Ocean Poker Tour

While the creator of this event has retired, he has allowed this event to be continued under the name English Poker Tour.

=The Ocean Poker Tour (OPT)= Anyone can play - Every English ocean - Win a familiar

Staff
Tournament Director - Baldo (Midnight) and Pokerhost, Baldo's event hosting alt (elsewhere) Tournament Moderator - Cheshirey, Cheshire, or Cheshi OPT Logo Artist - Nordenx Prizes and other logistics courtesy of Apollo

The Game
The Ocean Poker Tour was a traveling multi-table poker tournament that used a shootout-style structure where each table had one winner who advances to play the winners from each of the other tables at a combined final table.

Preliminary Round
Each table in the preliminary round plays 20 PoE pot-limit holdem, with 20 second turns, for one hour. That's a 200-2000 PoE buy in game with a 20/10 blind. Rebuys (buying in again) and reloads (adding more PoE up to the 2000 max buy in) are unlimited.

There is no entry fee. The only PoE you need will be PoE to play with at the table. For a 20 PoE pot-limit game, that can be as little as 200 PoE, but it's advisable to bring more.

There is a limit of 100 participants actually playing at one time because there are only 10 games of 10 players. (Note that there will probably be less than 10 tables at each event location, but that doesn't limit us to less than 10 games. Local games are not tied to a specific table, but to the room they are in.) Additional players will be allowed into the event to form a virtual waiting list in no order of priority. If a seat opens up, they can sit down and play.

Fifteen minutes before the scheduled start time, a whisk to the event will appear on the notice board of every populated island on the ocean. Simply take the free whisk into the event location and wait for the scheduled start time. The whisk will remain available until fifteen minutes into the event.

At the scheduled start time, an announcement will be made and I will begin creating local games. Players simply find a LOCAL game at any of the many tables in the room and join the game. (Make sure you join an official OPT local game and not a regular game of YPP poker...look for the words LOCAL TABLE in the game description.)

Time remaining will NOT be announced during the event.

Approximately one hour later, I will begin closing the games one at a time at the end of a random hand at each table. It is important to cash out as soon as your game is closed as playing any extra hands will slow down the overall process of ending the preliminary round.

Final Table
When all of the games have finished, a final table will be created and the winners from each game will sit and play each other to determine the tournament champion. If a table winner from the preliminary round cannot participate in the final table, one seat will be removed. There will be no alternates or substitutes for the preliminary round winners.

The final table game will be a freezeout (no rebuys or add ons) and use an escalating blind structure in two stages. Initially, the players will buy into a 2 PoE no-limit game for the maximum 200 PoE. Stage One will last for approximately 45 minutes and end after a random hand. Anyone who loses all their chips at any time is out. You will carry forward your chip stack into Stage Two. If anyone has less than the 200 PoE minimum buy in, then they are eliminated. Stage Two will be a 20 PoE no-limit game and will progress until an Ocean Champion stands alone.

Event Format Complaints
There are many different ways to run a poker tournament. I created a Poker Primer thread in the forums for two reasons: 1) to present my lessons learned from hosting poker tournaments and 2) to explain why I run this event the way I do. Please explore the Poker Primer before you gripe about the format. There is a good reason for every element of it.

Tournament of Champions
Each ocean's winner will return to see who is the best of the best. This Tournament of Champions (ToC) takes place on Midnight after all five tournaments are complete.

The ToC format is identical to the ocean tournament final tables. It will be a freezeout (no rebuys or add ons) and use an escalating blind structure in two stages. Initially, the players will buy into a 2 PoE no-limit game for the maximum 200 PoE. Stage One will last for approximately 45 minutes and end after a random hand. Anyone who loses all their chips at any time is out. You will carry forward your chip stack into Stage Two. If anyone has less than the 200 PoE minimum buy in, then they are eliminated. Stage Two will be a 20 PoE no-limit game and will progress until the Grand Champion wins the tan monkey familiar.

An RSVP process will take place in the weeks leading up to the TOC. Every effort will be made to locate the winner, including not only through the PM name given when they won on their ocean, but also through forum post and contacting their crew mates if necessary.

To verify that the four non-Midnight winners are actually who they claim to be when they come to Midnight for the ToC, they will have to provide a unique password provided to them via PM. As an alternate method, the OceanMasters can easily check and see if they are the same person.

To create a pirate on Midnight, simply go to your login screen, click the change button next to the ocean name, and change oceans to Midnight. Go through the normal process for creating a new pirate. Your 200 PoE buy-in will be provided. You won't need a whisk on game day as the tournament director will get you to the event. If you win, you can have the monkey on your regular ocean.

The ToC is a closed-door event. Spectators are allowed only if they are sponsored by one of the participants and the tournament director is notified in advance.

Prizes
All PoE won at the tables is yours to keep.

Tournament of Champions Grand Prize
The grand champion will receive a tan monkey familiar on the ocean of their choice.

Rules and Rulings

 * Do not shout.
 * Do not create your own poker games in the event location.
 * Make only minimal use of house chat once the event has started.
 * Do not discuss hands until the hand is over.
 * Do not play multiple pirates (one user in control of more than one event participant).
 * Players may leave and come back. It is the player's responsibility, however, to protect their seat so bring enough PoE with you and stay seated.
 * Only PoE on the table when it is closed counts toward the official standings. It is the player's responsibility to remain in place, protect their seat, and protect their PoE until the table is officially closed.
 * If you disconnect, try and return to your seat as soon as possible. Nothing will be done if your PoE in play is removed by the system and deposited in your global purse. It will no longer count for table standings if it's not on the table. If it's not still there, you will simply have to start over (unless it is the Tournament of Champions, then you are out for good).
 * You can play on any ocean that you like. If you win on two oceans, then one seat at the Tournament of Champions will be removed.
 * Only the table winner is allowed to play at the final table. Substitutes are not allowed.  If the winner cannot play, their seat will be removed.
 * Ocean winners will be required to provide a forum account name for communication via PM to arrange the Tournament of Champions.
 * Ocean winners may not designate someone to play in their place at the Tournament of Champions. If they officially withdraw in advance or fail to communicate during the RSVP process, reasonable efforts may be made in seating that ocean's 2nd or subsequent place finisher.

Report any problems to the tournament director or moderator via tell.

The rules posted here will not cover all of the potential problems that may occur during the tournament. Poker can be rather complex. The tournament director's rulings will be final.

Since they are on the list, when/if poker tournament functionality (escalating blinds, player eliminations, etc.) is introduced into YPP we reserve the right to modify the OPT format to use the new tournament functionality even if it's in the middle of a tour. For example, if the first three oceans have already played and then YPP introduces an in-game method for running poker tournaments, we may chose to run the last two oceans using the new in-game format. We just want to be able to use that functionality as soon as it makes it in game.

The First Tour (October 2006 - January 2007)
Midnight Sunday, October 15, 2006 4pm game time Baldo's Manor on Eta Winner: Avengerr

Cobalt Sunday, November 5, 2006 2pm game time Sun's Estate on Kirin Winner: Bovaboy

Viridian Sunday, December 3, 2006 2pm game time Sun's Estate on Fintan Winner: Sirjynx

Sage Saturday, December 9, 2006 11am game time Sun's Mansion on Admiral Winner: Butsuri

Hunter Saturday, December 30, 2006 2pm game time Sun's Villa on Chachapoya Winner: Zoy

Tournament of Champions Saturday, January 27, 2007 Baldo's Manor on Eta (Midnight) 1st Place-Sirjynx of Viridian wins a tan monkey familiar 2nd Place-Zoy of Hunter wins a golden ticket 3rd Place-Butsuri of Sage wins a golden ticket 4th Place-Vova of Midnight (alternate) 5th Place-Bovaboy of Cobalt

The Second Tour (June - September 2007)
Midnight Friday, June 1, 2007 Baldo's Manor on Eta 6pm game time, Notice Board whisk goes up at 5:45 Winner: Vova

Cobalt Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Sun's Estate on Kirin 6pm game time, Notice Board whisk goes up at 5:45 Winner: Grayturtle

Viridian Friday, June 29, 2007 Sun's Estate on Fintan 6pm game time, Notice Board whisk goes up at 5:45 Winner: Nightshifter

Sage Thursday, July 5, 2007 Sun's Mansion on Admiral 6pm game time, Notice Board whisk goes up at 5:45 Winner: Luigi

Hunter Friday, July 20, 2007 Sun's Villa on Chachapoya 6pm game time, Notice Board whisk goes up at 5:45 Winner: Bestracer

Tournament of Champions Saturday, September 1, 2007 Baldo's Manor on Eta (Midnight) 1st Place-Vova of Midnight wins a tan monkey familiar <font style="color:green; font-weight:bold;">2nd Place-Grayturtle of Cobalt <font style="color:green; font-weight:bold;">3rd Place-Nightshifter of Viridian <font style="color:green; font-weight:bold;">4th/5th Place-Bestracer of Hunter <font style="color:green; font-weight:bold;">4th/5th Place-Luigi of Sage