Joli Quentin Kansil
Encyclopedia
Joli Quentin Kansil is a Games inventor of 36 card games, word games, board games, and dice games, and the author of five books. He was also a teacher in Hawaii, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore. Bridgette
, a two-player bridge game, is his most famous game.
and lived much of his childhood at the Jersey Shore
, graduating Asbury Park High School
in 1960 and Rutgers University
in 1964. His first job was as personal assistant to Albert Hodges Morehead
, a writer, lexicographer, and the first bridge editor of The New York Times
. In 1965 Kansil moved to Mexico City, where he earned an MA degree in Latin American history from la Universidad de las Americas. After Mexico, he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii and worked as a full-time English teacher at Punahou School
. During these years, he began his many travels to Central America, the Caribbean, South Pacific, South East Asia, and other places including Mongolia, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Antarctica and Greenland. In all, he has been to 230 countries and colonies.
, designed. Waldemar Von Zedtwitz, a former business partner of Albert Morehead, contributed the funds needed to start Gamut of Games, Inc. (which later evolved into Xanadu Leisure, Ltd.
Kansil was honored as Game Inventor of the Year in 1992 at the annual Game Fair in Essen, Germany, and earlier, in 1986, Bridgette was added to GAMES Magazine's Hall of Fame. In 1973, Kansil co-founded the Hawaii Backgammon Club (now called the Aloha State Backgammon Club), and he promoted this game by organizing many tournaments. He won the Hawaii State Backgammon Championships twice (1973, 2000), and he placed in the top 16 bracket in Macau (1977), Monte Carlo (1979), St. Moritz, Switzerland (1986) and Tokyo, Japan (also 1986).
In the 1970s, Kansil wrote many crossword puzzles for The New York Times, and he was the backgammon editor for Games Magazine
(1978 to 1983). A member of the Explorers Club, he was the journalist on the Zancudo-Cocha expedition in 1987, and he made a rare visit to Pitcairn Island in the South Seas that same year. He wrote articles about both trips for the Explorers Club Journal magazine.
, in the Philippines
, where he is a writer and frequent tournament bridge player. Besides his work in the field of games, he was active as a member of the board of directors of ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) for 17 years, and he has designed a modernized spelling system and a reform calendar.
Bridgette (game)
Bridgette is a two-player bridge game that has been popular since 1970. It features a 55-card deck: the regular pack of 52 cards plus three extra cards called "Colons". These special cards separate the pack into three groups: aces , picture cards , and spot cards . On an opponent's lead, the colon...
, a two-player bridge game, is his most famous game.
Early years
Kansil was born Joel Dennis Gaines in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and lived much of his childhood at the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
, graduating Asbury Park High School
Asbury Park High School
Asbury Park High School is a comprehensive, four-year community public high school headquartered in a landmark building in Asbury Park, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, constructed during the New Deal as a model high school campus...
in 1960 and Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in 1964. His first job was as personal assistant to Albert Hodges Morehead
Albert Hodges Morehead
Albert Hodges Morehead, Jr. was a writer for The New York Times, a bridge player, a lexicographer, and an author and editor of reference works.-Early years:...
, a writer, lexicographer, and the first bridge editor of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. In 1965 Kansil moved to Mexico City, where he earned an MA degree in Latin American history from la Universidad de las Americas. After Mexico, he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii and worked as a full-time English teacher at Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
. During these years, he began his many travels to Central America, the Caribbean, South Pacific, South East Asia, and other places including Mongolia, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Antarctica and Greenland. In all, he has been to 230 countries and colonies.
Games career
In 1969, Kansil founded Gamut of Games, Inc., which produced and distributed various games that he and his associate, Philip OrbanesPhilip Orbanes
Philip E. Orbanes is a board game designer, author, and founding partner and president of Winning Moves Games in Danvers, Massachusetts. Orbanes is a graduate of the Case Institute of Technology . He was a Senior Vice President for Research and Development at Parker Brothers until the 1990s....
, designed. Waldemar Von Zedtwitz, a former business partner of Albert Morehead, contributed the funds needed to start Gamut of Games, Inc. (which later evolved into Xanadu Leisure, Ltd.
Kansil was honored as Game Inventor of the Year in 1992 at the annual Game Fair in Essen, Germany, and earlier, in 1986, Bridgette was added to GAMES Magazine's Hall of Fame. In 1973, Kansil co-founded the Hawaii Backgammon Club (now called the Aloha State Backgammon Club), and he promoted this game by organizing many tournaments. He won the Hawaii State Backgammon Championships twice (1973, 2000), and he placed in the top 16 bracket in Macau (1977), Monte Carlo (1979), St. Moritz, Switzerland (1986) and Tokyo, Japan (also 1986).
Author
Kansil is the author of The Backgammon Quiz Book (Playboy Press, 1979), and he is the editor of the Official Rules of Card Games (U. S. Playing Card Co., 1999). His MA thesis on John Quincy Adams was published in 1983. In 2009, 'Quintana & Albert' was published in the Philippines. The book covers a wide range of topics, notably the origin of the Universe and life on Earth, the conflict between science and religion, the 10 greatest human accomplishments, contentment, and forecasts for the future.In the 1970s, Kansil wrote many crossword puzzles for The New York Times, and he was the backgammon editor for Games Magazine
GAMES Magazine
Games magazine is a United States magazine devoted to games and puzzles, and is published by Games Publications, a division of Kappa Publishing Group.-History:...
(1978 to 1983). A member of the Explorers Club, he was the journalist on the Zancudo-Cocha expedition in 1987, and he made a rare visit to Pitcairn Island in the South Seas that same year. He wrote articles about both trips for the Explorers Club Journal magazine.
Later years
Kansil has three children and is currently residing in Makati, a prominent city near ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where he is a writer and frequent tournament bridge player. Besides his work in the field of games, he was active as a member of the board of directors of ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) for 17 years, and he has designed a modernized spelling system and a reform calendar.