Two pairs of horse chestnutsPreparing to play Two Nuts

The playing pieces for Two Nuts are carefully produced to a millenia old design in Nature's factories across the land.

The rules

In order to play the game, you need two nuts per player and a playing surface, or hippodium, which should be flat and firm. Play proceeds by players syncronously (or at about the same time, within agreed limits) throwing their two nuts onto the hippodium.

Usually there are two options per nut, top and bottom and three combinations. The winner is the person with the best combination.

In order of bestness, the combinations are:

In the event of a tie, another throw takes place. This sequence continues until a winner has been established.

Complications

Nuts are naturally made and therefore may allow for the rare 'side' to be called. A side elevates the throw above 'top and top' in the following order :

Choice of hippodium is another factor in complicating this fundamentally simple game. It may be that, by being uneven, the hippodium lends itself to a greater number of 'side' calls. A side may be deemed 'assisted' by the hippodium. An 'assisted side' is less good than a 'side' but still better that a top. The fully ranked order is thus:

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