My kid used to complain that I win at Mario Kart too much. I told him "I've been playing it since like 1993, it would be really weird if I wasn't better at it than you." His eyebrows shot through the roof at that

My 10 year old had started beating me at Chess, been practicing on Duolingo. It feels weird but this was the end goal, right? Having them surpass you and all. But yeah didn't expect it to happen already.

What I said: "Welp, it looks like Daddy won again. You guys did really good though. Nice job!"

What I thought: "If you ain't first, you're last."

A game I played a lot with my dad was Pool. He had a full sized slate Pool table that he bought (along with a lawnmower) from a friend who was dying and he put it (the Pool table, not the mower) in a semi dedicated room in his basement. Every family member other than my mom (who was blind in one eye and thus lacked depth perception) loved engaging in the game.

There are a lot of things at which I lack talent, but Pool is not one of them; I'm better than average at it. My dad was better than I but, a few times, I won against him one-on-one. At least one of those times I accused him of letting me win. He said, and with the benefit of hindsight I believe, that he never "lets" anyone win.

He probably didn't try his hardest, but that's a fairly fine distinction.

Might sound like an empty phrase, but it's about playing, not about winning.

Another thing: how will they ever learn to play better if all you show them is how you lose? I've played against kids like that. It's sad to see how they cannot grasp that they aren't going to win this time. Worse: when they think that bending the rules* to their advantage is part of the game.

But there's a delicate balance, too. If the kid loses all the time they might lose the joy as well.

When I play with kids I always show them what good tactics look like but sometimes, when it isn't too obvious, I seem to "forget" things for one move. Never bend the rules* though. If we talk about rule-based games of course.

* probably much less possible with video games.

I really want to know what he was asked lmao

Source: https://youtube.com/shorts/IN5_xvjoAt8

Years ago I was playing Urban Terror on my server with my kids and their karate teacher. Me and the kids were at home, their karate teacher was at his home.

It was two teams, kids against the adults, and I was sitting there listening to the kids talking. While they were talking out loud about what they were doing, I was chatting online with their teacher and telling him where to find them. I'd keep them occupied while he snuck up behind them to take them out.

Played the whole night like that.

Just seems unsporting to not try