About
About the Cincinnati Rollergirls
The History of the Cincinnati Rollergirls
The Cincinnati Rollergirls is Cincinnati’s first amateur flat track roller derby team. Founded in late 2005 by Christa Zielke and Paula Estes, the team is owned and operated by its skaters, who represent a wide range of ages, backgrounds and occupations.
The skaters, coaches, officials and support staff of the Cincinnati Rollergirls are all volunteers. Skaters buy their own skates, gear and uniforms and also pay monthly dues. All proceeds from ticket and merchandise sales, skater dues and sponsorships go back to the organization to cover the costs of venue and practice space rental, home game production, insurance, travel, tournament fees, marketing and advertising.
As an internationally-ranked member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, CRG fields two competitive squads for inter-league play: the Black Sheep, the varsity or A team; and the Violent Lambs, the JV or B team. After a decade at the Cincinnati Gardens and three seasons at Schmidt Memorial Fieldhouse at Xavier University, CRG now plays its home games at Cintas Center at Xavier and at Sports Plus in Evendale.
The Cincinnati Rollergirls have received many accolades from the community. Former Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory declared June 19, 2010 Cincinnati Rollergirls Day, and the Cincinnati Rollergirls have been voted Cincinnati’s Best Amateur/Semi-Pro Team by CityBeat readers nearly every year since 2011. The team also gives back to the community by volunteering at charity events, making donations to local nonprofit organizations and offering free tickets to organizations such as the Armed Forces Ticket Association and Most Valuable Kids of Greater Cincinnati.
For more information, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, follow us on Instagram and watch us on YouTube.
Meet the Cincinnati Rollergirls
Learn more about Cincinnati Rollergirls skaters and support staff.
SKATERS
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Crystal Whip #154 Crystal Whip #154
- Derby name: Crystal Whip (she/her)
- Skater number: 154
- Position(s): Blocker
- Derby debut year: 2017
- CRG debut year: 2017
- Gear: Riedell Bluestreak/Venus plates/Halo wheels
- Derby awards: Rookie of the Year, Fall 2018; Cherry Choke Award, 2018
- Fun fact: I was a Delta ✈️ flight attendant for 17 years!
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Motley Crouton #36 Motley Crouton #36
- Derby name: Motley Crouton
- Skater number: 36
- How did you choose your derby name? It was on the side of a bar in upstate NY advertising for a cover band. My teammates said, “Hey that’s a good derby name! You don’t have one yet!” And thus it just sort of happened.
- Position(s): Blocker
- Derby debut year: 2009
- CRG debut year: 2019
- Previous sports/athletic background: Basketball/track in grade school and high school
- Gear: 187 pads
- Cross-training regimen: Lifting weights
- Derby awards: Got some MVP blocker awards in my previous league
- Fun fact: I analyze DNA tests for a living!
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Ursa Maimer #116 Ursa Maimer #116
- Derby name: Ursa Maimer (they/them)
- Skater number: 116
- How did you choose your derby name? It’s an astronomy joke on the constellation Ursa Major, and also Ursa means bear in Latin and that’s pretty tough.
- Position(s): Mostly jammer
- Derby debut year: 2019
- CRG debut year: 2019
- Previous sports/athletic background: Football in middle school
- Gear: Antik skates, 187 pads
- Cross-training regimen: Not enough ?
- Derby awards: I won MVP Jammer three times in my first season.
- Fun fact: I’m a casual speaker of the Klingon language from Star Trek.
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Francis Von Deathenstein #800 Francis Von Deathenstein #800
- Derby name: Francis Von Deathenstein (they/them)
- Skater number: 51
- How did you choose your derby name? I go by Frankie and when people ask what it’s short for I always want to answer “Frankenstein.” My derby nickname is “Deathy” so I figured why not combine them?
- Position(s): Blocker
- Derby debut year: 2017
- CRG debut year: 2018
- Previous sports/athletic background: Softball in grade school
- Gear: TSG knee pads, S1 helmet, 187 Killer elbow pads and wrist guards
- Cross-training regimen: Yoga and chasing after three kids
- Derby awards: 2019 Cherry Choke Dedication Award
- Fun fact: I worked in a video game store for 10 years.
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Krystonite #10 Krystonite #10
- Derby name: Krystonite (she/her)
- Skater number: 10
- How did you choose your derby name? Because I can make any Super Man weak.
- Derby debut year: January 2017
- CRG debut year: May 2019
- Previous sports/athletic background: High school soccer
- Gear: Bont Hybrid skates
- Cross-training regimen: Soccer training with the fam, and I just started yoga
- Fun fact: “I was attacked by a chicken as a child and now I exact my revenge by eating a lot of nuggets. Turns out revenge is a dish best served with buffalo sauce.”
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Fitzkrieg #603 Fitzkrieg #603
- Derby name: Fitzkrieg
- Skater number: 603
- How did you choose your derby name? It’s a play on my last name.
- Position: Bench coach
- Derby debut year: 2020
- CRG debut year: 2020
- Previous sports/athletic background: Snowboarding, skiing, running, rugby, softball
- Gear: 187 pads and Bont skates
- Fun fact: I’ve been to the Arctic Circle.
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Jackie the Ripper #100 Jackie the Ripper #100
- Derby name: Jackie the Ripper (she/they)
- Skater number: 100
- Derby debut year: 2020
- CRG debut year: 2020
- Previous sports/athletic background: Competitive dance, aerial acrobatics
- Gear: S1 Helmet, SISU Mouthguards, Killer 187 Knee Pads and Elbow Pads, Atom Wrist Guards, Antik AR2 Skates with a Powerdyne Reactor Pro Plate, Radar Halo Wheels
- Cross training regimen: Park skating
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Whitlash #40 Whitlash #40
Derby name: Whitlash
Skater number: 40
Derby debut year: 2020
CRG debut year: 2020
Previous sports/athletic background: Pole vaulting, basketball, volleyball
Cross-training regimen: Running, HIIT
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No No #111 No No #111
- Derby name: No No
- Skater number: 111
- How did you choose your derby name? It was already my nickname.
- Position(s): Pivot, Jammer, Blocker
- Derby debut year: 2018
- CRG debut year: 2020
- Previous sports/athletic background: Discus, train-hopping.
- Gear: Bonts/Antiks, Arius/Reactor, Halos/Prestos
- Cross-training regimen: Using chainsaws, living on the second floor and working at a skating rink
- Derby awards: A dozen assorted Most Valuable Jammers and one Most Valuable Blocker
- Fun fact: In a parallel universe that just spawned I neglected to answer this question.
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Star Flatten’em #71 Star Flatten’em #71
- Derby name: Star Flatten’em (they/she)
- Skater number: 71
- How did you choose your derby name? It’s a Jojo reference.
- Position: Jammer, PR Director
- Derby debut year: 2022
- CRG debut year: 2022
- Previous sports/athletic background: Track and field and cross country in high school.
- Gear: 187 Killer Pads, Bont Prostar skates, Radar 88A wheels
- Cross-training regimen: Strength training 3x per week, running, cycling
- Fun fact: I’m a huge Jeopardy! nerd. Bucket list item #1 is to make it on the show one day.
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Kat A Strophic #05 Kat A Strophic #05
- Derby name: Kat a Strophic (she/her)
- Skater number: 05
- How did you choose your derby name? I love cats and will one day be the crazy cat lady so I picked one with cat in it. And with my number, I’m Kat 5 like a hurricane (or an ethernet cable).
- Position(s): Blocker
- Derby debut year: 2022
- CRG debut year: 2022
- Previous sports/athletic background: This is my first team sport.
- Fun fact: I was a dancer for 15+ years and danced for two years at Kings Island.
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Harley Wince #18 Harley Wince #18
- Derby name: Harley Wince (she/her)
- Skater number: 18
- Position(s): Blocker
- Derby debut year: 2013
- CRG debut year: 2022
- Previous sports/athletic background: Playing junior derby in high school!
- Gear: Killer 187 pads, Riddell Vendettas, Rollerbones Turbo wheels, S1 Helmet
- Cross-training regimen: Yoga, Pilates, and trail skating
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Shocka, When the Walls Fell #519 Shocka, When the Walls Fell #519
- Derby name: Shocka, When the Walls Fell (she/her)
- Skater number: #519
- How did you choose your derby name? I equally love puns and Star Trek. Put the two together and *chefs kiss*, pure magic! My name is a reference to one episode, and if you get it, it’s really fantastically funny and appropriate. If you don’t, it’s like my mom says “well, that’s just precious like a lamb.”
- Position(s): Hopefully anywhere but the penalty box
- Derby debut year: 2013 (Sac City Rollers)
- CRG debut year: 2022 — woo hoo! Outta retirement!
- Previous sports/athletic background: Martial arts
- Gear: Janky
- Cross-training regimen: Weightlifting, running, positive affirmations from my dog
- Derby awards: Yes
- Fun fact: Because we take marriage super seriously, my husband and I exchanged wedding vows in a game show-themed, cereal-laden, pun battle complete with flying rubber chickens and homage to Pee Wee Herman and the Addams Family.
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Syke #721 Syke #721
- Derby name: Syke (she/her)
- Skater number: 721
- Position: Blocker
- Derby debut year: 2007
- CRG debut year: 2022
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Bomb Betty #17 Bomb Betty #17
- Derby name: Bomb Betty (She/Her)
- Skater number: 17
- Position(s): Rookie
- Derby debut year: 2022
- CRG debut year: 2022
- Previous sports/athletic background: Rock Climbing and Softball
- Gear: Atom skates
- Cross Training: Running, Weight Lifting, Yoga
- Fun fact: I’m an artist!
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Mosh #83 Mosh #83
- Derby name: Mosh (They/Them)
- Skater number: 83
- Derby debut year: 2022
- CRG debut year: 2022
- Previous sports/athletic background: I played soccer and basketball when I was very young but roller derby is the first sport I’ve played as an adult.
- Gear: Bonts Hybrid Prodigy, Radar Halo Wheels 93A, Bones Reds Bearings, Killer 187 Pads
- Fun fact: I have been plant-based for 14 years.
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Chile Con Carnage #13 Chile Con Carnage #13
- Derby name: Chile Con Carnage (She/her)
- Skater number: 13
- How did you choose your derby name? I wanted something that was part of my culture ! I’m bilingual so something in Spanish was something I wanted !
- Derby debut year: 2022
- CRG debut year: 2002
- Previous sports/athletic background: Softball
- Fun fact: My first job was in a Broadway play “Joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat” when I was 12
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Gouda sk8r #8 Gouda sk8r #8
- Derby name: Gouda sk8r (She/her)
- Skater number: 8
- How did you choose your derby name? My teammates named me! A bunch of us went out after a late practice, for some reason I proclaimed a love for cheese and Gouda Sk8r was born!
- Position(s): Blocker, Finance Director
- Derby debut year: 2022
- CRG debut year: 2022
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Lavender Menace #340 Lavender Menace #340
- Derby name: Lavender Menace (She/Her)
- Skater number: 340
- How did you choose your derby name? Lavender Menace was a group of lesbian radical feminists. Also my wife thought it worked because I can be a menace on the track (more in a bad way than good, but I’m still working on it;)
- Position(s): Blocker
- Derby debut year: 2015 – Rose City Fresh Meat Program
- CRG debut year: 2022
- Previous sports/athletic background:
- Gear: Bont Skates, S1 Helmet, 187 Killer Pads, and my lucky socks!
- Cross Training: Running, learning to skateboard, and occasionally swimming laps or attending yoga at The J.
- Awards: MVP Overall, May 2019; MVP Overall, Dec 2019 (High Altitude Roller Derby, Flagstaff AZ)
- Fun fact: My jersey number (340) represents the area code of the US Virgin Islands, where I grew up!
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Mix match #513 Mix match #513
- Derby name: Mix match (They them)
- Skater number: 513
- How did you choose your derby name? It was my junior name from when I started the for Kathy kissing
- Position(s): Blocker
- Derby debut year: My first year with derby was 2011
- CRG debut year: CJRG 2011
- Previous sports/athletic background: Derby
- Gear: 180 pads, triple 8 helmet, Rydell skates
- Fun fact: Army spouse, parent of two and cosplayer
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Pain Austen #711 Pain Austen #711
- Derby name: Pain Austen (She/her)
- Skater number: 711
- How did you choose your derby name? English teacher nerd who loves books!
- Derby debut year: 2022
- CRG debut year: 2022
- Previous sports/athletic background: Soccer
- Cross Training: Peloton obsessed/HardCORE on the Floor daily weightlifting
- Fun fact: I’ve broken 13 bones (on 13 separate occasions) prior to my derby career!
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CleoPAINtra #6 CleoPAINtra #6
- Derby name: CleoPAINtra (she/her)
- Skater number: 6
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ROOthless #22 ROOthless #22
- Derby name: ROOthless (She/her)
- Skater number: 22
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RAEZOR #85 RAEZOR #85
- Derby name: Raezor (She/her)
- Skater number: 85
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Railroad #2 Railroad #2
- Derby name: Railroad (She/her)
- Skater number: 2
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Killary Clinton #444 Killary Clinton #444
- Derby name: Killary Clinton (She/they)
- Skater number: 444
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Avalanche #48 Avalanche #48
- Derby name: Avalanche
- Skater number: 48
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Gore-gon #933 Gore-gon #933
- Derby name: Gore-gon
- Skater number: 933
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Bug Smasher #88 Bug Smasher #88
- Derby name: Bug Smasher (she/her)
- Skater number: 88
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Junie B. Bones #33 Junie B. Bones #33
- Derby name: Junie B. Bones
- Skater number: 33
Staff
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Wheezy #43 Wheezy #43
- Derby name: Wheezy (she/her)
- Skater number: 43
- Position(s): Referee
- Derby debut year: 2009
- CRG debut year: 2009
- Previous sports/athletic background: Roller derby is my first team sport!
- Gear: Rector Fatboy kneepads, ProDesigned elbow pads, Rollerblade wrist guards, Bont hybrid carbon boots, reactor plate, morph wheels, Ezeefit booties, Donjoy knee brace, Sully shoulder brace, S1 helmet
- Cross-training regimen: Working out at the J with my trainer Donnie!
- Awards: 2009 Rookie of the Year, 2010 Best Lambs Jammer, 2011 Best Sheep Jammer, 2011 Baby Got Back, 2019 Most Athletic, 2020 Best Overall Local Athlete as voted by Cincinnati CityBeat readers
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Emilie Graham #24 Emilie Graham #24
- Derby name: Emilie Graham (she/her)
- Skater number: 24
- How did you choose your derby name? I chose to move away from my original derby name to my given name this year. Jillian Dollaz served me well all these years, but I’m really excited to see my real-life name on my jersey.
- Position(s): Development Director
- Derby debut year: 2013
- CRG debut year: 2013
- Previous sports/athletic background: Softball, swimming, field hockey, rowing
- Gear: Riedell Blue Streak boots, Reactor plates, Atom D-Rods
- Cross-training regimen: Boxing, biking (when the weather warms), circuits
- Fun fact: Cascara tea is made by steeping the dried fruit found around the coffee bean. It’s caffeinated like coffee, but tastes like a smooth, mild cup of black tea. It’s a great way to reduce food waste and one of my absolute favorites!
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Kostasaurus #21 Kostasaurus #21
- Derby name: Kostasaurus (they/them)
- Skater number: 21
- How did you choose your derby name? The Kotasaurus is a large vegetarian dinosaur that lived in the early Jurassic period. As a small vegetarian living in the Quaternary period, I strive to block as big as the Kotasaurus.
- Position(s): Anywhere I’m told to go
- Derby debut year: 2014
- CRG debut year: 2017
- Previous sports/athletic background: Competitive figure skating and dance
- Fun fact: I have two angelic cats and they’re tattooed on my leg.
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Jeff Sevier Jeff Sevier
- Derby name: Jeff Sevier
- Position: Photographer
- CRG debut year: 2006
- Gear: Nikon, Mac, Puma
- Links: Jeff on Flickr
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Jason Bechtel Jason Bechtel
- Derby name: Jason Bechtel
- Position: Photographer
- CRG debut year: 2006
- Gear: Nikon
- Links: Jase on Flickr
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Miss Print Miss Print
- Derby name: Miss Print (she/her)
- Position(s): Principal owner, retired skater, and co-founder and former assistant coach of the Cincinnati Junior Rollergirls
- Derby debut year: 2006
- CRG debut year: 2006
- Gear: MacBook, iPhone
- Awards: I’ll Be There For You (Most Reliable) nominee 2011; Most Improved nominee 2010; Sweetest Rollergirl nominee 2009 and 2010
- Fun fact: Appeared in 2008 ESPN piece “Roller Derby Revival”
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Wicked Widget #314 Wicked Widget #314
- Derby name: Wicket Widget (she/her)
- Skater number: 314
- How did you choose your derby name? I’m an engineer. And wicked. And alliteration is fun.
- Position(s): Blocker
- Derby debut year: 2019
- CRG debut year: 2019
- Previous sports/athletic background: Fencing
- Gear: Solaris boots, Powerdyne Reactor Pro Plates, orange Atom Savant wheels (the orange is important), a clean mouthguard
- Cross-training regimen: Powerlifting
- Fun fact: I love all my CRG teammates! They are the best.
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¡I, Caramba! #23 ¡I, Caramba! #23
- Derby name: ¡I, Caramba! (she/her)
- Skater number: 23
- How did you choose your derby name? I wanted something fun to yell that also played off of my real name.
- Position(s): Blocker
- Derby debut year: 2012
- CRG debut year: 2012
- Previous sports/athletic background: You name the sport, I’ve probably tried it, but I was never the star of the team. The games that stuck with me the longest were soccer, volleyball, softball, and swimming, but derby is quickly making its way to the top of that list. Sports have been part of my life since I was 5, and I’m thankful to still be an active athlete in my 40s!
- Gear: Bont skates (that are well past their prime!), 187 Killer pads, S1 helmet
- Cross-training regimen: Spinning, stretching, and dog walking
- Fun fact: I missed the 2019 CRG season because I was living in Singapore.
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Grimace Grimace
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Juggernaut Juggernaut
- Derby name: Juggernaut
- Skater number: ♾
- Position(s): Production Manager
- Derby debut year: 2019
- CRG debut year: 2019
- Previous sports/athletic background: I played deep deep right field when I played T-ball as a kid. Like, waaaaay back there.
- Gear: My pocket protector, cargo shorts and radically feathered hair-do are all I need.
- Cross-training regimen: I’m very into fitness. Fitness whole dang pizza in my mouth.
- Derby awards: I came here for fame, glory, and the adoration of millions of fans.
- Fun fact: A peanut is neither a pea nor a nut, it is in fact, a legume. ? The more you know ?
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MIRDERHER MIRDERHER
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bmd (2113) bmd (2113)
- Derby name: bmd (2113)
- Derby number: 2113
- How did you choose your derby name? My kids chose it for me.
- Position: Head Referee
- Derby debut year: 2014
- CRG debut year: 2014
- Gear: Whistles and coffee
- Cross-training regimen: Road cycling and Peloton
- Fun fact: I got into officiating when my daughters played junior roller derby.
Photo credit: John Hesse
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Nosferhofftu Nosferhofftu
- Derby name: Nosferhofftu
- How did you choose your derby name? I’ve always liked old school horror and vampires so I went through fun horror puns and portmanteaus with Hoff and decided to go with Nosferhofftu
- Position: Head Non-Skating Official
- Derby debut year: 2019
- CRG debut year: 2019
- Gear: Stopwatches and fox 40 classic whistle
- Fun fact: I’m a huge fan of the Alien franchise (even including the newer movies)
The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby
Invented by sports promoter Leo Seltzer in the 1930s, roller derby thrived in the U.S. until it fizzled out in the 1970s. In the early 2000s, the Texas Rollergirls revived the sport on a flat track instead of the traditional banked track. The ability to play the game on just about any flat surface helped roller derby spread across the world, and what was once a staged spectacle became an unscripted, highly athletic and fiercely competitive sport.
In today’s roller derby, two 15-skater teams play two 30-minute periods. Each period consists of multiple “jams” in which one jammer, three blockers and one pivot from each team face off. The jammers, who wear stars on their helmets, score points for their team by passing blockers from the opposing team. The blockers from each team skate together in a pack and play offense for their own jammer and defense against the opposing jammer at the same time. The pivots, who wear stripes on their helmets, have the special ability to accept the star helmet cover from their jammer, become the new jammer and score points.
During a jam, skaters may legally block opponents with their hips, shoulders and rear. Players can receive 30-second penalties for a variety of illegal actions, including elbowing, tripping, back blocking and cutting the track. Each jam ends after 2 minutes or when the lead jammer – the first jammer to pass through the pack legally – calls off the jam by hitting their hips with their hands. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Read the complete rules here.