Rain, don't let cheaters and fanboys put you off these games.  I like them and I think we need something like this around here to keep things light and fun.  Seems like an odd thing to need on a gaming forum, but like I said before, gaming has become like politics: there's so much hatred and bitterness - people who want to "win" at all costs - that it spoils it for everyone.  The most ridiculous part is that there's nothing actually at stake in a stupid forum game like this.  I at least understand why people get so emotionally invested in politics... but this?

Anyway, I think your idea about only allowing members to play is a good one.  I don't know if you want to go this far, but you may also want to implement a rule that the game stays on the game thread - that anyone caught trying to rally voters elsewhere on the forum (in other threads, on their wall, etc) is banned from the game.  Like I said, I don't know if you consider this a serious infraction or not, but I've seen it happen so I thought I'd mention it.

In any case, don't let the bad sports sour you on these.  I think your games do much more good than harm.  I'll give some more thought to what can be done.  Maybe I'll come up with something.

250 posts seems reasonable enough; should eliminate the lurkers as well or people with multiple accounts which have slipped through the net.

That's exactly what I was thinking. 

Dude, get with the times, both of those have already been eliminated.