Other Marbles Variations

Often played with two circles drawn in the sand. (Chalk on pavement). A large outer diameter circle, with a center (bulls-eye) circle - much smaller. If your prized marble was struck, then you could put it in the center, smaller circle. Then the striking opponent had to stand up, with arm held straight out in front of them, and drop their striking marble like a bomb, to hit your prized marble one last time. If they successfully "bombed" your marble, then it was truly won away from you. If they missed, you kept your marble in your possession, this turn. We called this "bombsies". Are you beginning to sense a pattern here?

Contributed by Cher Bevirt

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The game was called "KNICKERS" (ka-nickerz).
Played on playground asphalt (adding the element of unpredictability, as well as wear-n-tear on the marbles themselves).  A crack in the surface is selected and agreed upon by the players, and this serves as the "hole."
Sometimes length boundaries are set, sometimes not (which adds the element of 'fairness' calls).  Each player wagers marbles, and while usually, in my experience, they were quite battered, for higher-stakes 'championship' games, marvelous new ones were bet.  Anyhow, the idea was to knock a small marble into the crack with a large marble.  If a small marble was shot beyond the crack from the common starting line, or at any point during the game, it was disqualified and added to the pot.

Contributed by Frederick S. Terry

OR

You decided how many marbles each person was going to put in and they were placed, more or less, in the center of the circle. The circle itself varied in size mainly depending on the skill level of the players. Your hand was placed on the ground just at, but not over, the edge of the circle and you would shoot at the marbles inside of the ring trying to knock them out of the ring. If you managed to get one out and your 'shooter' stayed in, you could shoot again. Your next shot was from the spot that your marble stopped at, much like pool. When you failed to get a marble out of the ring the next player shoots. There were a couple of variables on shooting style. Some people would 'pinch' the marble between the thumb and upper part of the forefinger, but most 'pushed' out the marble from a curled index finger with their thumbnail portion of their thumb. (Much like flipping a coin.) Also, marbles that were clear were called 'crystals' and they were our most prized.  Sometimes people would put in marbles but would play for their 'shooters.'

Contributed by David Tart
 

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