# the game "marco Polo"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 25, 2000, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163 "2000-12-25T06:33:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@FEotU](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FEotU)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2000, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/1 "2000-12-25T06:33:24Z")
This has been bugging me since I saw Bart and Lisa in a pool playing it on The Simpsons; what is the game Marco Polo (assuming that’s the name of the game), and how is it played?
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### Author:  [@Tzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzel)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2000, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/2 "2000-12-25T06:51:03Z")
One person has to keep their eyes closed. That person is “it” and has to tag the other people. When someone is tagged, they become “it,” and must keep their eyes closed. At any time, “it” may shout out “Marco,” and all the other players must respond “Polo,” thus betraying their locations.
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### Author:  [@Conti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Conti)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2000, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/3 "2000-12-25T06:52:57Z")
I’ve always played it in the pool. One person would be “it”. And they would close there eyes and everybody else would spread out in the pool. The “it” person, who either kept their eyes closed or was blindfolded, would then try to find all the players. Whenever the person who was “it” yelled “Marco!”…all the other players had to yell “Polo!”…hence, it gave the “it” person a bearing on the other players. Kinda like a blindfolded game of tag.
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### Author:  [@Conti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Conti)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2000, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/4 "2000-12-25T06:54:49Z")
WOOPS!
you beat me to it Tzel.
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### Author:  [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2000, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/5 "2000-12-25T06:57:08Z")
Marco!
[sub](Oh, I thought the OP asked if we could play Marco Polo…)[/sub]
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### Author:  [@FEotU](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FEotU)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2000, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/6 "2000-12-26T00:01:13Z")
Thanks for the answers, now i can sleep nights.
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### Author:  [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2000, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/7 "2000-12-26T02:22:51Z")
Polo!
🙂
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### Author:  [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2000, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/8 "2000-12-26T02:37:39Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Conti \*
> \*\*I’ve always played it in the pool. One person would be “it”. And they would close there eyes and everybody else would spread out in the pool. The “it” person, who either kept their eyes closed or was blindfolded, would then try to find all the players. Whenever the person who was “it” yelled “Marco!”…all the other players had to yell “Polo!”…hence, it gave the “it” person a bearing on the other players. Kinda like a blindfolded game of tag. \*\*
Also, if it yelled “Fish out of water!” then any other player who was out of the water. . . lost, or something. I really don’t remember.
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### Author:  [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2000, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/9 "2000-12-26T02:39:32Z")
Don’t forget that the “Polos” can’t get out of the pool. If someone does, and “it” calls out something like, “Fish out of water.” the person who got out of the pool becomes “it.” Don’t know what happens if there’s more than one “fish” out of the pool.
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Conti \*
> \*\*I’ve always played it in the pool. … The “it” person, who either kept their eyes closed or was blindfolded, would then try to find all the players. \*\*
\ “It” doesn’t have to find all the others, only one person, who then becomes It.
This game is great for a teenage guy - going around in a pool, with your hands outstretched, TRYING to touch others, 'specially girls!!!
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### Author:  [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2000, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/10 "2000-12-26T02:41:03Z")
OK, ThisYearsGirl, you can type faster than me… “Fish out of water!”
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### Author:  [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2000, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/11 "2000-12-26T09:02:35Z")
The way we played, It can open their eyes, but only underwater.
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### Author:  [@Mousseduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mousseduck)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2000, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/12 "2000-12-26T09:10:15Z")
The way my friends and I played, if It yelled “Fishes out of water” anyone out of the water had to jump straight in. The point was that the splash would help It find people.
A fun variant on the game was to sneak up behind It and bash them over the head with a pool pony, then swim off really really fast. It’s a bit hard to retaliate with closed eyes.
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### Author:  [@Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milton_De_La_Warre)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2000, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-game-marco-polo/47163/13 "2000-12-27T12:00:24Z")
Does anyone know where and/or when this game originated? Please don’t say “In the water.”