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Tampa Bay's about to get smarter

By JAY CRIDLIN
Published April 13, 2005

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Thomas Thomas is not the only Thomas Thomas in Tampa.

He's not even the only Thomas Thomas in his company. There's also a Tom Thomas, he says, as well as a Tommy Thomas.

If all this sounds a little trivial to you, Thomas Thomas doesn't mind. He loves trivia. Specifically, he loves Trivial Pursuit -- which, as a member of American Mensa, the national high-IQ society, he's quite good at.

That makes Thomas Thomas, the newsletter editor of Tampa Bay Mensa, an ideal judge at Mensa's 16th annual Mind Games competition this weekend at the Doubletree Hotel Tampa Westshore Airport.

More than 150 genius-level gamers from across the nation will play at least 30 board games in less than 48 hours, judging new games to determine which five will earn the official Mensa seal of approval.

While some past winners -- Scattergories, Taboo, Magic: The Gathering -- have found mainstream success, games like Mall Madness or Trump: The Game probably won't be found at this convention.

Last year's winners included 10 Days In Africa, a geography-based game in which players race across Africa; Basari, in which points are won and lost through bartering gemstones at an imaginary bazaar; and Rumis, a stacking game based on ancient Incan architecture.

For those Mensa members who find it difficult to dig up willing opponents, it's the perfect way to spend a weekend.

"No one in my family likes to play with me," said Theresa Hohmann, a 27-year-old member from Tarpon Springs. Hohmann's a regular at Mensa's board game nights, which she says are not as pretentious as one might imagine.

You must be a Mensa member or guest of a member to play in the tournament For more information about the competition or Tampa Bay Mensa, visit www.tampa.us.mensa.org

These questions are similar to those administered on the Mensa Admission Test.

1. What number, plus 13, is equal to one-fourth of 116?

2. Can you think of an American tree whose name contains all five vowels?

3. What is the 11-letter word that all smart people spell incorrectly?

Answers: 1. 16; 2. Sequoia; 3. Incorrectly

Credit: Dr. Abbie F. Salny

-- Jay Cridlin cridlin@tampabay.com

[Last modified April 13, 2005, 14:42:37]