Masters Invitational GEN CON: Pairings?

Gents,

A question. In the past, pairings for the Masters was simple. Depending on how one finished the previous year set where one would play in the following years tourney and in what bracket. This gave us two brackets of 4 teams where each team played the other teams in your pool once. The top two from both pools advance to the SE round of play giving us a total of 4 teams advancing to the Semi-finals.

Seeds 1,4,5,8 are in one pool and Seeds 2,3,6,7 are in the other. Makes sense but then an observation was brought to the table, that three of the four teams in the 1,4,5,8 pool were winners of their respective tournament. 1 Winning the Masters, 5 Winning the Mega and 8 winning the Mega at Origins.

The question is: does anyone care about that? Do you think that is fair? Should the pools be generated in a different way?

As for Origins, we made it a Swiss play tournament where everyone advanced playing those with like records. How it worked was: There were three rounds of play in which teams will be paired randomly in the first round. For the second and third rounds, players are matched with opponents of like records (as much as is possible). Within each record group (2-0 vs. 2-0, etc.), the game match-ups are determined by pairing the highest ranked player against the lowest ranked player (then the second highest vs. the second lowest, etc.) based on the same criteria used for advancement to the SE play. The top 4 teams from Swiss play advance to the Single Elimination bracket.

Now, this worked out well but the only problem was one team had to play a team twice in their road to the final. Though, both 4-0 teams did make it to the final but if the team advancing did not win the semi-final game, defeating them in Swiss play but then losing to them in SE play, would that be fair? At GEN CON and the way it is now, no one will ever play someone twice.

In our case, is having three winners in the same pool fair? Not taking away from the other 4 teams but the question has been asked.

So, at this time, I have it set up as is but, if you guys, the eight teams think it should be revised and it is agreed upon by the majority of the Masters players in time for GEN CON, I will consider changing it...but until then, let me know what you are thinking?

Peace,

Rules say Jeff and I are the "worst" seed.

That's just the way it works, and I see no issue with it.

I have no problem with 1v8, and so on....

Squire,

Don't take it so personally! LOL

Peace,

I didn't have a problem with the pairings until I saw Jeff in the 8-seed spot. Now I wish we'd have inadvertently left Berlin open in the last round of the Mega final last year.

It does seem a little skewed to have three "champs" in one bracket, but seeing as we got waxed with the floor in our last Masters go-around in the "other" bracket, I don't think it really makes much difference.

Come to think of it, though, I do recall Greg stating, last year, that the Origins was a better gauge of Axis and Allies aptitude than the GenCon Mega. Maybe Jeff and Squire should be the 5th seeds and Jim and I be the 6th. Hmmm...

DocM

scopemon wrote:I didn't have a problem with the pairings until I saw Jeff in the 8-seed spot. Now I wish we'd have inadvertently left Berlin open in the last round of the Mega final last year.

It does seem a little skewed to have three "champs" in one bracket, but seeing as we got waxed with the floor in our last Masters go-around in the "other" bracket, I don't think it really makes much difference.

Come to think of it, though, I do recall Greg stating, last year, that the Origins was a better gauge of Axis and Allies aptitude than the GenCon Mega. Maybe Jeff and Squire should be the 5th seeds and Jim and I be the 6th. Hmmm...

DocM

Now dont be so hasty.

You guys and the six other teams are clearly more deserving of the higher seed. Jeff and I are humbled and just happy to barely squeek in this tournament.

Besides, its inevitable. If you switch things around, suddenly one team wont be at gencon, in which case teams "move up" and you get skewed brackets once again. Better to just let it play out as it is. If three "champs" play, so be it.

Now dont be so hasty.

You guys and the six other teams are clearly more deserving of the higher seed. Jeff and I are humbled and just happy to barely squeek in this tournament.

Besides, its inevitable. If you switch things around, suddenly one team wont be at gencon, in which case teams "move up" and you get skewed brackets once again. Better to just let it play out as it is. If three "champs" play, so be it.[/quote]

I believe you when you say Jeff is humble...

I don't see any problems with the pairings. After all, though I'm the number one seed, it was Dan's strategy that was used throughout the Master's last year. I doubt that I can emulate his play. My being in it just levels the playing field. By the way, any ideas on who's available and willing to be my partner? Squirecam messed up my plans by winning Origins and my old partner wants to play in the Mega.

Thanks

Tom,

I have a few suggestions. Nick Rohn, the gentlemen you paired up with at the Spring Gathering. I am not sure if he plans on going but he lives in Chicago and it is worth the try.

Some other names are: Tim Wacther, Steve Binder, Mike Davis...

Hope this helps. If you want, I can send out a e-mail to some of the others that might be interested...

Peace,
GS

TomJag1 wrote:I don't see any problems with the pairings. After all, though I'm the number one seed, it was Dan's strategy that was used throughout the Master's last year. I doubt that I can emulate his play. My being in it just levels the playing field. By the way, any ideas on who's available and willing to be my partner? Squirecam messed up my plans by winning Origins and my old partner wants to play in the Mega.

Thanks

I'd remind him that the Mega makes you play from 8 am till 2 am, assuming you keep winning. And you can advance in the Masters at 1-2, while you need to go undefeated in the Mega.

If that fails, Mike or Tim would be excellent partners.

The current system is fine

There is no easy game in this tournament.

The only thing easy about the tournament is the concept - if you don't lose, you move on (execution always much harder than that).

Whether you matchup with an opponent in the first round or the championship it doesn't matter, you still have to beat them.

Besides... I don't think there is really a way to draw the brackets up without too much subjectivity.

Perhaps an NCAA selection committee could help us out? Even better, we could go to the BCS.

Everyone had to take a difficult road to get invited to the master's tourney, and the road won't be any easier once you are there.
The team that plays the best for the weekend (plus no ill-fortunate dice) will come out victorious whether they came from the "Bracket of Champions" or the 2nd and 3rd place finishers in the previous Gen Con tourneys.

If I recall from last year's CON, none of the 3 Champions actually won last year's matster's tourney, but rather the non-champ from the "champions bracket."

Being a first time Masters player, I have no problem with the current bracket set up. Sometimes a team will get an easier road, sometime a more difficult one.

Dave

Verde wrote:The current system is fine...

Perhaps an NCAA selection committee could help us out? Even better, we could go to the BCS. "

Welcome Verde, LOL! I was rolling...

Thanks for posting as well...

GSH34 wrote:Being a first time Masters player, I have no problem with the current bracket set up. Sometimes a team will get an easier road, sometime a more difficult one.

Dave

Dave, the same goes for you....thanks for stopping by! hey, looks like your Bears just closed a good deal for Urlacker.

Peace,
GS

Verde wrote:
If I recall from last year's CON, none of the 3 Champions actually won last year's matster's tourney, but rather the non-champ from the "champions bracket."

Yes, but the losers in the "champions bracket" felt better about themselves.

And we got free admission to Greg's super secret after hours party...

Well Dave, my brother and I will do our best to make our bracket as difficult as possible . Good luck and see you in August.

Squirecam (Charles?), I can't believe I missed out on the after party... Maybe I will catch the next one.
And Feel Better about themselves?.... When did you turn into a soccer mom?

Greg your Penguins were close to Lord Stanley's Cup. I think next year is their year.

Verde wrote:

Squirecam (Charles?), I can't believe I missed out on the after party... Maybe I will catch the next one.
And Feel Better about themselves?.... When did you turn into a soccer mom?

Greg your Penguins were close to Lord Stanley's Cup. I think next year is their year.

hey Verde, I believe we might just be having one on Saturday August 2 in the Swamp if you guys are up for some pre-CON strategic partying?

Yeah...still kind of bummin' about the Pens, but the off season has been good to them except for that dang Hossa guy boltin for Detroit...go figure!

Peace,
GS