Once I stopped high-score-games showed I'd obtained the high score for Pacman. So, I registered the score proud of my achievements and believing that I could never be beaten. Until I logged in the next day and found that some guy called Frisco had beaten my score. I cannot tell you the effect this had on me, but I had an overwhelming urge to put it right. Have you ever had that?

So I played and played. Frisco's score had all the hallmarks of a cheat or some punk kid who had way too much time on his greasy hands. He probably plays all day and night just to be the high-score-games champion for another day. Maybe he hacked into the system and updated the database somehow. Well, he would be champion no more and I was on a warpath.

All I could think about was beating Frisco. I thought of hacking high-score-games myself, but what would I do even if I could somehow guess the admin password. So I continued to replay, and bang and curse. I searched for cheats on the net, but nothing. I gave up for another night.

I woke up on Sunday groggy and hung-over. I logged in again and found that the webmaster of high-score-games had started a competition with prize money to the winner. Frisco had entered and Poacher Patrol was the game we all had to compete. I entered like the dog that I was. The competition was for 3 days and the winner at the end was given an Ipod. Wow ? something I really wanted coupled with the chance to put Frisco in his place made for an interesting 3 days.

Let me tell you - I hate been beaten by kids. You know the type I'm talking about. Always more determined to get one over the oldies like me. I started what was to be a marathon session to be the best. I played for hours on end, with the compulsion of an axe-murderer. I came close to Friscos score so many times, but I kept getting caught at the same place by those infernal monsters. I slammed the keyboard a few times, cursed and eventually gave up after the first night. Frisco had the lead by 5000 points with me in second.

Day 2 ? Played for 5 hours flat. Frisco had increased his lead to 8000 points. I wasn't discouraged though. I kept at it and felt I could make a charge in the third day.

Day 3 ? Now my sights were firmly planted on Frisco. I had cut his lead to 4000, then 3000, and then with one hour to go his lead was cut to just 2000. I knew I had him. I had never concentrated like this before tapping furiously on my keyboard and not even taking time to blink. With 5 minutes left, I was 500 points behind, feeling a terrible excitement as I etched closer to my target. I cannot describe the feelings I had when I overtook his score, the exhilaration and triumphalism. With one minute to go, I saved my score. The time was up.

I immediately checked the results page. Oh no! I was runner up and Frisco was in third. Someone by the name of ?Punky? had piped me at the post. Strangely, I didn't mind. I had accomplished my goal and beaten Frisky on High-score-games.com. I was my own champion. I did not win the Ipod, but I was king!