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Ok, let's say we just started Power Grid game for 4 players: A, B, C and D. We will be focusing on Step 1st/Phase 2nd, which is the first Auction Power Plants phase in the game. We have (randomly) determined initial player order, which we can assume is now ABCD.

Exception: In the first round of the game, each player must buy a power plant.

Ok, so let's assume that this is what happens in the first round's Auction Phase:

  1. A selects Power Plant, D wins the first auction.
  2. B selects Power Plant, B wins the auction.
  3. C selects Power Plant, C wins the auction.

Now, this would be D's turn to select the Power Plant, except he has already bought one, so he cannot bid nor offer a plant at auction.

Once a player has purchased a power plant in a round, he cannot bid in another auction in the same round, nor can he offer a plant at auction.

Does that mean we are back to A, and he selects Power Plant as the last player this round and therefore buys it at a starting price? Or was he obligated to choose plant again after D won the first auction?

Side note: I was quoting Official Rules found on RioGrandeGames.com.

1 Answer 1

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After D won the first auction, Player A is obligated to choose a plant again. You may have missed this on page 3 of the rules:

When the auctioning player wins the auction and gets the power plant, the next player in turn order takes his turn at offering a power plant for auction, if he has not already purchased a power plant this round. If he has, the next player in turn order may start an auction, and so on. When a player other than the player who started the auction wins the auction, the auctioning player may choose a new plant to auction from the actual market or pass.

Since the exception says everyone must buy a power plant first round, Player A may not pass.

You Shall Not Pass

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  • You are right, I wasn't aware of this rule. Makes more sense now, thank you.
    – beam022
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 16:11
  • I played my first game 2 days ago and made D pick the powerplant and bought bad powerplant and bad rate. Thank you for clarification :) Commented Sep 8, 2016 at 0:32

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