Results
http://nycfoosball.com/r.../2014/marylandstate.aspxReview
First off, awesome tournament. If there would have been 15 more tables it would have been the best tournaments I've been to in a long time. Soo many people, so many friends (except for Brannum), so many good players, all the top touring masters were there, including Billy, who I love watching play (he's absolutely sick on the Roberto Sport), only one missing was Robby. The stand food sucked but the restaurant was nice. The tournament room was awesome. It reminded me of the big tournaments long ago when I first started, a brightly lit room with high ceilings and all the tables laid out in one room.... as opposed to a dark room, with the tables separated in different rooms. Tables were good. Balls were good. Chun goes all out for this tournament and it's no joke. Props to the crew, Forest, Kristin. You guys are lucky in MD, Chun brings the foosball world home to you. For all of those wondering, this is the Big East Coast tournament. Over 160 people I heard.
But something needs to change because I can't play until 5am on Monday anymore... I'm just too old. Before it was fine, but not any more and you promised last year Chun.
Props to Ellen for winning Women's Open Doubles and 3rd in Women's Open Singles. Nice work!!
Brief summary from my tournament experience.
Playing Expert Doubles with Chris Forest, playing goal... I was blocking just fine, I thought. But my 2bar was dangerous this weekend. It saved us a few matches, but it also cost us the event. Both matches we lost was because the opposing forward was moving around in random patterns and timings while I was shooting. In both matches I got stuff once or twice a game. Not good. Lesson learned... need to be more patient if I don't see anything (or I need to play more against Allen's 2bar defense, I think I just got lazy). To work on.... more options from my setup. For people at home I need you to start shuffling in random patterns when I'm shooting on the 2bar, that's my biggest weakness right now. If I can see the hole I can usually hit it. Sorry Chris. My fault.
Pro Doubs with Rob D, playing forward.... it was a bit of a struggle when my forward game was off. We pulled out some matches I didn't think we would win. By Sunday night my forward game was as good as it's been in a few years. I passed and scored really well for a few matches. It's too bad our last Pro Doubs match was at 5:30am... I was done (and asleep). Sorry Rob. Note to self.... I think playing singles helped to get my forward game going, which I normally never play (unless there are absolutely no tables to warm up on). Also I finally got my long read back on the 3bar, which was missing for a few years. I need to work on my confidence, but maybe that only comes with playing. Rob you need to work on practicing not racing anybody at home, it's not helping you on tour. Learn a new roller D please and a stopped 2bar shot. Until then I might have to try to get Mark Kraus to play with me, but more on that later. Top 10 and in the money, I can't complain about the finish, but I will complain about the time.
Thanks to my partners for being last minute. I didn't know I was going until 10pm on Friday night.
Pro Singles. Burns, 3rd game 4-4, meatnut. I had the drop.... :)
Off note...
I watched this one match, Nhu Tran/Mark Kraus vs Jack Lenty/ Phil Perros, Open Doubles. All four are good players. I wanted to watch Lenty play bc I've never seen him before. I only get to see the last 2 games where Nhu doesn't make a single pass the entire time while Lenty is passing near 100%. It didn't seem like Kraus was bricking Lenty but somehow Nhu/Mark won those 2 games and the match. Incredible, I'm still not sure how it happened even though I watched the whole thing. Who says you need a 5bar? If we play together Kraus, I'll just pass it back to you from the start.
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Here's my suggestion for running events.
Basically you are only allowed to be in 1 event at any one time. No more package deals, but, let's say, 1 flat fee for doubles. 1 flat fee for singles. Specialty and DYP events are separate.
One day for Singles
One day for Doubles.
Start with a seeded Open event, double elimination. Run until 20% are eliminated out of open then start Beginners. After the next 20% are eliminated out of Open start Amateurs. Next 20% then Experts. Next 20% Pros. If you're out of Beginner then you can enter Ams or Experts, etc. Basically you will almost always be in an event and there will never be conflicts. If you can finish top 10% in Open you shouldn't be playing Experts or Ams. Then just add a few specialty or others events afterwards. Now you can schedule almost all the finals. The problem isn't double elimination. The problem with big foosball tournaments is conflicts. Nobody should still be in 3 events at 6am Monday morning. Every year it's the same few people. If they decide they won't come because they can't win 3 or 4 events at one tournament then you might lose a customer or two but gain so many more. Because at this point you've just lost me.... For the past 5 years come 4am Monday I hit my wall, I just can't play anymore. I love going to tournaments but what's the point if I know I have to pretty much forfeit every year.
It's just an idea, I'm sure there's more solutions to the problem, but playing at 5am on Monday is not acceptable anymore to me.
But regardless, I had a lot of fun, but I'm tired now.
Thanks Chun.
Edited by user Tuesday, February 18, 2014 8:09:44 PM(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified
