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NY Metro Open 2016 Recap/Review - Long
Posted By: Stick
Date: Tuesday, 12 January 2016, at 1:25 a.m.
Disclaimer:
It is far easier to criticize than to praise. In the following long write up I imagine there will be more negative pointed out than positive. I do this as feedback. I do this because I want better, because I deserve better, because you deserve better, because backgammon deserves better. Don't allow the bad to completely cloud why I write reviews like this. Also equally important I have some understanding of how impossibly frustrating it can be to run a backgammon tournament. All the long hours, hard work that is scantily rewarded monetarily, and people that are at the best of times infuriating, at the worst of times impossible. I appreciate each and every person who does something in the interest of the game no matter how I feel about you personally.With that being said and the length I imagine this will end up being, I suggest you devour it in small bits or skip to the parts that interest you most. It will be a tough pill to take in one swallow. I'm sure I will forget some things I wanted to say and may not structure it the best but it's very time consuming so it is what it is. Without any further ado ...
Promoting a Tournament
This year there were two special events added. The High Roller Event ($2500 entry, 21pt matches) and the USA v. The World Event. While I may not have been to many tournaments last year I consider myself dialed into the bg community as much as anyone. I whore around on all the forums whether I post or not. Be it here, RGB, DG, FFBG, DGBF, etc. I also give lessons to many players who are a lot more active than myself and receive emails on the daily with random backgammon questions so when there was a post by Mishypoo at the dead end of November speaking of such an event I was shocked to have not heard about it before.
Was it possible only I missed the boat in some weird glitch? I guess...but if you're going to do an event like this and do it right it needs to be put out there. An event like this, esp. when run correctly, will draw other players in to watch for sure. On top of that there's a High Roller Event that was rather hush hush too. I know for example Kit Woolsey hadn't heard about this so instead of coming to the NY Metro event, he booked something to do with bridge. It should be built up, a show for all to see. As it turned out it was more like a poorly run side event in comparison to The Nordic Open's DK v. the World event. More on this later.
Complaint
Personally, when I go to a backgammon event I want to play in the big events. That means the Main. That means the Super Jackpot or whatever it's called at any particular tournament. (Liberty Cup Masters at the NY Metro) That means if there's a High Roller event I want in. I think that's generally a fair statement of a player of my caliber. So I get in early enough Wednesday to watch or help with the USA v. The World and then plan on playing the High Roller that night. I register for the High Roller, the Liberty Cup Masters, and the Main and play my match that night against Jason Pack.
The next day I get up to make breakfast because I know I'll be playing early afternoon in the LCM. I have breakfast then from noon til 1:30 mill around the playing room/do something with the World v. US event. I did not receive an anti bye in the round of 8 (10) for the High Roller event so I would not have to play that until 8pm that night.
Come 1:30 ish the draw is posted for the LCM and I am slated to play Stepan N. I find him, hook up with Michelle to have our match recorded, and am literally walking to our table to play with score sheets in hands when Lynn (TD) comes over. She tells me not to start our match because there has to be a redraw. At this time that is all she tells me. I shrug my shoulders, no big deal, I can wait for another draw. I figure someone showed up late or pulled out or someone paid and they forget to include them. Whatever, no skin off my nose. Shortly after I learn they're doing a redraw because I'm not going to be permitted to play in it!? My nose's skin is all over the place!
What I am told is that since I am still in the High Roller event there would be a scheduling conflict if I were to also play the Liberty Cup Masters. That is basically complete crap. I inquire, try to explain there would be no real issue, yet am met with a "I've already decided and redrawn so nothing to do about it now" explanation.
Iff I played in the LCM (11 points) and I won my first round match I would have to play another match that evening at 7pm. My High Roller match is scheduled at 8pm that night so it is true, assuming a normal 11pt match, I may have to start my High Roller match a little late but there's nothing else going on. There's no reason this can not happen easily. Looking ahead at the upcoming days for both events there is no reason they need to overlap. Does that make any sense if that's the only overlap, a potential roughly half hour overlap?? Are you kidding me?
If it had been posted on the tournament brochure that I could enter only one or that if I entered one and won then I couldn't enter the other I'd have no problem with it. If I would have been told upon signing up that it could be an issue I would have been okay with it. As it stands, here's everything that this hiccup effected:
- I came to the NY tournament a day early because I wanted to play in both events. Had I known I would have to choose one I would likely have come in a day later, saving ~$200 on food/hotel for that day and still getting to enter one of the two events. Why beforehand would I choose the LCM over the High Roller event? Because I didn't know if the High Roller Event would have enough people in it for me to want to even enter. If it didn't get at least 16 I wasn't going to enter.
- Since I was playing both events I allowed people who take lessons from me to buy a percentage of me in the High Roller event if they wanted. I did not charge them a vig as I usually do because I had LCM and Main. In other words, I had enough money floating around in the main events that I felt I could offer this little perk. As it turns out, that could have also potentially cost me some cash.
- Since I didn't know it completely ruined my Wednesday night/Thursday. Ruined. If I had known beforehand that I wasn't playing early afternoon I would have went out the night before. I then could have slept in or maybe even got up and went into the city all day long. As it turns out, I did nothing the night before, still shorted myself on sleep to be up and ready to go, only to figure out just after 2pm that all I was going to be able to do all day long was sit around with my *#&@ in my hand. It was too late to now figure out something to do and rush into the city and rush back.
So after not coming to a tournament in almost a year two days in I feel like I wish I hadn't come to this one. As it turns out, not only would it leave me with nothing to do that day but also effect me having anything to do any day assuming I win anything in the LCM of course. It left me with a sour taste in my mouth so after busting out of all the events as quickly as possible I didn't enter anything else. No desire to whatsoever.
It is a seemingly innocent incident like this that could entirely put a newcomer off to backgammon tournaments for good. You never know what effect a wrong or misinformed decision will have on the other person. Tournaments need to be run with great care.
USA v. The World
I love events like this in general and will of course compare it to what I know, DK v. The World. These matches were all(?) played in a side room. A secluded side room that allowed for few spectators. There were reasons for this of course, mainly streaming and perhaps peace and quiet. This room grew in its 'elitist feel'. I thought the very same thing and then was approached by two different people who said essentially the same thing. Esp. once there were signs on the door saying do not enter, no spectators, yet of course some people did go in and out.
Who could go in and out and who couldn't? Well, the best players who have been around backgammon could go in and out without really being harassed. Again, maybe for good reason. I, for example, knew not to walk in in the middle of a game that was being streamed. I also wouldn't go in and make any noise or do anything to disrupt what was going on. Someone less familiar with how to act appropriately while people are playing might enter and ask questions or otherwise do something unwanted. Still, this vibe to me was not what I would want at all out of such an event.
If you have an event like this it should be out in the open so that people can watch, as many as possible! The final consultation should be there for everyone to see the pain of each team. To hear the discussion between the best players in the world, to add excitement to the feel of the tournament. While there was running commentary and you could watch the matches that way on large tv that simply isn't the same. You should have that in addition to playing in the open.
The format wasn't widely known or understood. The existence of money games and what they did or didn't count for confused everyone who wasn't in the event. It and the High Roller event also kept players (like myself) out of other events. This, in my opinion, should be avoided. There should be time allotted before or around the tournament for these matches to take place. They shouldn't interfere with the main tournament.
The final match would have been akin to Jordan sinking a last second shot to win a playoff game if everyone would have been surrounding it and watching it. As it went down only a select number of people were watching it on the big screen and when they went ballistic everyone else ran over to hear what happened. It could have had soooo much energy, sooo much hoopla, but to me ended up feeling like a side event that was meh, whatever.
The Last Chance
Let me first point out that I appreciate and applaud any effort to try something new at a backgammon tournament. When you do though it is your job to make damn sure that everyone is aware of this especially if it is a monstrous change from the norm.
First, defense of the NY Metro team right in the brochure it states:
Any player who has not cashed in the Main or Consolation brackets is entitled to a FREE entry into the Last Chance. You must sign up by 10:00 pm Saturday to be eligible to play in the Last Chance.
Yes, that's correct. In the main event of the NY Metro if you lost in the Consolation you had to sign up for the last chance or you would not be entered in the LC come Sunday. I knew when I saw this it would be an enormous problem and that many people come Sunday at LC time would be pissed.
It was on the brochure, is that enough? No way, no how. Be real, hardly anyone reads the brochure for details like that. Should they? Yes. But this isn't about blame. This is about knowing that if you don't make it crystal clear to every last person in the main you will piss off and lose players in the upcoming years period. It may not be 'your fault' but guess what? It's your fault.
So, it was posted in the brochure and Lynn said she announced it '5 times'. I'm sure she did announce it however many times I have no clue. I never once heard it nor did other people. Again, no surprise. It's like on an airplane you don't really listen to what they're saying before you take off or land unless there's a reason to do so.
What should they have done? Every last person who signed up for the main event should have been told explicitly about the change and what they needed to do if they lost in the Conso in order to play the LC. Every ... last ... person. On top of that it still needed to be announced and still needed to be in the brochure but if you don't make sure your people taking entries conveys this important information the fault lies with you. As it happened, many people come Sunday weren't signed up and were livid.
My Matches
Let me first say this: If my match is recorded I will input the match. There is no reason for anyone else to do it. You're just wasting your own time.
If I ever were to need someone to input a match I would ask here on the forums. As is though I often put the match in asap, that night at the tournament. I want to play through the match again and see how I did. I appreciate all the work transcribers do but it's duplicating work to put in my matches. I had 3 people send me different matches from this weekend and I had already put in every match way before I received them. (I had the time)
I am skipping around a bit and I'm sure I'll leave plenty out and come back to it later but let's tackle my matches for now. Both of my matches in the High Roller event were recorded thankfully. Also my first round match in the main with Tobias Hellwag was recorded. My rebuy into the main was only partially recorded as Jeb had an equipment malfunction. I did not record my conso match v. Antoinette or my LC against Michael.
All matches are analyzed using ++.
Match #1 v. Jason Pack
Stick: PR 3.7
Jason: PR 6.3
I wasn't too happy playing a 3.7. What is noteworthy (calling out Falafel) is in Game #16 my cube decisions. We were on the clock and Jason had dwindled down on time. Some players low on time are fine. Others are spastic and make errors they otherwise wouldn't and may even have a chance of timing out if pushed there. Knowing this and always with the idea of a 3 PR difference between myself and Jason have a look at the cubes in this game and tell me your thoughts if you feel like.
My thinking was he was much more likely to take than usual given he was low on time and he knew he was low on time. That combined with the elo difference means I should double significantly later and he should be and would be in my opinion taking way deeper. When I tried to explain this to Falafel he would have none of it. Move #8 that XG has as a pass already GNU has as a ND with the jacobs100 MET. Move #9 GNU has it as a double and the last cube decision GNU thinks it's a pass, not TG. It's a very stubborn view of looking at the position one dimensionally like you're playing XG or something. The other factors are very important. Taking out that string of cube *errors* brings me to a 3.2. Still nothing to write home about but it would allow me to sleep better at night.
Match #2 v. Bill Phipps
Stick: PR 2.4
Bill: PR 2.6
A well played match by both. I made two sloppy plays in this match but overall it was fine. Plays like my move #2 in game #13 are interesting theoretically. Of course my play is wrong and 23, 7 is standard but if the opponent incorrectly passes with any 6X entry it becomes much more attractive. I already had that feeling that Bill would be protective of his lead concerning cubes since the game before I was happy to have a couple/few free rolls when I thought he should cash. The next couple of games I sent two borderline cubes not being sure that he would take them even though they were monster monster takes. He correctly did as you can see.
Match #3 v. Tobias Hellwag
Stick: PR 2.6
Tobias: PR 4.0
Only 1 play I really regret in this match and one play I learned something from. In game #2, move #23 I had a hard time deciding whether to come all the way up with the deuce or not. I reasoned that I didn't want to get hit off the point he'd most like to hit me on and I had reasonable chances to escape by hanging back on the 22pt. I told myself if I had an extra spare on my own 3pt I would stay back. I hated taking the last spare because I might need it to play later to keep my board but I also didn't want to come up so I stayed back. In both instances it's correct to come up. Clearly correct. It's simply much much easier to escape next turn.
I was at 16a 1a Crawford before I came back a few points v. Phipps. I lost to Tobias 13-0. My next match I got down 7-0 before scoring a point! I was getting hammered and playing well enough. What else could I do? I do think it's easier to play from behind though.
There is more but I'm exhausted for the day. Hasta maņana.
Stick
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