Had the same thing happen on a driveway pour in August, ground was so dry it looked like the slab was allergic to water. Now I keep a hose going on the base while we set forms and it's night and day on the finish.

Tag or test, never trust a 15 percent guess at 96 percent load.

Wow, seven people showing up for light games is not actually a win, it just means the bar got so low that anyone could clear it. Your heavy nights had 2 or 3 people who actually cared, and trading that for a rotating crowd playing filler is a bad deal no matter what the notebook says. Deep strategy nights are rare and worth keeping, so don't pat yourself on the back for killing them.