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BGonline.org Forums
All in One (longer)...etc ..etc ..some of my experiences
Posted By: neilkaz In Response To: All in One (long) (Stick)
Date: Wednesday, 27 June 2012, at 4:12 p.m.
"He asks them to rank the best players in the world, considering the level of their involvement with backgammon and their tournament skills over the past two years."
"David's suggestion of money play is completely different from the Giants list."
The original Giants list(s) started when David was just starting to play or soon after David began making a name for himself in Boston area BG and then the country, but Stick hadn't hit the ABT/World BG seen yet. The criteria for the original list(s) included money play as well as tourney play so this may be effecting David's reasoning. I'll let him speak for himself if he wishes.
I am quite happy that money play isn't a criteria for Giants anymore as I don't play much for money since I find it very boring mentally compared to match play and all the different GV's, GC, TP's, DP's etc etc. For me to want to play for money, I'd want to make sure that I am feeling fresh and not distracted by the tournament and also to make sure that we are playing for enough money to keep my interested..ie lots, and to make sure that a large win or loss will be paid promptly and won't greatly affect my opp's lifestyle. Very few of these potential opponents play this game anymore and fewer still would want to play me, and of those who would play I'd likely not want to play some of them (and not for BG reasons). I am a TERRIBLE judge of people and their possible bad intentions so my experiences playing for ammounts that will affect my opps' lifestyles hasn't been good as I have been cheated and also stiffed for 5 figure ammounts more than once. Hence, my sense of caution (survival instinct maybe) means that I basically don't want to play anyone for big stakes.
Enough about me, but I'll again state that money play was part of the original Giants criteria, but thankfully was dropped as honestly, who really knows how much someone wins or loses? There were players that were perceived by the "masses" to be great money players in public, but who also were pounded for big stakes in private.
"the Falafelfish talk and terms. He wants to be able to bet on any play, which is okay for me but I think is a turn off for other players such as Neil Kaz. I don't think Neil likes to focus so much on his opponent's play and so such a bet with Falafel would hurt him."
This is true..and over the past 18+ months I have become less chatty when I play and lots more of "STFU and just play", but it depends on who I am playing and what's at stake in the match. As an example, Mary and I were chatting and joking and I was laughing at my bad luck when she jokered me off the board in Chicago in the RR for the TOC playoffs, but had it been the finals I'd have been more quiet and serious and not engaged my good friend Mary in as much chit-chat.
ABT and other face to face tourney play has major differences to online play, and this is assuming AS I DO that EVERYONE posting here is 100% honest online. That means that you don't ever check a bot until after the match and if you do check a decison afterwards, ask for ur opp's approval!! You don't ever use pencil and paper or a calculator and you don't even keep a MET handy. etc etc. ie just like when you play face to face. When you play at home you can often play whenever you want to, when you feel well, and not when you feel like crap. This is especially true for those who can set their own hours and less so for someone like me who works most days when home, but sometimes has to schedule online T play with someone half a world away.
In face to face play, sometimes you're lots more tired, sometimes you have to play sick, sometimes something happened to your leg and you can barely walk but you have to play anyhow. Sometimes, there's construction outside your hotel window starting at 7 am. Sometimes the hotel or your room is noisy (ancient A/C) and you sleep very poorly etc etc. Othertimes you were up to 2:30 AM squeezing in a Masters or Doubles match. It is not surprising that someone (ie Stick) who's had very good results in live events and often shown low PR's and who can basically set his own hours has shown an even lower PR online. Other times, at least for me, I don't like the playing room or it is noisy and too hot and too crowded, but I have to play anyhow. Note that I played like shit Memorial Day in Chicago (up to 25C as A/C couldn't handle it being 35C outside this year was most uncomfortable to me who'd prefer to have the room 18-19C and if supercold, put on a light jacket) the last two years, and was actioning it up, trying to make things more exciting for me and to end matches quicker just so I could GTF out of the room. But HTF can I take that sick recube from Alfred regardless?!??
"I've loaned them both a couple/few grand at one point or another."..."The other person has never mentioned it once and it has been years. He has a real job, family, house, etc... but not one word. I don't understand this kind of thing."
I don't understand this sort of thing either. I won't mention the player's name who I loaned 15K to late last century and who slowly paid me back some of it, especially when he had a decent win in a side event early this century ago. This guy is now quite successful in his life, and really should man up and find a way to pay of the rest of his debt (which is still considerably more than half the loan) and yet I've overheard that when he was in town during an ABT and was expected to stop by. Maybe he avoided coming by the T since he knew that I was there and I suspect that he also avoids tourneys that he's sure I am playing. This sort of thing simply breeds contempt. So..if this player is reading here...man up and PAY your loan to me off, it wasn't a lifetime loan nor a gift.
.. neilkaz ..
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