in Joe Murphy’s camera, just as well I think.
Other stats from the First Annual Presidents’ Day Tournament & Outing…
Highest Score Single Game – 372 Pete Kolp
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 2 Sluggo & Pete Kolp
Most Yahtzees Overall – 3 Pete Kolp
Lowest Score Single Game – 125 Sam Cherry (Soon to be Sposato)
1999 ~ YZ-2
Due to an ivory shortage no dice were produced in 1999. No dice – No Tourney.
2000 ~ YZ-3
This day continues to live on in legend. What’s true? All of it! Did Chris discover Slippy McGee – read it from atop a ladder with a shirt over his head? Yes! Did Pete really wet the couch? Yes! Did Tony strip naked and jump in the lagoon – twice? Yes! Was the dining room table forever marred? The kitchen countertops ruined? Yes and yes! Was this where the phrase “Corn in my poo” entered the American lexicon and where Steve Greenwood established himself as the greatest Pop Up Video player ever? Yes!
Would I do it all over again? Yes!
2000 Stats Tom’s River, NJ
Highest Score Single Game – 414 Scott Hoegel
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 2 Bob Shaw & Scott Hoegel
Most Yahtzees Overall – 4 Sluggo
Lowest Score Single Game – 124 JD
Drunkest – The Best Yahtzee Player Ever
Nicest Ass – Dan Hagen
Cinderella Story – Chris Morgan
Score That Took the Cup to Aston – 277 Chris Morgan
Other stats from the First Annual Presidents’ Day Tournament & Outing…
Highest Score Single Game – 372 Pete Kolp
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 2 Sluggo & Pete Kolp
Most Yahtzees Overall – 3 Pete Kolp
Lowest Score Single Game – 125 Sam Cherry (Soon to be Sposato)
2001 ~ YZ-4
What the Hatt’s were thinking is still beyond me. Our Tourney, attended by no more than 30 was raucous. To this day I believe that more beer was spilt on the floor than down our throats; most of it by me as I rolled the all-time low score of 115 in The Finals. This day marked the first Yahtzee appearance of Bob’s testicle and the last of meatball hoagies.
Brad and Carolyn moved in disgrace a few months later…
2001 Stats Mr. & Mrs. Bradley Hatt
Highest Score Single Game – 493 Scott Hoegel
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 3 Scott Hoegel
Most Yahtzees Overall – 5 Scott Hoegel
Luckiest Bastard in the Tourney – Scott Hoegel
Guy Who Must Have Brought His Own Dice – Scott Hoegel
Poor Bastard Who Didn’t Roll 1 Yahtzee in the Finals – Scott Hoegel
Lowest Score Single Game – 115 TBYPE (in the Finals)
Drunkest – Bob Shaw & The best Yahtzee Player Ever
Man Without Pants – Bob Shaw
Nicest Bum – Sheri Morgan
Score That Took The Cup To Vegas Baby – 320 Cory Harwell (Perfect Game)
2002 ~ YZ-5
In 2002 we find ourselves @ the beautiful home of Hope and Bill Kinnard. And we beat the hell out of it. We also beat the hell out of Anthony. Other notes from 2002… We lost Chris Gannon but found him unharmed a day – or so later. 2002 marked the origination of YahtCD, a Tournament tradition ever since.
2002 Stats Mr. & Mrs. Bill Kinnard
Highest Score Single Game – 446 Christy Gaiti
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 3 Christy Gaiti
Most Yahtzees Overall – 5 Anthony L.
First Yahtzee – Carolyn Hatt
First Beer Yahtzee – Carrie Gabel
First Social – Sheri Morgan
Lowest Score Single Game – 137 Carrie Gabel
Nicest Bum – Carolyn Hatt
Drunkest – Anthony L.
Cinderella Story – Anthony L.
Score That Won It All – 408 Anthony L.
2003 ~ YZ-6
Due to pregnancy The Tourney is postponed 7 months to September 13th. One and one half years past the last Tourney we prepare to celebrate the birth of President William H. Taft. Due to weather The Tourney is moved inside at the last moment for $100 and a reach around. Due to drunkenness hotel guests and employees enjoy a plethora of obscenities and nudity. A lot of Dues…
2003 Stats Kennett Square, PA
Highest Score Single Game – 417 Maggie Sposato
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 2 Carolyn, Dan, Maggie & Preston
Most Yahtzees Overall – 3 Carolyn Hatt, Mike Preston & Maggie Sposato
First Yahtzee – Sloppy Records (drink 1)
First Beer Yahtzee – Sloppy Records (drink 2)
First Social – Sloppy Records (drink 3)
Lowest Score Single Game – 128 Rick Gabel
Ass That Made Carolyn Cry – The Best Yahtzee Player Ever
Nicest Bum – Preston
Drunkest – Bob Shaw, Pete Kolp & Maggie Sposato
Cinderella Story – Silky Dave
Third Place – 235 The Best Yahtzee Player Ever
Second Place – 239 Dan Hagen
Score That Broke My Damn Heart – 252 Silky Dave
My Bitch in ‘04 – Silky Dave
2004 ~ YZ-7
The Seventh Annual Presidents’ Day Yahtzee Tournament & Outing found us back and welcome at the Hilton garden Inn in Kennett Square (God bless ‘em) on Saturday the 12th of February 2004. With 50 souls entered in the contest and several more in the gallery we polished off 5 barrels of beer, three deli platters & 12 pizzas. Bob kept his clothes on; Bill sadly, did not.
A Word to the Wise:
Do not take this Tournament lightly my friends. It is a hard road to The Finals and as Zow always says, “It’s a marathon – not a sprint.”
Much can be learned from the tale of young Zak Walker who used “The Force” to navigate his way to The Finals only to collapse after his 6th turn. Zak was disqualified but his “unofficial” score was 144 after 6 turns which would have garnered him 4th – if only he could have stayed awake.
2004 Stats Kennett Square, PA
Highest Score Single Game – 511 Rick Gabel
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 3 Rick Gabel & Mike Bove
Most Yahtzees Overall – 9 Mike Bove
First Yahtzee – Tom Hagen
First Beer Yahtzee – Cory Harwell
First Mulligan (ever) – Josh “Dawg” Holm
Lowest Score Single Game – 119 Rose Walker
Nicest Bum – Bill Kinnard
Drunkest – Zak “Drunk Muppet” Walker
Honorable Mention – Zak Walker
Third Place – 235 Sheri Morgan
Second Place – 254 Rick Gabel
Keeper of The Cup – 346 Mike Bove
2005 ~ YZ-8
What can be said about 2005 other than what was I thinking?! “Hey Tony” said the Devil on my left shoulder and I said “what?” And he says “put 6 in The Finals; put Dan Hagen in the hunt.” And the Angel on my right shoulder says “hey why not? It’s only Dan, and he sucks.”
Well f*** me.
2005 Stats Kennett Square, PA
Highest Score Single Game – 463 Chris Morgan
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 3 Chris Morgan
Most Yahtzees Overall – 7 Chris Hagberg
Lowest Score Single Game – Carrie Gabel
Nicest Bum – Steve Greenwood
Drunkest – Maggie Sposato
Third Place – 237 Sheri Morgan
Second Place – 335 Chris Hagberg
Write-in Winner – 373 Dan Hagen
2006 ~ YZ-9
What a Tournament the 9th was! Ok, it sucked – for me at least. Not only did I not make The Finals, I didn’t make it into the second round! For the first time in our Tourney’s storied history I failed to make it out of the first set, if fact I was 42nd. Good for me. But that’s not the story. Nor is the story about my brief conflict of conscience when I nearly let everyone into the second round – just so I could continue to play. Nope the story starts at the beginning of The Tournament when the first guy to arrive (Mike Preston) complemented me on my soft, orange die, Mardi Gras necklace – and I gave it to him. Within the necklace was the Yahtzee Magic that carried Mike through The Tourney, into the winners circle and along the way Mike set a new Tournament single game high score of 528; all with my Mojo.
There was one other controversy. You see, people constantly ask me how many people are going to make The Finals. My reply is always the same, “Five. Unless I’m in sixth or I really like the person in sixth.” Well in sixth place this year was my sister Maggie. I put five in The Finals. Not because I don’t “really like” Maggie. She was just 33 points out and only one point ahead of Zak Walker in seventh. I suppose I could have let her in but I wanted to avoid the appearance of favoritism. Mags didn’t quite see it that way and poured her beer on my wife Sam (who was in The Finals.) Yahtzee is tearing my family apart.
Oh yeah – my Yahtzee Diary, missing since 2003, was returned.
Thank you (I know who you are.)
2006 Stats Kennett Square, PA
Highest Score Single Game – 528 Mike Preston
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 3 Rick Gabel, Steve Greenwood, Mike Preston
Most Yahtzees Overall – 6 John Davidson, Robert Sposato
Lowest Score Single Game – 141 Drew Nickerson
Nicest Bum – John Davidson
Fourth Place – 263 Sam Sposato
Third Place – 266 John Davidson
Second Place – 303 Robert Sposato
West Coast Winner – 419 Mike Preston
2007 ~ YZ-10
The 10th Annual Presidents Day Yahtzee Tournament Outing couldn’t have come off better. It was an unprecedented success. Sure we could have raised more money. Sure there could have been more nudity. Sure it would have been nice if the bar stayed open another hour but it had been open for 12 hours straight. So who’s complaining? Not me. Not yet.
The weekend, and it was a weekend, began with all the pomp and circumstance of a presidential inauguration. I wish I could say more about Friday evenings Tournament of Champions Invitational but I can’t. I am an old man and I should not be allowed to drink shots. I was escorted from the field before the end of the battle by loving hands. I hear that Cory Harwell won the TofC and lifetime ownership of The Yahtzee Cup (ret.) Thbbbbbbbbbbttt (I think that’s how you spell the fart sound you make when you purse your lips stick your tongue out and blow.) That’s all I have to say about that. But it was fun.
On Saturday we had 74 souls playing, 74! And a slew of folks in the gallery. As a new twist in the second round we added a “play in” tournament for all those eliminated in round 1. The individual with the highest cumulative 2 game score won the prized 6th seat in The Finals. Records were falling like Heather for Cory.
The record for highest score in a single game first fell to Pete Kolp and then to John “JD” Davidson along with the record for most Yahtzees in single game. Oh yeah we had more people playing Yahtzee than ever before so that must be some kind of record, I should call Guinness. I should have a record for the most insanity over Yahtzee. Sam should have a record for shaving my back, well maybe not a record; how about a medal or a certificate of participation, something.
2007 Stats Mohegan Sun Casino
Highest Score Single Game – 644 John Davidson
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 4 John Davidson, Pete Kolp
Most Yahtzees Overall – 6 John Davidson, Robert Sposato, Heather Johnson
Lowest Score Single Game – 130 Rose Sposato
Nicest Bum – Heather Johnson
1st “Play In” Ever – John Quinn
Fourth Place – 200 Steve Greenwood
Third Place – 238 Chris Hagberg
Second Place – 241 John Quinn
Perfect “10”th Annual PDYT&O Winner – 261 Heather Johnson
2008 ~ YZ-11
In our 11th year we found ourselves back in the comfortable bosom of the Hilton Garden Inn in Kennett Square, PA. Under the toothy direction of Bradley Hatt 54 souls came to play but only one came in a dress – and he was beautiful.
This was the second year we had a play-in round and the first year the play-in winner won The Tournament. The f’ing PLAY-IN winner! That is bull sh!t! At least I really dig the guy who took home Tommy’s Bowl but it doesn’t make me feel any better. Still we did have our first player in drag so that has to count for something, right?
2008 Stats – Kennett Square, PA
Highest Score Single Game – 515 Mike Preston
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 3 Mike Preston, Scott Simmons
Most Yahtzees Overall – 6 Michael “Chat” Chatfield
Lowest Score Single Game – 142 Jessica Greenwood (in The Finals)
Fourth Place – 205 Mark Klein
Third Place – 228 Traci Manley
Second Place – 258 Bob Shaw
The Tallest Winner & Keeper of The Bowl – 314 Michael “Chat” Chatfield
2009 ~ YZ-12
In 2009 we found ourselves in a new venue, The Concordville Inn. How exciting! What should we do? Ohh, I know! Let’s have a photo booth! Or a mashed potato bar! I’ll tell you what let’s have our biggest Tournament ever, that will be fun. Through the miracle of Facebook we were able to spread the reach of Yahtzee Nation to the masses and it was good. Over 75 souls came to play and consume the equivalent of 8 kegs. Our most diverse crowd ever boasted representatives from 12 states 4 countries and a woman’s rugby team. I love you Mancini! It was our 12th Tourney and our best yet. In the end rookie Lester Traband beat the field and took home The Bowl.
One more note…
Our longest standing record fell at this Tourney.
In the Finals of 2001 The Best Yahtzee Player Ever rolled a 115 setting the record for The Lowest Score rolled in a Single Game. It’s hard to roll less than 115 even when you try. Popular thinking was that a record that would stand the test of time.
And then there was Michael “Chat” Chatfield. Chat, 2008 Yahtzee champion, played well that day. Well enough to miss the cut and find himself in the Play-In – again. But Chat prevailed, as Champions do, and he won the coveted 6th seat in The Finals, for the second year in a row. And then he rolled the worst game in the history of Yahtzee. Well done there.
2009 Stats – Concordville, PA
Highest Score Single Game – 564 Pete Kolp
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 3 Pete Kolp
Most Yahtzees Overall – 6 Pete Kolp
Lowest Score Single Game – 110 Michael “Chat” Chatfield (in The Finals)
Fourth Place – 196 Meredith Hegg
Third Place – 253 Pete Kolp
Second Place – 310 Dan Hagen
Philly Fan & Keeper of The Bowl – 365 Lester Traband
2010 ~ YZ-13
Picture this… It’s February 12th 2010 and you’re expecting 90 people to show up and play Yahtzee tomorrow. Now imagine that 96 come to play and 12 join the gallery. How are we doing? Well let’s add that the room you have reserved for the next 8 hours has a posted capacity of 68 and is set with only 72 seats and 12 tables. We had all the makings of a disaster. What we ended up with was a triumph! 96 came and played and played well. Sure Johanna Healy rolled a 107 and Chris Hagberg failed to make it out of the first round (but that was expected.) When I gazed about the room I was, in a word, happy. Not wedding day happy, not “we had a baby” happy, not even Christmas morning happy. Just happy, content, relieved, grateful and I didn’t suck either. I Played great against great players and I had a chance. I had a chance. But this isn’t about me, it’s not about weekend anal and it’s not about Michael Chatfield making The Finals 3 years in a row. It’s about 4 weary travelers coming from Brooklyn – sight unseen. Ok, it’s not about Matt, Azikiwe, Kate or Skyler. It’s about porn. Porn and Paula “The Mauler” Reese kicking ass and taking names! So what now? Where are we with this Yahtzee thing? I don’t know. Can we go back? Can we fit 120 in a room built for 68? I think it was Eddie Money who said, “I want to go back and do it all over but I can’t go back I know.” Pencil in Saturday the 19th of February 2011 for the 14th Annual Presidents’ Yahtzee Tournament & Outing. We’ll be adding some twists, a t-shirt design contest, team play, a balloon toss and a best dressed; with honorable mentions for Yahtzee glasses and spectacles. Or maybe we won’t. Either way it will be a kick ass time when the Yahtzee Faithfull come together once again to play for the prize.
2010 Stats – Kennett Square, PA
Highest Score Single Game – 517 Mellissa Aragon
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 3 Mellissa Aragon, Bob Shaw
Most Yahtzees Overall – 8 Bob “The Stone” Shaw
Lowest Score Single Game – 107 Johanna Healey
Fourth Place – 251 Cory Harwell
Third Place – 257 Bob The Stone” Shaw
Second Place – 261 Steve Greenwood
My Favorite Champion – 359 Paula “The Mauler” Reese
2011 ~ YZ-14
February 18th, 2011 was a blustery day in the Delaware Valley. A strong breeze jostled our car about as we headed for our pre-Yahtzee mani-pedi I remarked to my wife that good things were coming our way, carried on the wind. I admit that when I first pulled up to our new venue, the Holiday Inn Select, it was with some trepidation. I had never laid eyes on the site before and did not know what to expect. The staff was warm and inviting and the room! Oh my, the room! It was huge, set with 25 tables a stage and everything else we had asked for. Finally we had the space we needed. We broke the room in on Friday night with the Inaugural High Stakes Game. Dan Hagen streaked the room, Big John Schwendiman won the night and $500 err $400 cash. The rest of the money raised went to Tommy’s gifts For Kids, a great night all around. On Saturday, first roll was @ 3:30pm and Evil Mike Hagen broke the ice with the first Beer Yahtzee of The Tourney @ 3:33. 11 hours later, Jessica Greenwood was our 14th Champion, Al Ruiu had set a new record in the Best Testicle competition and Dan Scala bought himself a lovely new set of curtains. Our 15th Tournament will be at Mohegan Sun Casino on Saturday February 25th 2012. Save the date! It will be our best yet!
2011 Stats – Wilmington, DE
Highest Score Single Game – 529 Pete Kolp
Lowest Score Single Game – 142 Don Scala
Fourth Place – Keith Kemo 225
Third Place – Mike Kistler 235
Second Place – Kelly Scala 248
Our First Pregnant Champion – Jessica Greenwood 319
Other notable statistics…
Best Dressed – Kenny Powers A.K.A. Mike McGowan
Best Bum – Dave Drass
Best Testicle – Al Ruiu
Most Inebriated – Don “Blah, blah, blah, blaahhh!” Scala
Best T-Shirt Design – Jessica Greenwood “Baby on Board”
Best Team Theme – The Pink and Blue Man Group
Best Yahtzee Glasses – Karen Drass
Biggest Tantrum – The Best Yahtzee Player Ever
2012 ~ YZ-15
Yahtzee The 15th started slowly… February 25th, 2012, Mohegan Sun Casino 1pm; I am pensively pacing the room. Though, initial RSVP’s had our #’s over 90. By 12:30 I had received more than a dozen regrets. I was worried. Jump forward to 2pm; 70+ players had filled the room as we joined 1,000’s of folks worldwide in a silent prayer for Declan.
2:37 pm our Tournament started with 79 in the seats, The Ricci boys reading Slippy McGee and a smile on my face. We were playing and the field was strong – BAM strong. Yahtzee’s were coming fast and strong like fists in an MMA brawl. Unexpected contenders were coming out of the woodwork. Pete Campbell dropped what would be The Tournament High Score of 534 as well as the Tournament Tip of the Day, “Don’t take Tylenol Cold & Sinus and drink.” Linné Zala announced her presence to The Yahtzee Nation with a, not too shabby 512 and Tania Voss proved to be one of the most consistent players of all time rolling 2 Yahtzee’s in every game she played – Until she hit a wall by the name of Rick Gabel in The Finals. And what a Finals it was! Laced with skill and Yahtzee prowess The Finals had a little bit of everything. The potentially explosive play of Linné Zala matched up against the consistency of Tania Voss, the quiet power of Rick Gable, and simmering tenacity of Rob Rauch in glaring contrast to Sam Sposato’s beautiful confidence. Certainly the odds on favorite had to be yours truly, but I had already won – our event was a rollicking success. And, truth be told, even at my best I don’t think I could have matched the The Juggernaut that was Rick Gabel in The Finals. 9 Yahtzee’s overall including 3 in The Finals. His play was magnificent. Well done Mr. Gabel!
2012 Stats – Mohegan Sun Casino
Highest Score Single Game – 534 Pete Campbell
Lowest Score Single Game – 127 Linné Zala (In The Finals)
Fourth Place – The Best Yahtzee Player Ever 175
Third Place – Tania Voss 237
Second Place – Rob Raush 277^
Our 15th Champion – Rick Gabel 499
Other notable statistics…
Best Dressed – Linné Zala
Best Bum – Sam Sposato
Best Testicle – Heather Johnson
Least Sober – Linné Zala
Best T-Shirt Design – Dicey Poly-Tech
Best Team Theme – Dicey Poly-Tech
Most Consistent – Tania Voss
Most Explosive – Linné Zala
^ A dispute lodged with The Commissioner questioning the validity of Mr. Raush’s Yahtzee has been dispositioned. Mr. Raush’s Yahtzee has been upheld and the score has been entered
2013 ~ YZ-16
Our theme was My Super Sweet Yahtzee The 16th and it was embraced! Tiaras and boas abounded, and the girls looked great too! 110 came to play, I needed help and it came in the form of 12 volunteers from Widener’s Kappa Sigma Fraternity. They ran registration, scoring and beer; more beer than anything else really. 10 barrels in fact. Thanks guys!
With the most rollers in Tourney history we needed to level the field a bit. For years we talked about it, and 2013 marked the debut of the 3rd round with 2 players from the Play-In and 13 from Round 2. It was a rough pill to swallow for the 3 players in the top 5 after round 2 that didn’t make The Finals. HAH! I LOVED IT!
With so many players, over 30% were first timers. Most played well but a few – 3 to be exact made and indelible impression… Sara Edelstein broke into a Krav Maga demo and was alas, escorted from the event only to return later in disguise. Katie Bailey A.K.A. K-Bales made her Yahtzee debut in fine style and finally, the legendary Rick McAllister nee Jonathan Hootman co-author of the seminal tome The Yahtzee Manifesto www.yahtzeemanifesto.com came all the way from Kentucky and wowed the crowd with his Yahtzeeness – but not so much with his Yahtzee…
All three moved me to re-imagine the superlative category “Least Sober.” Least Sober has typically been given to, well, the least sober. But these three, were not. And “least sober” has a slight negative connotation. Still, the least sober has often been the most talked about, and Sara, K-Bales and J-Hoot were certainly the most talked about. Therefore, from this point forward “Least Sober” is no more.
And what of me, you ask? The Best Yahtzee Player Ever? I will not lie to you. In days that have passed since we rolled our last dice together, I have been laid low. It seems that I slipped into a post-Yahtzee depression that only time and scotch could pull me from. But my outlook has brightened these last days as I have set to the business Yahtzee the 17th.
In the end (a Ricci favorite) the new Yahtzee Cup was won by the beautiful and talented Christine Hagen with a Finals score of 380. Congratulations Chrissy! I hate you.
Our 16th Tournament raised $4,500 for the Greenwood Family Memorial Fund. We also collected over 100 toys and raised an additional $360 for Tommy’s Gifts for Kids. Nothing was broken and we kicked 10 kegs. By all accounts our most successful Tournament – EVER. I cannot thank you all enough for coming.
2013 Stats – Wilmington, DE
Highest Score Single Game – 630 Christine Schwendiman
Lowest Score Single Game – 103 Erinn Kolp
Fourth Place – Julie Ricci 229
Third Place – Shellee Early 284
Second Place – Allie John 288
Our Champion – Chrissy Hagen 380
Other notable statistics…
Best Dressed – Jonathon Hootman
Best Bum – Ashley “The Diamond” Marolda
Best Testicle – Bill Kinnard
Most Talked About – Katie Bailey, Sara Edelstein, Jonathan Hootman
Best T-Shirt Design – “Yahtzee Bitches”
Best Team Theme – The Yahtzee Virgins
Best Yahtzee Glasses – Karen Drass
2014 ~ YZ-17
The theme? The theme for our 17th was NC-17. I expected raunchy. I expected steamy. I hoped for sexy. I did not expect zombie. I love zombie. And that, my friend, is Yahtzee. You never know what to expect.
A Nor’ Easter was rolling up the East Coast and forced many of us to arrive in DE 24 hours early. What does one do when snowed in in DE? Play Yahtzee! And drink. And possibly, accidentally, download the Grinder App to your kids’ iPhone.
So what happened on Saturday, February 15th then? What didn’t? Our toy drive was a massive success. 100’s of toys were collected ranging from stuffed animals all the way up to Big Wheels! 97 came to play. Tom Ricci won the inaugural Dirty Joke contest and took home the Golden Cock trophy.
None of that matters…
The Tourney went off without a hitch – doesn’t matter…
I came in 72nd – doesn’t matter…
The Finals matter.
At the table were two Yahtzee Champions; Mr. Cory Harwell 2001 and Mr. Rick Gabel 2012. 2014 Dirty Joke winner Tom Ricci and two relative newcomers: Allison Postighone and 2011 Yahtzee Champion Mrs. Jessica Greenwood’s mother, Maureen Marrone.
Oh yeah, and Tournament stalwart Pete Ricci.
For me personally – not a good table. Looking at the Finalists¸ I could’nt live with a two-time champion in Harwell or Gabel – certainly not before I’ve won. I love Maureen but I’d never hear the end of it if that family produced another champion (Maureen’s Nephew, Mr. Lester Traband won in ’09.) Allison or Tom? Come on man! No way! It was a table of worst case scenarios for me.
Except for Pete Ricci. I could live with Pete Ricci. At least I thought I could.
The action started slow, but there was something in the air. Maureen was the early front runner, and continued to lead throughout the game. But this was a heady table and the peloton was closing in. Rounding into the 13th turn, Allison and Tom were out of it and Maureen, still in control, looked like a shoe-in BUT the game was wide open. If the dice fell right, The Cup could go to Cory, Rick or even Pete. But that would be a miracle.
And then it happened…
Maureen missed her top by 1 point! One lousy, stinking point! Rick needed Yahtzee – missed it. Cory needed his top – missed it. Pete needed Yahtzee… Pete. Got. Yahtzee!!!!
It was in 2’s. Two rolls down, four 2’s on the table. The gallery was united… You could feel magic in the air…
Pete plucked the last die from the linen…
Polished it on Julie’s ample bosom, and made history.
Mr. Pete Ricci won Yahtzee The 17th in glorious fashion.
The crowd exploded and I wept.
2014 Stats – Wilmington, DE
Highest Score Single Game – 535 Lindsay Matteo
Lowest Score Single Game – 121 Allison Postighone
Fourth Place – Mr. Rick Gabel 202
Third Place – Mr. Cory Harwell 232
Second Place – Maureen Marrone 247
The Miracle on Dice – Pete Ricci 284
Other notable statistics…
Best Dressed – Jonathon Hootman – Boom!
Inaugural Dirty Joke Winner – Tom Ricci
2015 ~ YZ-18
It was cold. But inside we were killing it! The room filled up quick and the beer started flowing early. And after a 30 minute snow delay, we were ready to begin.
For those of you who’ve never attended our great event, allow me to provide a glimpse into our opening ceremonies. We begin with a welcome, followed by the return of The Yahtzee Cup. Finally the Returning Champion is invited to the dais to read the emotional and stirring poem, Slippy McGee. Needless to say, many of our Champions, though exemplary Yahtzee players; are not great public speakers. What is the statistic? That people fear public speaking more than they fear death? Well, many of our orators certainly died on that stage. So often so, that I considered striking Slippy from the opening program entirely. And then, Pete Ricci won.
You may remember that YZ-17 was won by Mr. Pete Ricci. You may recall that he won in fantastic fashion. However, you may not know that Mr. Ricci has a peculiar flair for the dramatic. I’m not saying that he’s a queen. I’m just saying he enjoys the art of the performance – in fashionable attire.
All that said; Mr. Ricci did not disappoint! And I was moved to tears.
Throughout the day there were delightful moments too numerous to share. However I will highlight 4…
Scott Zillitto matched the Tournament Record of 4 Yahtzees in one game.
The demure and beautiful Jennifer Pondo won the 2nd Annual Dirty Joke Contest.
Over 2K was raised for TG4K just to shave my beard – which I accepted gladly!
Jane Petrino. Jane Petrino earned the win by playing with quiet and steady elegance. I had the pleasure of playing with her in Round 1 – Game 2. She rolled a 318 and it was a joy to watch.
I couldn’t have picked a better champion and I look forward to beating you next year Jane.
2015 Stats – Wilmington, DE
Highest Score Single Game – 581 Scott Zillitto
Lowest Score Single Game – 121 Mike Hagen
Fourth Place – Don Scala 239
Third Place – Mr. Cory Harwell 257
Second Place – Keith Mann 263
Our Champion – Jane Petrino 340
Other notable statistics…
Best Dressed – Jonathon Hootman – Again!
Best T-Shirt Design – Yatzee Planet
Best Team Theme – “Skid Roll”
Best Beard – The Best Yahtzee Player Ever
Best Rendition of Slippy McGee – Mr. Pete Ricci
Dirty Joke Champion – Jennifer Pondo
2016 ~ YZ-19
The wonder of it all…
For the uninitiated, here is how it all goes down. Sometime around April we start looking for The Venue. It has to big, it has to offer kegs, it has to have catering, it has to have a hotel attached and The Venue has to be “comfortable” with us and our “thing.” That last part is the tough one. You see Yahtzee needs to come with some sort of a disclaimer… Something like, “This is a pseudo-competitive event that I, The Best Yahtzee Player Ever, am supposed to win. Please come, eat, drink and make merry. But be warned, Yahtzee is not for the faint of heart, Bob may get naked, Bill surely will, the floor will be wet with beer and at some point, I may break down in tears. It’s unlike any other charity event you have ever seen, it’s Yahtzee.”
The Venue has to be cool. It can’t be uptight or whiney or worried about trivial things like vomit and law suits and liquor licenses. The Venue has to be cool and it has to be comfortable with being lied too. Or at least look the other way.
Not so at Foxwoods…
You see a large group rolls into town on Friday under the auspices of “setting up the room.” But that only takes about an hour. We are all there on Friday for The Friday Game. The Friday Game is always in the room we need all night to set up (wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)
Well Foxwoods couldn’t look the other way. They busted us with booze that was purchased “off-site” confiscated it and locked us out of OUR SPACE.
But it is a casino and if the right palms are greased… What an amazing night Friday was! Who won The Friday Game? Nobody knows – no one ever knows! That’s why it’s great!
Fast forward to Saturday 2/13/2016. Foxwoods was pissed. Like cancel our event pissed. Which made for a long day on the management side. A very long day.
But what of that? To make a cake you have to break a few eggs. And we broke a few eggs my friends.
To tell the tale of YZ-19 we have to start at the beginning. Not of life, but close. Back to 1998 when our new Champion was one of The Original 7. From there she made it to every single event. Through breakups and heartache, through new love, marriage and twins. And finally, FINALLY to The Finals Table at Yahtzee The 19th! Oh, she’d been there before. In ’98, ‘99* and again in ’02. But The Prize had always eluded her. 14 years. It too her 14 years to make it back to The Finals table. 14 years of grit and determination as she watched others win The Title that she so justly deserved. On Saturday, February 13th, 2016 Christy Chatfield became the only player in Tournament history to compete in every event AND win! Congratulations Christy! Oh yeah, her husband has won too. Making them the first and possibly last couple of Yahtzee.
2016 Stats – Foxwoods Casino, CT
Highest Score Single Game – 531 Christy Chatfield
Lowest Score Single Game – 122 Robert Sposato
Sixth Place – Mrs. Chrissy Hagen 206
Fifth Place – Keith Mann 247
Fourth Place – Mr. Rick Gabel 250
Third Place – Mr. Cory Harwell 254
Second Place – Chris White 254
The Champ – Christy Chatfield 349
Other notable statistics…
Most Yahtzee’s Overall – 7 Kathy Helfrich, Christy Chatfield
Most Yahtzee’s Single Game – 3 Christy Chatfield, Donavan Young, Maggie Sposato, Christina DiGiacomo, Chris Philibert, Megan Lantier
Best Abs – Jamie Musumano
Best T-Shirt Design – Yatzee Planet – Again!
Best Team Theme – “Pat-Tast-Zee!”
Best Testicle – Shari Greco
Best Chant – “Gaiti! Gaiti! Gaiti!”
2017 ~ YZ-20
On Saturday, February 13th, 2016 Christy Chatfield became the only player in Tournament history to compete in every event AND win! Congratulations Christy! Oh yeah, her husband has won too. Making them the first and possibly last couple of Yahtzee…
That is how the story of Yahtzee The 19th ended. And it is where we begin the story of Yahtzee The 20th…
Pulling up to the portico at the hotel felt like coming home again. It had been two years since we had rolled into Wilmington but it felt like yesterday.
Hugs kisses, uncomfortable introductions and off we went into the breach… Well, off we went to A-Nails nail salon for mani-pedi’s. The name of the salon was less of an omen than a premonition…
Some drinking, some Mexican food some more drinking with a whisper of Yahtzee sprinkled in. And then we were in The Room for set up and The Friday Night Game.
And so, some Yahtzee.
The Friday Night Game surpassed its high expectations as the best game of the weekend. With team names like; Suns out Guns Out, Salt n Peppa, Benny & The Fat Cop, It’s Not His!, Weekend Anal in the 80’s, Just Don’t Do It, Julie Straps It On, Dirty Hippy and Paleo Spunk how could we go wrong? As I write this I smile – reminiscing about the phrase, “Manic Boob Nut Rub.” Salt n Peppa took the night with a 321 but I feel like we all won.
Saturday the mood was electric. Premonitions and boasts of who would win the last filled the room. Gaiti read Slippy McGee and we were off. There were 76 Yahtzee’s in The First Round! 79 in the Second! And Bob Shaw celebrated each one with his own indomitable style and flair. When The Finals were set it was a who’s who of Yahtzee. Of the 6, 4 were former Champions; Mr. Michael Chatfield, Mr. Pete Ricci, Mr. Rick Gabel and Mr. Cory Harwell. Rick and Cory set a Tournament Record with 7 appearances in The Finals! The field was rounded out with perennial favorite Natalie Schrier and rookie John McDonald. Have to say, rough night for Johnny. That moonshine packs a wallop.
Were you there? Because it was EPIC! We were in rare form. Bob Shaw especially. Who won? Chat did. Michael “Chat” Chatfield won The Yahtzee Cup. Becoming the first true (sorry Pete) Two-Time Champion in Tournament History! And the last to hoist The Cup in victory. Or was he…
2017 stats – Wilmington, DE
Highest Score Single Game – 605 Mike Battiste
Lowest Score Single Game – 116 John McDonald – in The Finals
Sixth Place – John McDonald 116
Fifth Place – Mike Battiste 157
Fourth Place – Mr. Rick Gabel 208
Third Place – Natalie Schrier 257
Second Place – Mr. Pete Ricci 260
Two Time Champion – Mr. Michael Chatfield 278
Other notable statistics…
Most Yahtzee’s Overall – 7 Kelly Scalla
Most Yahtzee’s Single Game – 4 Mike Battiste (ties Tourney Record)
Moonshiner – John McDonald
Best T-Shirt Design – Pat Langevin
Best Team Theme – Yatzee Planet
Best Testicle – Shari Greco – 2nd year in a row. It is fabulous!
Most Talked About – Don “Blah, Blah, Blah” Scala
2018 ~ YZ-21
And then it was back…
Yeah so, we went through all the rigmarole of putting this Yahtzee thing to bed and then I went and started it up all over again. Why you ask? To continue supporting Tommy’s Gifts for Kids. And to see old friends and beat them. Not necessarily in that order.
The Event was retooled. A later start time, no Mulligans, no engraved dice or YahtCD’s and we were in a new venue sympathetic to our event’s unique needs.
The Friday night game was what it always is – a blast! We lost Uncle Chris, he likes to wander… we found him in time for The Tourney on Saturday.
Game play on Saturday was brisk! Huge scores were being thrown down as we christened The Deuce. Erinn Kolp 370, BANG! Natalie Schrier 467, BANG! Natalie Schrier 527, BANG! There were a few poor games as well… Mr. Pete Ricci threw up a 188, Mr. Pete Kolp lowered the bar with a 160 and then Zac Walker tallied a 108. Holy shit Zac, 108! Not the lowest, but pretty darn close. Until The Finals. When Elena Pizzoli dropped a score that may stand the test of time… a record shattering 95. I have nothing else to say about that. Speaking of The Finals, former Yahtzee Champion Mr. Cory Harwell was at the table, again, and flanked by rookies and sophomore players it seemed that only sole in his way was perineal crowd favorite Patrick Langevin. But neither stood a chance as Hurricane Amy rolling from the six slot blew them all away. Amy rolled 3 Yahtzees on her way to a crushing 526 win over all comers and winning Yahtzee The 21st in fine fashion.
2018 stats – The Deuce, Bristol, CT
Highest Score Single Game – 527 Natalie Schrier
Lowest Score Single Game – 95 Elena Pizzoli – in The Finals (New Tourney Record)
Sixth Place – Elena Pizzoli 95
Fifth Place – Cynthia Graham 186
Fourth Place – Mr. Cory Harwell 193
Third Place – Patrick Langevin 274
Second Place – Bob Deary 352
Champion – Ms. Amy Goclowski 526
Other notable statistics…
Most Yahtzee’s Overall – 8 Natalie Schrier
Most Yahtzee’s Single Game – 3 Amy Goclowski, Pete Kolp, Elena Pizzoli,
Natalie Schrier (Nat had 2, 3 Yahtzee Games!)
Most Talked About – Joe Rapisarda
2019 ~ YZ-22
YZ-21 was a great success in our new home in the 06010. But there were changes that needed to be made. The lighting was an issue, both too dark and too light. The keg/bar area was a bit sloppy and service, well there was no service.
It was obvious The Deuce needed to up it’s game. A few terse moments with management, some back and forth negotiations and our home for the foreseeable was secured. With mood lighting, a kegerator, new bar and servers in the form of the extraordinary team of Heidi & Mike.
With that, we were set to go…
But shenanigans were afoot. TofC and Yahtzee Champion Mr. Cory Harwell played me like a drum. Said he couldn’t make it and that laid me low. Mr. Harwell is more than just a Yahtzee Champion, he is a spark, a flash of energy that can fill a room and elevate everyone in it. I can do that too, of course. But he’s better at it. Ok, that’s not true but I was going to miss him deeply.
Until he showed up, all grins, for The Friday Night Game. After screams, yells, hugs and tears – from others, not me, we got down to the business of raking each other over the coals for the sake of gut-wrenching laughter. We did well.
If you are in town on the Eve of Yahtzee, DO NOT MISS THE FRIDAY NIGHT GAME! All are welcome – just leave your sensitivities at the door.
We started late. We always start late. It was not our biggest field but the right players were there. 31 Yahtzees were rolled in the first game! 31 fucking Yahtzees!!! Maybe it was the lighting or the new bar. It could have been the kegerator or Heidi and Mike. But it wasn’t. It was Tommy. Yes, The Tommy Ricci. The Tommy Ricci was in the house and he was playing to win. Wait – you don’t know who The Tommy Ricci is? Shame! Shame!! The charity our event supports is Tommy’s Gifts for Kids. Yep – that Tommy. Strong, heathy, attending Drexel in Philly and at our event to win The Cup what bears his name. A stirring story really, it’s what movies are made of. And The Tommy Ricci did not disappoint! He played with gusto, he played with fight, he wrecked the Segway, he hit on moms and he made it to The Finals. But, alas, this is not a fairy tale. The Tommy Ricci was facing a murder’s row of competitors in The Finals and there can be only one Yahtzee Champion…
She’d almost made The Finals at other events over the years. So often the bridesmaid many thought she was washed up. The odds stacked against her. But she rose above the naysayers. Tallying 8 Yahtzees over the course of The Tourney including 2 in The Finals thoroughly flaying her competitors beating the 2nd place finisher Dan “DMAR” Marolda by a solid 111 points. Yep, I know her and I am proud to call her sister and proud to say our 2019 Yahtzee Champion is Maggie Sposato with a score of 357. The Magnum.
2019 stats – The Deuce, Bristol, CT
Highest Score Single Game – 529 Paul Shapiro
2nd Highest Score Single Game – 517 Maureen Sposato
Lowest Score Single Game – 105 Trish Guglielmo
Sixth Place – Bob Sposato 139
Fifth Place – The Tommy Ricci 189
Fourth Place – Patrick Langevin 193
Third Place – Matt Vendetti 226
Second Place – Dan “DMAR” Marolda 246
Champion – Ms. Maggie “Magnum” Sposato 357
Other notable statistics…
Most Yahtzee’s Overall – 8 Maggie Sposato
Most Yahtzee’s Single Game – 3 Paul Shapiro, Maureen Sposato
Most Talked About – The Tommy Ricci
2020 ~ YZ-23
A Pandemic Looms…
The Long Sleeves have it! You plan, you organize, you fret, cajole, push and fight and then it’s here. Yahtzee is here. And that is when My Crazy kicks in. My Crazy, oft described as a jumbled mass of tangled, colorful wire that rolls about and gains momentum growing stronger as if it were a boulder bounding downhill. I am difficult and sometimes ornery to the people that I love. They know it, grudgingly accept it and somehow forgive me for it – every year. That said, Pete Kolp is a saint and my wife Sam is an angel sent here to kick me in the dick when I act like an ass and I am forever grateful to them for that.
As is our tradition, we started late. But once we started the dice were hot! The Tommy Ricci, seated at my table, rolled a 488 in Game 1! 4 fucking 88! That would stand as the High Score of The Tourny and was Tommy’s opening salvo that led him back to The Final’s for the second year in a row. More on that later…
I forgot about the shirts. Have I ever mentioned the shirts? Competitors often come as groups or “teams.” These teams often dress supporting a common theme. Past favorites include; “Yaht-See me kick your ass!” and “Rig-a-ma-roll.” This season was no different with several new puns and quotes. But one team, the boys from “Yahtzee Planet” thought, no, they knew they had the best design. Until a second team, the kids from Mascola arrived wearing the same design. What was the design you ask? Air Jordan. But instead of a basketball, MJ was slamming a die. Super clever, ingenious even. So, same logo but some subtle differences. The biggest being the sleeves. YP went short, Mascola went long. More on this later…
So, what else happened? It was the first appearance of The Shot-Ski at Yahtzee. Avoid it if you can but enjoy it when you can’t, the Shot-Ski will be back! It was also the first time we played BingJoe, a Bingo game based on the opining’s of one Joe Rapisarda, Yahtzee’s designated Millennial and Bitcoin proclaimer. The Maggie Dance Break became an instant classic and I made The Final Table. Yep, me. After an 8-year hiatus I was back baby! And then I took last place. But that is not the story. Nor is The Tommy Ricci’s epic run to his second Finals Table in his second Tourney ever.
This story is about the haves and the have nots, or to be more specific, it is about those with sleeves and those without. It has now been empirically proven that you cannot win Yahtzee in short sleeves. None of the short-sleeved Air Jordan appareled Yahtzee Planet team made it to The Finals. Sadly, they didn’t even make it into Round Two and then fared poorly in The Play-In. Conversely, the long-sleeved Mascola team were a force to be reckoned with. Four of their number made it to the Third Round and two made it to The Final Table. But that is not the whole story…
On January 28, 2020 I learned that JP Grego and his group might not make to "YZ-23 02/22/20 – The Palindrome" in favor of a “sibling retreat” in Vermont. Disappointed, I sent JP a set of official Tournament played dice so he and his siblings could enjoy Yahtzee from afar. On February 8, 2020 I was moved when JP sent the following… “I feel honored to own an official set of Yahtzee Nation dice. Thank you sir! It was also the ammunition needed to guilt my sisters into rescheduling our VT trip. Vermont is always there, but Yahtzee happens but once a year.” On 02/22/20 John Paul “JP” Grego won Yahtzee with a score of 294. It was sleeves they all said. The sleeves kept his wrists warm and loose throughout the grueling 5 game event. Yep, it was the sleeves no doubt. But if you ask me if I’ll send dice to anyone else again… hell no!
2020 stats – The Deuce, Bristol, CT
Highest Score Single Game – 488 The Tommy Ricci
Lowest Score Single Game – 136 Angelo Magnotta
Sixth Place – Tony “The Best Yahtzee Player Ever” Sposato 208
Fifth Place – Nina Foran 212
Fourth Place – Lauren Young 229
Third Place – The Tommy Ricci 251
Second Place – Christopher Hagberg 265
Champion – Mr. John Paul “JP” Grego 294
Other notable statistics…
Most Yahtzee’s Overall – 7 The Tommy Ricci
Most Yahtzee’s Single Game – 3 The Tommy Ricci
Most Talked About – Yahtzee Shot-Ski!
Best Dance Break Ever – Maggie Sposato
2021 ~ YZ-24
There was a flood! A massive flood! Everything was destroyed. Except Las Vegas – The last bastion of righteousness and morality in the world. Unfortunately, the Kaufman wedding got there first and booked the last available space in town. No place to roll, no Tourney. JP Grego remained as Keeper of The Cup.
We’ll be celebrating 25 in Vegas 2/26/2022!
2022 ~ YZ-25
Way back when. And I mean waaaaaay back when. When this spectacle started to get rolling, we opined about where our “anniversary dates” would be played. No one ever said Delaware or Connecticut. NYC was tossed out there but Vegas? Vegas was THE destination. Sure, by that time we’ll ALL be high rollers! We’ll have it at Cory’s restaurant and throw dice with Siegfried and Roy! Well son of a bitch if that didn’t all happen!
But we didn’t want any Vegas.
We wanted Old Vegas.
We wanted Freemont Street.
We wanted bars and restaurants filled with local flavor.
And, we wanted a good deal.
We had the town, now we needed The Venue. We found that in MEET Las Vegas. A space that met our laundry list of needs and was in walking distance of the newest hotel on Old Vegas, Circa.
Friday Night was a blur. Cory hosted a group of 50+ at Carson Kitchen. All were treated to craft cocktails and deviled eggs. And that is when the Randoms arrived…
“Randoms” is what we call the folks that find our event online and show up. We’ve always said “All are welcome!” And all, truly are welcome. Over the years we’ve had dozens. Many now are some of our closest friends and have become cornerstones at every event. To be a Random you have to have several qualities; A Random can’t have found us through a friend or word of mouth. A Random has to love The Game enough to go online and search for a Yahtzee Tournament. A Random then has to ask the question, “Is this thing real?” And then, then they have to have the courage, confidence and fortitude to book a room and show up at this thing, this thing. It is not easy. I ask you, how often have you randomly wandered into an event with no true knowledge of what to expect? Most likely never, I don’t think I could do it. But we get ‘em every year. And I love them!
Enter Cody and JC. These guys were the most random of Randoms. They found our event online, jumped in their car and sent it to Vegas from New Mexico sight unseen! No emails, no contact whatsoever! Just showed up at the venue on Friday night. We weren’t there, we were at the aforementioned Carson Kitchen. And that is where they found us. How does one describe Cody and JC? They’re big dudes. They have shaved heads and neck tattoos. And they are fun as hell!
The rest of the evening was a blast, friends and family from all over showing up with hearts and glasses full, ready to fight for The Prize.
We started early on the 26th. The actual first to arrive at the event were Randoms, Greg and Jenny Love. They had winged in from their homestead in Colorado with no idea what to expect. They played brilliantly, and Jenny warmed us all with her Full House strategy that nearly got her into The Finals. The room was a buzz with activity. Drinking, dancing, photobombing. And then the play began. The Yahtzee Shotski made its debut and was promptly destroyed. Fortunately, I made two. The infamous Bill Kinnard roared to life in Game 2, rolling a record tying 4 Yahtzees and the event High Score of 605.
And then there were 6… A heavy table of stalwarts led by Bob “Two Sixy” Shaw and The Bradley Hatt. Yahtzee Champions Mr. JP Grego, Mr. Dan Hagen and Mr. Chris Morgan – making his Finals return 24 years after his Tournament win in 2000. Rounding out the field, Little Kristy Hamlin. How small she appeared staring up at these legends of The Game. Small she was, but not intimidated. Not scared. Not Kristy Hamlin! She took her seat, rolled with confidence and purpose. The only player with a Yahtzee in The Finals crushing her adversaries by no less than 46 points.
Kristy had won the night and our hearts.
A quick clean up and then we were out onto Freemont Street and all the rest Las Vegas had to offer.
Next year, a new story. I hope you’ll join us on 2/18/2023.
2022 stats – MEET Las Vegas, Las Vegas NV
Highest Score Single Game – 605 Bill Kinnard
Lowest Score Single Game – 129 Bob Shaw (In The Finals)
Sixth Place – Bob Shaw 129
Fifth Place – Mr. John Paul “JP” Grego 184
Fourth Place – Mr. Dan Hagen 230
Third Place – Mr. Chris Morgan 234
Second Place – Bradley Hatt 240
Champion – Mrs. Kristy Hamlin 286
Other notable statistics…
Most Yahtzee’s Overall – 4 By a Host of Competitors
Most Yahtzee’s Single Game – 4 Bill Kinnard (Ties Tourney Record)
Most Talked About – Isaac “Cody” Smith & John “JC” Bruckmann (New Tourney Record)
Host with The Most – Mr. Cory Harwell
2023 ~ YZ-26
It was a cold, blustery day. But the cockles of my heart were warm with the advent of Yahtzee.
And who doesn’t love a warm cockle?
Yes YZ-26 was finally here. Back in CT after a successful 25th in Las Vegas.
It felt good to be home.
The room was humming early, newcomer Sarah DiGioia went on a tear rolling a new Tournament Record 10 Yahtzees! Rick Gregory rolled The Tourney High Score (526) with a Perfect Game. But his was only 1 of 5 Perfect Games spun at the 26th. Wow.
The fast and furious action reached a climax when Tournament legal counsel Mark Klein edged out Yatzee Planets’ Adam Kasowitz by 4 points for the last seat at The Finals Table.
And oh, the humanity! Oh, the drama! Oh, the over-the-top syrupy blathering of an over-served dad dripping with pride…
Ugh. What a crotch shot.
And so, it happened on the 18th of February, 2023 that the “other kid” in the family, the one without cancer, the one nobody ever talked about – that kid. That kid came into his own (hand) and became a man. Rising to the pinnacle of Yahtzee Success.
2023 stats – The Deuce, Bristol, CT
Highest Score Single Game – 526 Rick Gregory (Perfect Game)
Lowest Score Single Game – 119 Mrs. Christy Chatfield
Sixth Place – Mark Klein 156
Fifth Place – Sarah DiGioia 195
Fourth Place – Rose Walker 230
Third Place – Jill Grego 231
Second Place – Mike Carrier 264
Champion – Mr. Joey Ricci 381
Other notable statistics…
Most Yahtzee’s Overall – 10 Sarah DiGioia (New Tournament Record)
Most Yahtzee’s Single Game – 3 Sarah DiGioia, Jill Grego, Rick Gregory, Jen May, Steve May, Rose Walker
Perfect Games – Mike Carrier 323, Rick Gregory 526, Pete Ricci 315, Bob Shaw 309, Theresa Zohlman 314
Most Talked About – Sarah DiGioia and her 10 Yahtzees!
THE YAHTZEE CHAMPIONS
1998 Pete Kolp
1999 Pete Kolp*
2000 Chris Morgan
2001 Cory Harwell
2002 Anthony L.
2003 Dave “Silky Dave” Ensor
2004 Mike Bove
2005 Dan Hagen
2006 Mike Preston
2007 Heather Johnson
2008 Michael Chatfield
2009 Lester Traband
2010 Paula Reese
2011 Jessica Greenwood
2012 Rick Gabel
2013 Christine Hagen
2014 Pete Ricci
2015 Jane Petrino
2016 Christy Chatfield
2017 Michael Chatfield
2018 Amy Goclowski
2019 Maggie Sposato
2020 John Paul "JP" Grego
2021 John Paul "JP" Grego**
2022 Kristy Hamlin
2023 Joey Ricci
2024 Donavon Young
*Due to an ivory shortage in 1999 no dice were available. No dice, no Tourney. Pete Kolp retained rights to The Championship.
**There was a flood! A massive flood! Everything was destroyed. Except Las Vegas – The last bastion of righteousness and morality in the world. Unfortunately, the Kaufman wedding got there first and booked the last available space in town. No place to roll, no Tourney. JP Grego remained as Keeper of The Cup.
TOURNAMENT RECORDS – ALL TIME
Highest Score Single Game – 644 John Davidson ‘07
Most Yahtzees Single Game – 4 John Davidson ’07, Mr. Pete Kolp ’07, Christine Schwendiman ’13, Scott Zillitto ‘15, Mike Battiste ‘17, Bill Kinnard ’22
Most Yahtzees Overall – 10 Sara DiGioia ’23
Lowest Score Single Game – 95 Elena Pizzoli ‘18
Most Appearances in The Finals – 7 Mr. Cory Harwell, Mr. Rick Gabel, The Best Yahtzee Player Ever – Tony Sposato
Nicest Bum – Marianne Mancini ‘10
Best Testicle – Maggie Sposato ‘10
Most Talked About – Isaac “Cody” Smith & John “JC” Bruckmann ‘22
Longest Die Spin – 11 Seconds Mr. Pete Ricci ‘08