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Re: 2017 Richler Cup

Postby acesinc

Richler Cup runner-up Renat Denkha is an occasional visitor to my club here outside Chicago. Best player I have ever played against by a distance and a very nice guy. I expect him to play in the US Nationals this year and I also expect that he will win it quite handily.

The two lives format is commonly referred to as Double Elimination and basically everyone's name gets drawn out of a hat to fill a single line up of matches.....A plays B, C plays D, E plays F, etc. If there is an odd number of participants, then there is also a "Bye" name drawn from the hat and that opponent will get a free pass for the first round. So after first round is complete, you have the "winners' bracket" and the "losers, bracket". So the winners' bracket keeps getting whittled down with the undefeated players and anyone in the losers' bracket that loses another match is out (hence, Double (loss) Elimination). In the end, the top of the winners' bracket will play the top of the losers' bracket in the final.

So with the Richler Cup, I guess Renat must have lost a match somewhere along the line but rose to the top of the losers' bracket. Meanwhile, John Everekian went undefeated throughout. So when Renat and John met for their first match, if John won, he would have been undefeated champion as Renat would have had two losses and eliminated. As it turned out, Renat won that first match between the two so now BOTH players had one loss and they had a re-match, winner take all which of course, John then won.

At the US Nationals, we play the round robin groups format which can be unfair as there is generally strong groups and weak groups so a mid-level player (like myself) is at the mercy of the draw as usually two players will advance from each group. I've seen lower level players advance because they happen to wind up in short groups with weak players so my mother could have advanced if she was in that group. Of course, one is always at the mercy of the draw, but with Double Elimination, at least you have the consolation that if you lose your first match, you know you are playing with another loser of HIS first match so you have a fair chance to advance.

Re: 2017 Richler Cup

Postby kolompar

This tournament is usually disappointing that with all the prize money they still only get the same old players but good to see an American player doing well this time.
Aces are you playing in the US Nationals?

Re: 2017 Richler Cup

Postby acesinc

kolompar wrote:This tournament is usually disappointing that with all the prize money they still only get the same old players but good to see an American player doing well this time.
Aces are you playing in the US Nationals?


Sadly, no. I really wish I could but I have personal commitments that take priority. The venue this year is probably the best we have to offer here in the US. It is the New York Athletic Club, a private facility with four well tended, gorgeous antique tables. I have been once but I was a young man then, it was that long ago. This venue the tables probably play most similar to my own as mine is also antique, good condition but not pristine as at the NYAC.

I've been to Nationals three times so far, solid journeyman, nothing to brag about. Probably won about as many frames as I've lost so not a slouch either. I don't expect I will ever win but if I have a banner year sometime, I may have a chance to make a decent game of it. There is really only a handful of guys that truly play a proper game, but Renat I think is top tier. If he plays US Nationals this year, it will be his first ever (he is an ex-pat and just got US citizenship recently which is a requirement to play in the tournament). I have had frames or at least some practice with all the top tier players and I have played Renat a number of times at my place so my opinion is I think he has got the game to take it hands down.

As for the money at the Richler Cup, it's attractive but really only profitable if you are local. As I read it, as runner-up, Renat would have won $2,000 but he is lucky if he was able to pocket a few hundred dollars after all the expenses involved. Definitely have to do it for love of the game. I think the top prize for US Nationals last year was about $1,000 which barely covers expenses unless you sleep on a bench or under a bridge.