WBC Team Tournament

2012 WBC Team Tournament—The 21th Run for the Slivers
July 26, 2012

NO MORE TEAMS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR 2012. THERE IS STILL TIME TO ENTER THE BRACKET-BUSTING CONTEST.

BRACKET BUSTIN' WBC STYLE: Got March Madness withdrawal? Can't wait for the NFL season? Last year, contestants correctly picked only 2.44 teams of the top 10 in ten guesses, down from 2.66 last year. Mark Love's 2009 winning score of six correct guesses in our initial contest remained the high water mark. In 2011, the high score was just five teams—selected by Bruno Wolff. Can you do better this year? The Happy Handicapper is daring you. Send your Top Ten picks for the WBC Team Tournament listed in order from 1st to 10th to conventiondirector@boardgamers.org by July 29 for a chance to win free admission to WBC 2013. One entry per person.

TEAM TOURNAMENT: Teams are composed of any four players pre-registered as a team. Each team member must select a different event as his official game. Team members and games may change only during pre-registration. No changes may take place on-site.

All Team Points are awarded automatically when the GM turns in the Winner’s Claim for an event (see the Points Schedule). A bonus point will be awarded to everyone who earns team points in an event that they have previously not won. The team that gains the most points is the winner. The number of entrants in each team’s events is the tie-breaker.

**Team Tournament Point Schedule**
Entrants	1st	2nd	3rd-4th	5th-6th
128+	10	5	4	3
64+	9	4	3	2
32+	8	3	2	1
16+	7	2	1	0
8+	6	1	0	0

Scoring: To improve the speed with which the standings are updated, Team Member, whether they score a point or not, should post their point totals on the Team Tournament kiosk Standings Board as soon as they are known. The Point Schedule is listed in the printed program. Those who score points in an event they have never won will receive one bonus point. While the self-service scoring is unofficial and subject to verification, it allows attendees to gain a current sense of where they are in the standings as the week unfolds. Since the results of some events are not known until the very end (and later) of the convention, the official scoring will be done the following week and posted here. Each member of the winning team receives a Team plaque and is memorialized on the website and in the Yearbook. The winning team will receive a plaque at the 2013 convention.

In the Starting Gate [7/24/12]
by Stuart "Happy Handicapper" Tucker

Lancaster, PA: The horses are in the starting gate—all 86 of 'em. The odds are posted. The late arrivals have been shooed away and told to get their act together earlier next year. It's time for the 22nd run for the Slivers at Lancaster Downs. It's a good field with the usual favorites jockeying for advantage—one bunch of ringers even impressed the Happy handicapper enough to crowd out perennial favorite Nest of Spies as the overall favorite. But there's a dark horse on the horizon too. Can an all Finnish delegation under the leadership of Riku Reikkinen repeat his dazzling upsets of 2009 and wrest gold from the favorites? Or will some other unknown worthies break to the fore—aided by BPA's handicap points system for non-champions?

You make the call. Study the racing form at http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/teamtour.htm and then select 10 teams which are your picks to reside at the top of the leader board when WBC 2012 ends. The member who selects the most teams in the Top 10 will win a free 2013 membership. List your teams in order from 1st to 10th and include both Team Number and Name. Only one entry per member allowed. But hurry! Send your picks to conventiondirector@boardgamers.org no later than Midnight EST, Saturday, July 28, 2012.

2012 Teams, by odds [as of July 24, 2012] Click on the graphic to see a larger version. Unofficial team logos courtesy of Dave Dockter and Kaarin Engelmann. If you would like to supply your own team logo, send it to webmaster@boardgamers.org.
1	2	3	4	5

Name: Your Name's Not Bruce? Team #: 4 *Power: 425 Odds: 22-1 Bruce Beard 8xx, Bruce Monnin WAS, Bruce Reiff FBS, Bruce Young UPF	Name: Nest of Spies Team #: 40 Power: 407 Odds: 23-1 James Pei FTP, Chris Byrd TWS, Kevin Wjtaszczyk WOR, Bob Heinzmann CBC :	Name: Wood Bee Contenders Team #: 47 Power: 317 Odds: 30-1 Jeff Cornett BCY, Jason Levine FDE, Bill Crenshaw MFD, Doug Galullo AOR	Name: Me & 3 Stiffs Team #: 42 Power: 303 Odds: 32-1 Keith Wixson TWS, Marvin Birnbaum MMA, Chris Withers GCA, Mike Rinella BKN	Name: Band of Fools Team #: 52 Power: 281 Odds: 34-1 Richard Beyma WAT, Gary Dickson TRC, Ray Freeman TIM, Tom Gregorio BWD
6	7	8	9	10

Name: Roll One Die Team #: 22 Power:255 Odds: 38-1 Pete Stein CCA, Jeff Mullet SJN, Sean McCulloch TT2, Lisa Gutermuth CAR	Name: Greenville Mafia: War Team #: 80 Power: 246 Odds: 39-1 Bill Beckman SSB, John Emery UPF, Josh Githens CMS, Bryan Collars HIS	Name: Uncivil Servants Team #: 16 Power: 234 Odds: 42-1 Chris Trimmer WOR, Ty Hansen A&A, Kevin Youells ACV, Ewan McNay BRI	Name: We Ain't Dead Yet! Team #: 23 Power: 223 Odds: 44-1 Frank Sinigaglio CMS, Larry Lingle QGB, Bruno Sinigaglio BAR, Don Greenwood BKN	Name: St. Paul's Rejects Team #: 17 Power: 222 Odds: 44-1 John Pack VIP, Steve Packwood A&A, Sam Packwood EPB, Paul Weintraub PRC
11	12	13	14	15

Name: 3 Men & a Canadian Team #: 50 Power: 219 Odds: 44-1 Bill Dyer FDE, Brad Johnson RRY, Glenn McMaster DUN, Joe Abrams MOV	Name: Polish Lancers Team #: 30 Power: 213 Odds: 46-1 John Poniske WWR, Rick Young RA!, Paul Gaberson WNW, David Metzger AHD	Name: Jormungandr Team #: 1 Power: 207 Odds: 47-1 David Meyaard ELC, Jonathan Gemmerll CAR, Nicholas Henning LRC, Karl Henning GXT	Name: Flush Stein Team #: 64 Power: 206 Odds: 47-1 Mark Mitchell GXY, Dennis Nicholson WAS, Harry Flawd PDT, Jordan Flawd FMR	Name: EPGS Wabbits Wevenge Team #: 66 Power: 205 Odds: 48-1 Eric Freeman AMR, Barb Flaxington ELG, Chris Moffa GOA, Craig Moffit E&T
16	17	18	19	20

Name: Rhesus Pieces Team #: 19 Power: 197 Odds: 49-1 Pete Reese WLL, George Young TWS, Bill Edwards CBC, Andy Maly UPF	Name: Reservoir Dogs Team #: 71 Power: 197 Odds: 49-1 JR Tracy CBC, James Doughan ATS, Phil Barcafer NW5, Matt Fagan DUN	Name: The Shockers Team #: 61 Power: 191 Odds: 51-1 Joshua Cooper ACQ, Justin Thompson JUC, Marty Musella PZB, Bert Schoose TRC	Name: The Old Guard Team #: 48 Power: 190 Odds: 51-1 Forrest Pafenberg B81, Joe Beard WAT, Kevin Keller SCT, Randy Heller BWD	Name: MVGA Team #: 54 Power: 170 Odds: 58-1 Eric Brosius Fi5, Jeff Meyer CYL, Rich Meyer EPB, Chris Senhouse PGD
21	22	23	24	25

Name: Amish Chicks Dig Wood Team #: 46 Power: 159 Odds: 62-1 Jack Morrell CCN, Bill O'Neal CCA, Bill Place BCY, Rob Winslow SKG	Name: Yoshi's Tea Time Team #: 6 Power: 158 Odds: 62-1 Paul Risner B17, Jim Jordan BRI, Keith Hunsinger ATS, Mark Yoshikawa MMS	Name: Team Delaware XIX Team #: 69 Power: 158 Odds: 62-1 Tim Hitchings EIS, Vince Meconi GBG, John Kirk M44, Verity Hitchings PRC	Name: Ghost Division Team #: 10 Power: 156 Odds: 63-1 Kevin Hammond TWS, Mike Kaye VIP, Andrew Cummins SQL, Jim Eliason BKN	Name: Forced Laughter Team #: 74 Power: 156 Odds: 63-1 Jennifer Visocnik ACV, Charles Drozd VIP, Robert Drozd WAS, Ted Drozd GBG
26	27	28	29	30

Name: Cynical Stoics Team #: 9 Power: 151 Odds: 65-1 Derek Landel WOG, Eric Wrobel MOV, Mike Ussery HRC, Matt Bacho KPR	Name: Gang Greene Team #: 20 Power: 151 Odds: 65-1 Rob McCracken FBS, Mark Miklos BAR, Andy Lewis SFR, Rod Coffey HRC	Name: Team X Team #: 13 Power: 149 Odds: 66-1 Dan Dolan Sr ELC, Dan Dolan Jr CCA, Greg Schmittgens LBY, Chris Storzillo ABN	Name: Werewolf Bait Team #: 59 Power: 146 Odds: 67-1 Alex Henning RRY, Ashley Collinson TAM, Rebecca Hebner LST, Devon Miller 7WS	Name: Beach Bums Team #: 39 Power: 145 Odds: 68-1 Ed Beach GCA, Sarah beach T&T, Matt Beach Fi5, Natalie Beach ING
31	32	33	34	35

Name: The Bluedevils Team #: 15 Power: 140 Odds: 70-1 Chris Kizer TTR, Stephen Hunt PGF, Debbie Gutermuth EPB, Ken Gutermuth WPS	Name: Tea Brigade Team #: 51 Power: 138 Odds: 71-1 Chris Bauch MMS, Terry Coleman WOG, Dewayne Curry ACS, Allen Kaplan CCA	Name: Magic Men Team #: 38 Power: 137 Odds: 72-1 Randy Buehler SPG, Sceadeau D'Tela EGZ, Andrew Emerick NVG, Ed Fear DOM	Name: AREA Team #: 5 Power: 135 Odds: 73-1 John Sharp VIP, Bruno Wolff TT2, Bob Hamel GSR, Ed Menzel GBG	Name: Tell Me The Odds Team #: 21 Power: 134 Odds: 73-1 Nick Page LHV, Geoff Pounder IOV, Robb Effinger DSP, Jason Ley AGE
36	37	38	39	40

Name: Triple Crossers Team #: 55 Power: 119 Odds: 83-1 Andy Latto T&T, Claire Brosius EPB, Sam Brosius LST, Cally Perry IOV	Name: Sweep the Leg Team #: 41 Power: 115 Odds: 85-1 Jeff Burdett HIS, Nels Thompson BKN, Jeff Heidman ACS, Jeromey Martin SKG	Name: Barry's Behemoths Team #: 85 Power: 104 Odds: 95-1 Barry Barnes TT2, Mindy Kyrkos PRO, Vassili Kyrkos MOV, Eric Monte RFG	Name: Gaming Speed Bumps Team #: 24 Power: 101 Odds: 97-1 Lee Rodrigues KRM, Craig Yope EOS, Robert Frisby ANZ, Doug Porterfield AOA	Name: Go Flank Yourself Team #: 32 Power: 97 Odds: 102-1 Justin Rice HIS, Rob Doane BAR, Allen Hill MAN, Dave Cross CQP
41	42	43	44	45

Name: Handsome Tacos Team #: 60 Power: 96 Odds: 103-1 Roderick Lee FDE, Winton Lemoine RA, Eugene Hourany BRS, Daniel Eppolito LHV	Name: EPGS Four to Beam Up Team #: 68 Power: 89 Odds: 111-1 Ken Horan LHV, Steve Cameron GXY, Mike Kaltman CYL, Jason Wagner GSR	Name: Angela's Assets Team #: 7 Power: 88 Odds: 112-1 Angela Collinson CMS, Jacob Hebner WOR, Nathan Hill MAN, Kevin Lewis FI5	Name: Greenville Mafia: Death Team #: 81 Power: 88 Odds: 112-1 Ralph Gleaton UPF, Daniel Lawall RRY, Tim Rogers SKG, RJ Gleaton PRC	Name: Iron Meeples Team #: 43 Power: 85 Odds: 116-1 Grant LaDue WNW, Bob Sohn ABN, Derek Pulhamus WSR, Gary Phillips NVG
46	47	48	49	50

Name: 3 Men & A Lady Team #: 8 Power: 82 Odds: 120-1 John Keating ACS, Tim Keating IVH, Shannon Keating ING, Joel Tamburo LBY	Name: Lady Luck Team #: 35 Power: 82 Odds: 120-1 Laurie Wojtaszczyk LST, Jamie Tang TTR, Jenna Sunderlin ING, Marcia Morelli CAR	Name: Chit Pickers Team #: 79 Power: 82 Odds: 120-1 Ed Kraska SKG, Rich Shipley NW5, Barry Setser HIS, Cary Morris STA	Name: Rhody Rubberneckers Team #: 72 Power: 81 Odds: 122-1 Charlie Faella STA, John Faella WWR, Franklin Haskell SCT, Roger Budz RA	Name: Cardboard Heroes Team #: 53 Power: 79 Odds: 125-1 Cliff Ackman STA, Steve Squibb ACS, Bill Navolis RRY, Kathy Stroh UNP
51	52	53	54	55

Name: Chicks with Dice Team #: 12 Power: 74 Odds: 133-1 Kaarin Engelmann SLS, Carrie Lewis MMS, Marilyn Flowers CAR, Rolinda Collinson GSR	Name: Rolling Thunder Team #: 70 Power: 74 Odds: 133-1 Bruce Bernard ABN, Brandon Bernard PRC, Scott A. Smith ELC, David Earls HWD	Name: 3 Brits & a Yank Team #: 44 Power: 71 Odds: 139-1 Peter Card HIS, Nick Smith AUC, Chris Hancock SCT, Mark Love VSD	Name: Occam Shaves Unicorn? Team #: 25 Power: 68 Odds: 145-1 Chris Yaure BAT, Phil Yaure KRM, Joe Yaure CCA, Samantha Berk NVG	Name: Jay's Basement Team #: 11 Power: 67 Odds: 147-1 Bruce Duboff POF, Jay Fox TTR, Albert Schwartz ELG, Yoel Weiss LST
56	57	58	59	60

Name: KGB Comrades Team #: 84 Power: 66 Odds: 150-1 Ron Draker CRX, Malcolm Smith HOS, Greg Ottoman CCN, Fred Bauer M44	Name: Team Destiny Team #: 58 Power: 64 Odds: 154-1 David Hood AOR, Chris Kreuter AGE, Tedd Mullally EPB, Jeremiah Peterson HIS	Name: We Like Monopoly Team #: 73 Power: 64 Odds: 154-1 Jon Senn AGR, Ben Scholl DOM, Mario Arnold PRO, Luke Winters LID	Name: Gonzo's Beserkers Team #: 29 Power: 61 Odds: 162-1 Joe Harrison M44, Tom Johnston TTN, David Gubbay QGB, Sophie Harrison SET	Name: Kromp-on-Krewe Team #: 3 Power: 60 Odds: 165-1 Roger Taylor LBY, Paul McCarthy HIS, Chris Godfrey TWS, Phil Rodrigue NW5
61	62	63	64	65

Name: Not Age of Steam! Team #: 34 Power: 58 Odds: 170-1 JF Gagne DUN, Sylvain LaRose DIP, Eric Caron M44, Dominic Blais RA!	Name: Band of Brothers Team #: 49 Power: 54 Odds: 183-1 Adam Wojtaszczyk FMR, Mike Wojtaszczyk CAR, Wes Lewis PGF, Dan Lewis EPB	Name: Gaming Bunch Team #: 77 Power: 51 Odds: 194-1 Forrest Speck PCV, Judy Wobbeking IVH, Faith Wobbeking TTR, John Speck TTA	Name: Ski Patrol Team #: 33 Power: 49 Odds: 200-1 Juhana Keskinen: P1S, Antero Kuusi EOS, Mikko Raimi MAN, Riku Riekkinen POG	Name: Possum Gamers Team #: 27 Power: 44 Odds: 230-1 John Elliott ACS, Joe Collinson III A&A, Ben Collinson NVW, Ben Collinson Jr IVH
66	67	68	69	70

Name: Les 3 Mousquetaires Team #: 14 Power: 42 Odds: 240-1 Stephane Dorais ABN, Marc Beauregard FAS, Romain Jacques PGD, David Gagne T&T	Name: Kilroy Was Here Team #: 57 Power: 41 Odds: 240-1 Rob Kilroy LST, Ashley Kilroy RDG, Steph Kilroy TTR, Kathy Kilroy LID	Name: Lords of King George Team #: 62 Power: 40 Odds: 250-1 Craig Melton GXY, Thomas Melton TTA, John Rinko ACS, Franklin Rinko BRI	Name: Daybreak Gamers Team #: 65 Power: 39 Odds: 250-1 Tim Horne P1S, Chad Martin CAR, Dan Ottey SET, Janet Ottey TAM	Name: Mean Sheep Team #: 76 Power: 38 Odds: 260-1 Jason Long CYL, Dana Champion RFG, Barrett Straub PRC, Jon Anderson ACV
71	72	73	74	75

Name: The Cabooses Team #: 36 Power: 35 Odds: 280-1 Adina Weiss SET, Yoni Weiss LST, Drew DuBoff TTR, Max DuBoff GXY	Name: Greenville Mafia: Famine Team #: 82 Power: 31 Odds: 320-1 Kevin Emery UPF, Bill Burtless SET, Ken Richards SJN, Carl Sykes BCY	Name: Barbarossa Team #: 75 Power: 28 Odds: 350-1 Fred Minard B&O, Chris Gnech T&T, Jef Hing RA, Max Jamelli ABN	Name: Ladies of King George Team #: 63 Power: 27 Odds: 370-1 Joanna Melton GXY, Rebecca Melton TTA, Virginia Melton ABN, Anna Rinko SET	Name: Local Yokels Team #: 78 Power: 27 Odds: 370-1 Chad Weaver DOM, Dusty Usner CAR, Erik Schlosser GXT. Ken Schlosser 7WS
76	77	78	79	80

Name: Team Boosh Team #: 28 Power: 26 Odds: 380-1 Evan Hitchings WSM, Rose Hitchings PGD, Zachary Frank ADV, Nora Tuke TTA	Name: Pixel Juice Team #: 2 Power: 24 Odds: 410-1 Carmen Petruzelli MED, Kevin Shud ACS, Brad Sherwood TTR, Lou Traini RA	Name: PeckofPickledPeppers Team #: 18 Power: 23 Odds: 430-1 Peter Perla CCN, Mark Herman HRC, Zach Lawrence FTP, Richard Phares TIM	Name: EPGS Mountin' Laurels Team #: 67 Power: 22 Odds: 450-1 Jim Vroom ADV, Randy MacInnis HRC, Keith Layton LHV, Bob Stribula EPB	Name: The Lunch Bunch Team #: 56 Power: 21 Odds: 470-1 Jennifer Gorman RA, Patrick Gorman SKN, Dave Blisard CAR, Cody Zimmerman TTR
81	82	83	84	85

Name: Athena & the 3 Spartans Team #: 86 Power: 17 Odds: 550-1 Kirk Harris HIS, Bertha Torres-Harris SET, Manuel Bravo IVH, Evan Harris MMA	Name: Desperation Grand Team #: 37 Power: 15 Odds: 700-1 Laura Brown GXY, Laura DeWalt DOM, Nick Ferris SJN, Lynda Shea ALH	Name: The Wesley Crushers Team #: 26 Power: 10 Odds: 1000-1 Deb Yaure STA, Emily Bacon SPG, Robin Yaure LST, Wm Brock IVH	Name: Greenspielers Team #: 45 Power: 10 Odds: 1000-1 James Denam DUN, Matthew Craig ING, Robert Murray T&T, Marissa Bianco CAR	Name: Something About Lamar Team #: 31 Power: 9 Odds: 1100-1 Rich Fetzer LST, Adam Fetzer SJN, Matt Fetzer IVH, Maria Geraghty 7WS
86

Name: Greenville Mafia: Pestilence Team #: 83 Power: 3 Odds: 3300-1 Gus Collars PRC, Melody Thompson DOM, Christin Kolstad SLS, Josh Smith ING				:

* A team's Power Rating is the sum of its players' Baton Ratings.
Please note that all players must be pre-registered before the convention or they will be disqualified.

Horse Talk 2012 [7/15/12]
by Stuart "Happy Handicapper" Tucker

Hold your horses, folks, this one looks to be a barn-burner! You heard it here first: the Nest of Spies (projected at 23-1 odds, once they file their team entry) may not be the favorite this year. Not only are they going to be missing a key member this year (alas, Dockter will be absent), but they face two formidable new threats. Well, maybe its a stretch to call the team Reiff recruits a new threat--after all, his teams are always among the favored teams. However, this year, he has reassembled a different cast. This year, beware the Bruce! By this I mean, beware the team called "Your Name’s Not Bruce?" (also 23-1 odds). Yes, not only have these guys found another humorous angle, but they have found a true oddity: four guys, all with the name Bruce, ALL of whom you’d pay dear money to have on your team. Yes, these are ringers in more ways than one (and the Greenville Mafia has lost a top—Bruce Young—dawg to ferinners). When the weak leg of the team is Monnin (with three War at Sea plaques), you know they mean business. Apparently, Bruce (...your pick...) is tired of not being the favored team. So, look out team tournament contenders, the field just got top-heavy.

I did say, two threats to the Nest, didn’t I? Well, let’s look at the far end of the list and pick out an otherwise understated threat. Weighing in at 210-1 is Ski Patrol. But don’t let these odds dissuade you from believing that the Finnish invasion is indeed a legitimate threat to win. We know from past experience that two members are the real thing. If two more are willing to fly that far to get away from 21 hours per day of sunlight, I think we should take them seriously, even if we have no data to improve their odds calculation. The Ski Patrol is joined by six other entirely new teams (with entrants who did not field a team last year). One is an experienced group from Quebec that is a threat in all four events: Not Age of Steam! (179-1 odds).

Last year’s surprise victor (Go Flank Yourself) weighs in at 106-1, an improvement, but still rated a long-shot against the field. Go ahead, I dare you. Put egg on my face two years in a row!

Roll One Die (40-1) is the highest-rated team with a woman. But if you are looking for an all-female team to bet, go with Lady Luck (128-1) or Chicks with Dice (140-1).

Occam Shaves Unicorn? is another team merger aimed at improving their odds (still long at 152-1). The hungry wolves of yesteryear recognize they are more properly named The Cabooses (300-1), but currently the longest shot is a Wood-less group called Something About Lamar (1200-1).

Come on, folks, time is running out VERY fast. The convention director threatens to enforce the deadlines rigorously, so file your entries NOW!

The odds below reflect a projected field of teams similar to last year’s quantity, so these odds assume pending filings by the usual rivals currently missing from the list.

See the 2011 Entries and Results!