MECHEHEK OR WAIPIYIWIWIN - THE HANDGAME FOR TWO PLAYERS

This game is played much like the Handgame for four players. However, the two games vary in small aspects such as the songs.

The songs used for this game have a "hiccup" sound and are accompanied by a hand drum.

EQUIPMENT

• two small objects (one marked and one unmarked)
• 3 tally sticks
• 2 blankets
• a hand drum

HOW TO PLAY

1. The two players sit facing each other, with the tallies in a pile between them. A blanket, under which to hide the pieces, covers each player's knees. Each player takes one piece and hides it. They then proceed to guess in which hand their opponent has hidden the piece. If both guess correctly or incorrectly, they continue to hide and guess until one is right. That player will then receive both pieces and one point.
2. He begins to hide both pieces, practicing skill to confuse his opponent. Swaying his body, he chants his song and switches the object from hand to hand, behind his back or under the blanket. The pieces can be hidden in a variety of ways, either holding the two in one hand, one in each hand, one beneath the blanket and the other in his hand or both could be under the blanket.
3. When the hider feels his opponent is confused, he extends his clenched fists and crosses his arms.
4. The guesser points with his index finger to indicate to which clinched fist he thinks the unmarked piece is hidden. Unlike in the handgame for four players, this alone consists a guess; the guesser does not shout "ho!".
5. Only the hider scores; every time the guesser is wrong, the hider receives one point. He takes his point from the pile the guesser has won, not from the stock pile in the center.
6. When the guesser is right , he receives the pieces and becomes the hider.
7. The game ends when one player has won all the agreed number of tally sticks.

VARIATIONS

1. Often only one piece is hidden. This could be a pebble, a small piece of bone, or a fruit pit.
2. Four - Point Game: one variation dictates that the side which is unsuccessful at guessing loses one tally stick. There are only four tally sticks used in a game, so a side must be successful four times in a row.