D-DAY V Results

In a year in which D-Day was nearly cancelled, we had our strongest showing ever with 23 entrants - including eight of the Top 10 Area rated players present and all past champions. For the second time, Marvin Birnbaum, The Jersey tax attorney noted for his frequent wild games, entered the final round as the last undefeated player and again fell short of total victory as Henry Jones, one of four once-beaten's denied him an unbeaten slate and gave the others a last chance at the top wood. Marvin, attempting to run the table as the Allies, got off to a strong start - taking Villars early and Aunay shortly afterwards while actually threatening to win by breakout. But his dice turned cold and Henry was able to hold on for the win when a weather change allowed him to retake Catz and regain the Advantage in the process. It was the fourth time that an undefeated player was ousted in the final round. So far, only Alan Applebaum in 1999 has succesfully run the table at D-Day.

But Marvin's frustrations were quickly dispelled when the final strength of schedule points were tabulated and left him tied for the lead with Michael Kaye as both of their scheduled opponents had won a total of 16 games. That brought the head-to-head second tie-breaker into play and gave Marvin the overall championship thanks to Phil Barcafer whose fifth round victory over Tyler Gingrich prevented Michael from winning on the first tie-breaker.

The Standings:

1. Marvin Birnbaum 4-1 16 TPs
2. Michael Kaye 4-1 16 TPs
3. Mark Gutfreund 4-1 14 TPs
4. Henry Jones 4-1 12 TPs
5. Scott Fenn 4-1 10 TPs
6. Andrew Cummins 3-2 16 TPs
7. Phil Barcafer 3-2 15 TPs
8. Bryan Eshleman 3-2 14 TPs
9. Bryan Thompson 3-2 13 TPs
10. Jim Doughan 3-2 12 TPs
11. Andrew Choptiany 3-2 12 TPs
12. Don Greenwood 3-2 11 TPs
13. Scott Nolan 3-2 9 TPs
14. Rob Beyma 2-3 16 TPs
15. Ken Nied 2-3 12 TPs
16. Walter Garman 2-3 11 TPs
17. Dennis Nicholson 2-3 10 TPs
18. Tyler Gingrich 2-3 10 TPs
19. Jason Levine 2-3 9 TPs
20. Chuck Krueger 1-4 15 TPs
21. Tony Romano 1-4 11 TPs
22. Alan Applebaum 1-3 10 TPs
23. Bob Jamelli 0-4 9 TPs

 

The Toll:

Round 1
Mark Gutfreund Germans -15 defated Tony Romano Allies
Michael Kaye Allies +15 defeated Tyler Gingrich Germans
Bryan Thompson Germans -26 defeated Alan Applebaum Allies
Charles Krueger Allies +17 defeated Scott Fenn Germans
Rob Beyma Allies +15 defeated Walter Garman Germans
Scott Nolan Germans -22 defeated Bob Jamelli Allies
Bryan Eshleman Allies +10 defeated Don Grenwood Germans
Jim Doughan Germans -17 defeated Dennis Nicholson Allies
Phil Barcafer Germans -10 defeated Ken Nied Allies
Marvin Birnbaum Allies +12 defeated Andrew Choptiany Germans
Andrew Cummins Germans -19 defeated Jason Levine Allies

Germans win 6 of 11; average bid 16.2

Highlights:

* In a rematch of their WBC final, Bryan Thompson revenges his defeat at the hands of Alan Applebaum in a game that came down to the last die roll.

* Charles Krueger records his only win - but a crucial one as it turns out - handing Scott Fenn his only loss of the tournament.

Round 2
Andrew Cummins Germans -21 defeated Henry Jones Allies
Andrew Choptiany Germans 0 defeated Tony Romano Allies
Phil Barcafer Germans -23 defeated Jim Doughan Allies
Rob Beyma Germans -10 defeated Bryan Eshleman Allies
Scott Nolan Germans -25 defeated Chuck Krueger Allies
Scott Fenn Germans -26 defeated Alan Applebaum Allies
Marvin Birnbaum Allies +24 defeated Bryan Thompson Germans
Michael Kaye Allies +19 defeated Mark Gutfreund Germans
Walter Garman Germans -20 defeated Dennis Nicholson Allies
Jason Levine Allies +20 defeated Bob Jamelli Germans
Ken Nied Allies 0 defeated Tyler Gingrich Germans

Germans win 7 of 11; average bid 17.1

Highlights:

* Andrew Cummins hands Henry Jones his only loss of the week.

* Rob Beyma upsets past D-Day champ Bryan Eshleman

* Scott Fenn upsets Alan Applebaum, sending the WBC champ to his second loss, in a game that went down to the final dice roll.

* Michael Kaye hands Mark Gutfreund his only loss.

 

Round 3
Bryan Thompson Germans -22 defeated Chuck Krueger Allies
Michael Kaye Allies +22 defeated Phil Barcafer Germans
Scott Fenn Germans -34 defeated Jim Doughan Allies
Tyler Gingrich Germans -10 defeated Tony Romano Allies
Marvin Birnbaum Allies +12 defeated Rob Beyma Germans
Mark Gutfreund Allies +21 defeated Andrew Choptiany Germans
Don Greenwood Germans -10 defeated Ken Nied Allies
Dennis Nicholson Germans -19 defeated Bob Jamelli Allies
Henry Jones Germans -20 defeated Jason Levine Allies
Bryan Eshleman Allies +18 defeated Walter Garman Germans
Andrew Cummins Allies +22 defeated Scott Nolan Germans

Germans win 6 of 11; average bid 19.1

Highlights:

* Scott Fenn drops four-time champ Jim Doughan to 1-2 with his second stunning upset in a row. The bids are getting higher (34) but Fenn refuses to give up the Germans to Doughan's vaunted defensive skills.

Round 4
Bryan Eshleman Allies +19 defeat Andrew Cummins Germans
Andrew Choptiany Germans 0 defeated Walter Garman Allies
Jim Doughan Germans -29 defeated Alan Applebaum Allies
Bryan Thompson Germans -49 defeated Scott Nolan Allies
Scott Fenn Germans -14 defeated Rob Beyma Allies
Mark Gutfreund Allies +14 defeated Phil Barcafer Germans
Tyler Gingrich Allies +15 defeated Bob Jamelli Germans
Ken Nied Allies +15 defeated Chuck Krueger Germans
Henry Jones Germans -22 defeated Don Greenwood Allies
Marvin Birnbaum +15 Allies defeated Michael Kaye Germas
Dennis Nicholson Germans -20 defeated Dennis Nicholson Allies

Germans win 6 of 11; average bid 19.3

Highlights:

* Defending champ Andrew Cummins, seemingly with the game in hand and cruising to a 4-0 record and a match of unbeatens for the championship, pulls defeat from the jaws of victory with a last second collapse as Bryan Eshleman comes from behind in a late night thriller.

*In a matchup of confirmed German players, Bryan Thompson nearly makes good on his 50 point bids by besting Scott Nolan after giving up 49 supply - the high bid of the week - for the Germans.

*Two undefeated Allied players collide and the won "stuck" with the Germans loses as Marvin hands Michael Kaye his only loss.

Round 5
Walter Garman Germans 0 defeated Tony Romano Allies
Henry Jones Germans -20 defeated Marvin Birnbaum Allies
Jim Doughan Germans -20 defeated Ken Nied Allies
Phil Barcafer Germans -15 defeated Tyler Ginrich Allies
Scott Fenn Germans -45 defeated Bryan Thompson Allies
Scott Nolan Germans -22 defeated Dennis Nicholson Allies
Andrew Choptiany Allies +15 defeated Chuck Krueger Allies
Michael Kaye Allies +10 defeated Bryan Eshleman Germans
Mark Gutfreund Allies +10 defeated Andrew Cummins Germans
Don Greenwood Germans -10 defeated Rob Beyma Allies

Germans win 7 of 10; average bid 16.7

Highlights:

* Henry Jones prevents Marvin from running the table with a comeback victory as Marvin's threatened breakout never materializes.

* Scott Fenn ups the ante to 45 supply to take the Germans away from another avowed German player Bryan Thompson, and continues his amazing streak over WBC finalists with his fourth straight win.

Overall:

The Germans reclaimed superiority with 32 wins against 22 losses; a net gain of +10 over last year's even slate. This despite continuing escalation in the bids which rose from 9.5 in 2000 and 13.0 in 2001 to 17.6 this year.

Specialists:

If we had such things, the Eisnhower Award would have gone to Michael Kaye who was 4-0 as the Allies, losing only in his one sojourn as the Germans to Marvin. Marvin, who remained pure of heart to the Allied cause throughout, went 4-1 as the Allies. Scott Romano and Jason Levine also remained loyal to the Allied cause but managed just one win in eight games. Hefty bids also kept Alan Applebaum strictly in the allied camp this year and that may explain the 0-3 record of the only undefeated champ in D-Day history.

On the other side of the ledger, Scott Fenn (4-1), Scott Nolan (3-2), and Phil Barcafer (3-2) remained true to the fatherland throughout, but the Rommel Award would have to be split between Jim Doughan and Henry Jones who owned a perfect 3-0 slate with the Germans.

But when all is said and done, the most impressive showing belongs to Scott Fenn who went winless at D-Day IV but won four straight this year over the likes of WBC champs Applebaum and Doughan and WBC runnerup Thompson. I think we all know who gets the Most Improved Player Award this year. Pretty impressive stuff.



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