Article Date : November 01, 1998  

Aunt Emma is usually the two-word fiend referred to as being unadventuresome in Association croquet. In American croquet, however - where there is penalty for too aggressive play and where deadness carries over - Aunt Emma is king. There are many gambits in American croquet specifically designed to entice the opponent to deadness, particularly partner deadness, after which Aunt Emma will proudly and cautiously work her way around the court, hoop by hoop, while the opponents helplessly look on in ineffective anguish. Aunt Emma often plays with me, and our games together are the most fun and fascinating I experience; a score of 26-6 might show prowess and shotmaking ability, but a score of 7-6 (with skilled players) shows a game of pure tactics and fascinating plays. Aunt Emma is my pal. -Garth Eliassen