User:QueenofTarts

= Spades Tournament Test Run =

Event Timing
This event will happen in two portions: Preliminaries, and Finals.

The preliminaries will take place on Saturday the 14th of October, and run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Pirate Time. There will be an hour-long break from 11:30-12:30 for lunch, and no matches will be scheduled during that period, although if everyone shows up, missed matches from the morning may be played.

The 4 best-scoring entrants from the preliminaries will move onto the finals, which will take place on Sunday the 15th of October, starting at 12:00 noon pirate time and ending whenever they end. (Shouldn't take more than two hours, we're only playing three games, but they'll be long ones.)

Prizes

 * 1st Place: A painted sloop (the Set Nil, complete with some carousing furniture) and a black orchid trinket
 * 2nd & 3rd Place: Free avatars by Empanado, a spades or hearts table, and a red ribbon trinket
 * 4th place: A red ribbon trinket, and a spades or hearts table

Additionally, everyone who participates in this test event will be automatically preregistered in the ultimate event, which, if the test is successful, will have a familiar as top prize. However, if you miss matches or otherwise disrupt the test, you forfeit this preregistration and may be further excluded from the actual event.

Prizes are only avaliable on Midnight, unless Apollo or Bia are feeling particularly bend-over-backwards generous.

Preregistration
Preregistration for this event is mandatory. To preregister, you must be Master/Solid or higher in spades on any ocean. To preregister, just send a PM to QueenofTarts, with the pirate and the ocean for her to check. Once she's confirmed your standing and experience, she will PM you back a confirmation.

You will recieve a second confirmation PM 24-48 hours before the event, with your match assignments and times.

Timing & Prep
"Preliminaries Day" is Saturday the 14th of October, and "Finals Day" is Sunday the 15th of October.

The Preliminaries day is divided into half-hour blocks. Matches will be scheduled in these blocks. The blocks are: 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, and 3:30. (Remember, we're taking an hour for lunch from 11:30-12:30.)

Additionally, anyone who has missed a match for any reason should show up for 4:00 (unless you played it over lunch), and the official results will be announced to whoever is around at 5:00 PM.

You will play five matches on preliminary day. You will not play a match in every block, and you only have to show up when you have a match scheduled. As soon as we have 16 entrants, I will assemble and post a match schedule, as well as PM each entrant a list of their matches and times.

Each match will feature four randomly-selected players. '''Some partnerships may repeat. This is fully random.''' Likewise, you may find yourself playing against a former partner in a later game. This is fully random.

If you would find either earlier or later matches more convenient, I can try to accomidate you. Please inform me if this is the case. However, please only ask for this accomidation if you need it (i.e: you might end up with a match at 2:00 AM otherwise), as I simply cannot include exceptions in this fashion for everyone.

Setting up and Playing the Matches
About 5 minutes before the match, gather at Plank's Bungalow on Alpha Island and connect with your opponents and partner. Once you're all there and know what's up, someone should create the table (you may wish to set it to local only, but do not set it to private, as then assistants cannot check your score at the end!), and all of you should sit down in the appropiate partnerships. Easy, eh? ;) (There are plenty of spades tables and other interesting diversions at Plank's place. Additionally, you may wish to hearty her or Queenoftarts so you can get back in without needing to knock.)

Once the game's finished, summon an event assistant (just ask) to come record the score, and you can disperse. Do not leave the table until the score is recorded.

Scoring
Scoring will be done like golf. That is to say, if you finish a 250-point game with 260 points, your score for the game is +10. If you finish with 200, your score is -50. It is possible for both teams to get positive scores in this fashion, however, in that case the winning team will get an additional bonus equal to the margin between the two scores. (If one team has 260 and the other has 270, then instead of +20, their score is +30... 20 points for the difference between 250 and 270, and 10 points for the difference between the two teams.)

In order to discount flukes and bad partners, your highest and lowest scores will both be dropped. Only 3 of your 5 matches will ultimately count.

What if somebody doesn't show up?
If somebody's missing, give them 5-10 minutes to show up. If it's more than 10 minutes after your scheduled start and somebody's still missing, you've missed a match and should show up at 4:00 to see if you can play it then instead. If the person who was missing earlier doesn't show at 4:00 either, they'll be disqualified and an assistant will take their place for the match.

If someone misses two scheduled matches, they will be disqualified and an assistant will take their place at all remaining matches and at 4:00.

Moving on to the Finals
The top 4 overall scorers from the preliminaries will move onto the finals. If there is a tie, then win-loss will be taken into account. If there is still a tie, then we'll play a game to 250 with the tied parties on opposite teams and assistants filling the other seats to determine who moves on.

How it works: Finals
The finals will run in much the same fashion as the preliminaries, except:
 * We will play three games, one in each partnership combination. One to 200, one to 300, one to 500. Score targets and sequence are randomly determined.
 * The finals are scored in a vacuum. Your score from the preliminaries will not affect your score in the finals.
 * We play 'em rapid-fire, and you'll need to stick around the entire time. (Although we may have a break between games 2 and 3)

Finals will take place on Sunday the 15th of October, and will be played from 12:00 noon PST until we finish.