why didn't they just write it down?

Does anyone remember the episode of Seinfeld where Kramer and Newman were playing a game of Risk? They had to store the board at Jerry's place because neither one trusted the other not to cheat if left alone with it.

There's a lot that I understand about the episode. As board games go, Risk can feel intense in a way that Candyland can't. Risk can bring out the worst in friends more efficiently than any other board game. I get that.

But there's one thing I don't get. There are 42 countries on the board. Couldn't they have simply written down a list of countries and indicated, for each one, who owned it and how many armies were on it,

Problem solved! I'm a genius!


EDIT: While we're at it, why would you play a board game with someone if you can't trust him not to cheat?