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BACKGAMMON
IN  CAMDEN




Tuesday 9th May 2006
 


76 Entries, 11 Tournaments, 47 Players, £1600 Prize Fund,
Dan O'Farrell wins Jackpot and Mick Vacarey wins the Quiz.

I pushed this months evening by a week because the first Tuesday in the month would have fallen at the end of the MayDay Bank Holiday Weekend and I though not many people would come out on. The result was that May broke more records; notable the highest ever number of Players and the largest ever Prize Fund.

16 Players stated an interest in playing in the Maximum 8 Player, 7 Pointer £25 Obligatory Pool Tournament so at bang on 7.00 pm we moved the to the Auction. The first Player dropped out at £35 but many others hung on until about the £50 mark but it was not until we went up to £100 Entry Fee per head that we reduced to 8 Players; £800 Prize Fund. Those that had dropped out were offered entry into an 8 Player, 7 Pointer £35 Obligatory Pool Tournament which made for a £280 Prize Fund. Then instead of having a 16 Player, 5 Pointer, £10 Obligatory Pool Tournament I ran 2 x 8 Players, 5 Pointer, £10 Obligatory Pool Tournaments because in previous months we have had overruns with the 16 Player Tournaments.

This month Adam Tansley helped me to do the taking of Jackpot monies and doing the Draws which made for a faster start for Players and took a load off my busy shoulders. Thanx Adam - next month same again please. 

And still the Players kept coming in the door - by 8.00 pm we had 6 Tournaments running with 43 Players involved. Later another 2 Players joined in the Tournaments (yes they turned up late but still got to play) and we had another couple of casual Players in a corner as well.

So the 1st Jackpot went up to the maximum of £100. I wasn't overly surprised - the writing has been on the wall though it still staggers me that people are willing to put so much on a match. That however is really by the by - the design of Bg in Camden is to make it possible for people to play what they want to play for.

I kept all Tournaments to maximum 8 Player events this month and the result was that all Tournaments were finished before the Landlord wanted us out of his door. That's not to say he's not happy with us taking over his bar - quite the contrary. We're on a healthy footing, more staff were on duty this month, the bar was manned all evening long, the kitchen does a good number of meals which Players are complimentary about and more tables can be made available if need be.

One of the first time Bg in Camden Players took the Jackpot 1 Tournament - Dan O'Farrell who has a long history in backgammon and chess. Simon G too the 2nd Jackpot, Monica Beckerson, who had a MSOCambridge to forget, put that all behind her to take T3, Al Hogg took T4, Adam Tansley took T5, Alan Beckerson made it an excellent evening for the Beckersons by taking T6, first time Player Yann took T7, late arrival Eric took T8, Mick V took T9, Robert deservedly took T10 and Banipole, also a first time Bg in Camden Player, took T11.

The Phil Simborg Quiz had a much improved return (about 20 Players) with all but 1 Player getting the checker play correct and Mick V getting the closest tie-breaker and thus a drink.

 

Tournament Charts
 

Summary:

Another excellent turnout and another excellent evening of friendly and good backgammon. Next month we will revert to the first Tuesday in the month (Tuesday 6th June) even though there is a Backgammon Wedding happening on the same day / day after down the the West Countrie. I though of pushing the June date back by a week but that would make it clash with the Football World Cup and a match involving Brazil at 8.00 pm. The Lockside Lounge have ordered a large plasma television screen for the World Cup and I've a feeling they would decline my proposal to run a backgammon evening on that evening. So see yous on Tuesday 6th June. 
 


Of course Player feedback is vital, so if you have any comments of questions please do not hesitate to email or phone me:
MikeMadMonk@backpacker-backgammon.com    07985-941729

That said it'll be impossible to email every would be Player on an individual basis so if you are not already on it please join my mailing list.

See yas next month.
 

Mike Main

 


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