PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - “Team Obama. Yeah — that’s what I’m talking about,” said Barack Obama, clapping his hands rapidly.

No, he wasn’t standing in front of a crowded rally full of chanting supporters or cheering after hearing results of the tight battle with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.

This was the Illinois senator on a plane from Washington to Oregon after playing — and winning — a guessing game called “Taboo” that pitted Obama and his staff against reporters.

Though slow to catch on to the game, in which one player has to get his team to guess a word without saying certain “taboo” words as clues, Obama reveled in the competition.

“Team Obama’s looking solid. Looking solid,” he cheered his team on after a few rounds.

But he clearly wanted to know the parameters, and ensure he had an exit strategy.

“At what point is this game over?” he asked. When told it was when someone wins he said “that sounds familiar.”

Obama admitted that the generation gap hampered his ability to give good clues to his mostly young staff.

He confounded his teammates with this clue: “Thomas Jefferson called for this to happen every once in a while.” When he saw the blank stares, Obama acknowledged that it was “too obscure” and then said “The Beatles had a song about it.”

Eventually, someone guessed the word: Revolution.

Photo credit: Reuters/Jason Reed (Obamas wave to crowd at rally)