The 2011 Weasel Royale club championship game will begin with the selection ceremony at 11 a.m. this Saturday at Dan Burgess’ home in Downers Grove. The seeds are:
- Peter Yeargin
- Nate Cockerill
- John Gramila
- Peter Lokken
- Jim O’Kelley
- Tony Prokes
- Mark Weiskircher
The players will first establish the selection order. Mark will place his card on the table, and then Tony will decide whether he wants to pick before or after Mark. Then Jim will place his card relative to the other two, and so on, until all seven cards have been placed in order of selection, one through seven. At that point, the first player will choose a country, then the second, and so on, until all seven players are seated at the table, at which time, the clock will start, and the game will begin.
And here’s the catch: Ties will be broken in reverse selection order, so the player who selects his country first must top the board outright to win the championship. In a tie, the second person can only beat the first; the third can only beat the first and second, and so on.
What’s most important? Which country you play? Who your neighbors are? Or having an advantageous tie-breaking position? These are the questions our competitors will be wrestling with all week, right up until the ceremony starts at 11 a.m.
Meanwhile, the players in our third annual Undercard game will draw for powers and begin their game after the Royale selection ceremony. In its first two years, the Undercard has been a significant factor in league play. In 2009, Pete McNamara topped the board. His result held up as Best Germany and also launched his successful bid for a Royale spot in the 2010 championship game. Last year, it was John Gramila who topped as Turkey. He eventually lost Best Turkey, and his British solo is chiefly responsible for his Royale ticket, but his Undercard victory got him off to a strong start.
This year’s Undercard competitors are:
- Aash Anand
- Kyle Weiskircher
- Pete McNamara
- Ulysses Peterson
- Aaron Bernhardt
- Ben DiPaola
- Mike Morrison
History tells us that one of them will compete in next year’s Royale.
While the Undercard is full, standbys are always welcome. If you want to be a standby, please comment below.
And feel free to drop by Dan’s house to watch some of the action on either board. Saturday is a big day for the Weasels. Come out and be a part of it.
