Ron Secunda, MD

2007 GM

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Rail Baron continues to draw significant attendance. You don’t have to be an expert player; if you know how to play, you can join in the fun. Or, perhaps, you are more competitive, and would like to be crowned Champion of the World.?

As in recent years, there are three first-round heats; you can play in as many as you like. The top 25 first-round players (typically, that’s everyone who wins at least one game in the first round, plus a few alternates) advance to the semi-finals. The top six semi-finalists advance to the Final. The ideal number of players at each table will vary with the round. For the first-round heats, our target is four players, for the semis —five, and for the Final—six players. Alternates for the semi-finals will be selected from the highest (most net worth) runner-ups from the Preliminary matches. Check the Alternate list on the event kiosk to determine your chances of advancing as an Alternate. Alternates for the Final game will be chosen similarly from the semi-finals.

We will continue to employ five rule variants, as follows: #1) ride your own RRs for free. Do NOT pay the customary $1,000 if you use your own RRs but not the bank’s. Riding the bank’s RRs for any portion of a trip costs the usual $1,000. The remaining rule variants are basically unchanged from the past few years: #2) SuperChief upgrades from an Express are free (first-round heats only). #3) Roll three dice all at once when you have a SuperChief. #4) The “Roll-and-move-immediately” courtesy rule will not be enforced. #5) Home Swapping is allowed. If you dislike your first destination, before moving you can opt to exchange it with your home city.

The BPA is allowing us to employ laptop computers to assist with the game’s destination and payoff chart lookups. Such computer use is optional, and MUST be agreed to by all players at that table. To do the chart lookups by computer, you must use the latest Boardgame Conductor in the RB Player computer program, which you can download and use for free. You may not use any other portion of the program or any other Rail Baron related program during the tournament match. So, bring your Windows laptop computer to the tournament! In advance of the tournament, please download, install, and try a shareware copy of the RB Player computer program from http://www.insystem.com/rbp. There are more details about the rule variants we’ll be using as well as information about prior years’ tournaments at http://www.insystem.com/rbp/wbcrbn.htm.

Should it prove necessary, to pare winners from those eligible to advance, the WBC standard MESE tie breakers will be used as follows:

MESE ADVANCEMENT TIE-BREAKERS: In Multiple Entry, Single Elimination events for multi-player games, players possibly qualify for Single Elimination play in the second round by winning any of up to four preliminary Heats. Occasionally, players may advance wihout winning a heat. Players can enter one or more Heats without limit. All MESE events for multi-player games consist of three rounds; an opening Round consisting of two to four Preliminary Heats, a semifinal and a Final. The semifinal round will advance a predesignated optimum number of players to fill the second round; i.e., 25 players for a five-player game, 16 players for a four-player game, etc. but in all cases will advance no more than half of all players which participated in the Preliminaries. If insufficient players advance to warrant a semifinal round, the scheduled semifinal will instead become the Final.

MESE TIE-BREAKERS: A Preliminary Heat win will NOT in itself guarantee advancement. All MESE events will advance the optimum number of players to the next round based on the following tie-breakers without exception.
1. Win in first Heat entered
2. Most Wins
3.Win in second Heat entered
4.Win in third Heat entered
5.Win in fourth Heat entered
6. has brought a copy of the game if needed for next round; otherwise GM may substitute game specific tie-breaker
7. average finish in all heats entered; e.g., a 2nd and two 3rds = 2.67 and beats two 2nds and two 4ths (average: 3)
8. high dice roll

“Win and you’re in” is no longer a given although it is a strong possibility. This system of tie breakers encourages repeat play in Heats without requiring it. A single win (especially in the first Heat entered) will probably advance that winner but is not guaranteed to do so. Conversely, players who continue to play additional heats after winning a Preliminary game only enhance their chances of advancement without damaging their prospects, but a player who wins their only Preliminary game will probably advance without investing further time in Preliminary play. Meanwhile, non-winners who continue in Preliminary Heats will have additional chances to qualify in search of that elusive first win since in most events, a single win will still advance you to a semi-final round.

The GM is providing inscribed glass mugs as additional prizes.