G4G16 Bar Bets
I took a set of LangTominoes to G4G16 to share at a table during "Bar Bets". I realized before the evening started, that I could model the activity after a classic "Bar Bet".
The Bar Bet: I showed how 1, 2, 3 could fit together, and then challenged those at my table to add the 4 to the mix -- asking if anyone wanted to bet that it can't be done. (In fact, 4 can't be done with pcs flat on the table.)
Before any Bet could be agreed to, some caught on that the '4' or other LangTomino could be stood up on its prongs to make them fit together. (That's OK - whether they discover it, or I reveal it.)
So, I said, since 4 turns out to be possible, my next bet was that since they could do it with 4, can they do it with 5 LangTominoes? I pay $10 if they can. They pay me $10 if they can't. This is shameful, because n=5 is mathematically impossible, no matter what. (See Langford's Problem page, link below).
But the play quickly devolved into players doing anything they wanted with the puzzle pcs, and it was amazing to watch. Some are shown below.
Just Playing around at G4G16 Bar Bets
When asked "What do you do with these? I just defaulted to "Anything you want!" (While they were scrambling, I showed the crowd what LangTominoes were originally about.)
