Luis Flavio Nunes (right) is the webmaster of a 42 site in Brazil. He is currently working toward a masters degree in mechanical engineering. I invited Luis to tell his story about learning the game of 42 and the development of his web site. He most generously provided the following commentary. Thanks, Luis, for sharing with the worldwide 42 community.
Commentary by Luis Flavio Nunes
Yes, I’m a Brazilian. So you should be speculating, how can this guy, so far away from Texas become interested in 42?All started in 2006, when a friend of mine asked me to find some games to help his students to learn Math (he was a teacher at that time). Then I started to search all over to find some interesting games, as he wanted. Soon, I find a page at www.gamecabinet.com stating 42 as a trick taking game popular in Texas. This interested me and soon I was searching for every website with information about 42.
Here in Brazil dominoes are popular (along with card games), but we normally only play the straight Double-6. Now I'm the only 42-player in the Southern Hemisphere LOL. I desired to open a club of 42 here, so the game would become more known. By now, I created a website (in Portuguese), trying to explain the rules and some basics of the game. It’s online at Texas42.club → (English translation). By the way, I play Moon too, and like it very much!
I play at ccdominoes and 42-online. My name there is luisfsn, and if you find me, it will be a pleasure to play and talk about Brazil and anything more. Of course, it will be great if you let me win one hand too LOL. I’m still learning 42, as I don’t play very much, so it’s not hard to beat me.
Besides, it’s interesting to see how the Internet can bring the game to a broader audience. I can’t imagine how, miles away from Texas, I could have learnt to play it without the new technologies. Differently to most 42 players, who got the basics from their families, I’m indebted to Paul Proft, for his website, and Curtis Cameron, for his softwares. Here goes my biggest Thank You to you all!!
Finally, some years ago, I tried to make a kind of problem or puzzle of 42. It's not a live game, rather a theoretical one. You should find which is best domino to play, in order to win the game. It's a very simple one, but interesting. Paul published it here: texas42.net/luis42.html.
