LOST CITIES

SPECIAL NOTE: 2013 brings significant changes to the event format. Please read this preview carefully and contact me with any questions. My e-mail address is at the bottom of this preview.

Lost Cities is an easy-to-learn two-player card game, and an excellent game for all gamers, age and gender neutral. The tournament will consist of three qualifying Heats each consisting of three (3) hands. Each Heat should average 30 minutes, and conclude with Single Elimination (SE) Rounds to determine the champion.

Players with copies of the game should bring them! Extra copies will be needed. This event has turned away players in the past and will doubtless do so again this year for lack of games. Bring a copy of the game if you expect to play!

Heats:
The event uses three (3) heats - each played on a different day, which will comprise the 1st Round and will be followed immediately by 30 minute SE Rounds on Saturday evening (the Saturday Express). Players may play in as many of the three heats as they wish. The heat is one game per two players registered. EXCEPTION: In the 3rd Heat, time has been allotted for a second game to be played ONLY between the winners of the 1st game in the 3rd Heat. This will allow weekend attendees, as well as weeklong attendees, a chance to win a second game and advance to the SE Rounds.

Games will be played according to the box rules with one modification: Before play, opponents will shuffle and cut the cards to determine who plays first; higher numbered card plays first for the first hand only. Each game will be three (3) hands with the best cumulative score of the three hands declared the winner.

Only players with two or more wins in the Heats will qualify to advance to the SE Rounds. There will be no list of alternates this year. Note: If he does play, the GM will be acting only in the role of an eliminator, and will not be eligible to advance.

Advancement Tie-Breakers:

No tie-breakers required as only winners of two or more Heats will be eligible to advance.

Single Elimination Rounds:

Single Elimination Rounds, beginning Saturday evening with the Second Round will run continuously through the Championship Round. Once the Second Round begins, the "Saturday Express" will feature 30-minute games with warnings at 15 minutes and 5 minutes, after which games will be adjudicated. Games tied after three hands will be allowed an additional 10 minutes for a fourth hand. If still tied after the fourth hand, then each opponent will subtract the highest and lowest scores of their four hands from their total in order to determine the winner. If still tied, then the higher roll of a 10-sided die will determine the winner.

If the field of players for the 1st SE Round is an odd number, then the GM will play as an eliminator. For each subsequent SE Round as needed, the replacement to fill out the odd pairing will be drawn from the losers of the immediately preceding round using the following tie-breakers: 1) Winner of four heats; 2) Winner of three heats; 3) Higher score in immediately preceding Round; 4) Most expeditions earning bonus in immediately preceding Round; 5) Most successful expeditions with investors in immediately preceding Round; (Score 0 or positive number); 6) Most total successful expeditions in immediately preceding Round (Score 0 or positive number); and 7) Higher roll of a 10-sided die.

Places 1 through 4 will be determined by the results of games in the final rounds. Places 5 through 10 will be determined by comparing the cumulative scores for those players in the round that he was eliminated.