Tournament Format
This is a three-round swiss to reduce the field to the top four players. Play is limited to 4-player games with 3-players used as needed. The first round consists of three games with 75 minute time limits played consecutively. Players are awarded one point for each player they defeat and one half point for each player they tie.

At the end of each game, players will be reassigned to a new table based on their finish in the prior game; i.e., all winners in one group, all seconds in another, etc with some blending of the closest groups as required to fill 4-player games.

The top four scores after three rounds advance to a one-game Final. Ties will be broken by adding total game scores for all three rounds.

Money is hidden.

Tournament Officials

Special Tournament Rules

1. Optional Dividend card distribution with German 2nd edition modification of six non-dividend cards at the bottom of the deck. Here is a more detailed look at how the draw pile is built from the bottom to the top (or vice versa since it's the same). The "remaining deck" is defined as all the stock cards minus the players' starting hands and minus the 30 cards which will be used as buffers:

6 cards
1/4 of the "remaining deck" plus one dividend card shuffled into it
6 cards
1/4 of the "remaining deck" plus one dividend card shuffled into it
6 cards
1/4 of the "remaining deck" plus one dividend card shuffled into it
6 cards
1/4 of the "remaining deck" plus one dividend card shuffled into it
6 cards

2. To take a Union Pacific stock, you must discard FACEDOWN a stock from your hand. This stock is removed from the game and may not be examined by anyone. This trade is in addition to drawing a normal stock during your turn (German 2nd Edition rule).

3. Each player starts with five normal stock instead of four. (German 2nd Edition rule)

Late Arrivals, Didn't Bring A Copy and Long Games

Group assignments for the 1st round will be started at 4 pm. If you arrive after that time, you may be forced to play in a group with your friends. Once all group assignments are complete, no latecomers will be accepted.

I will not be making 5-player games just because we're short on games. If we don't have enough games, the latest arriving people without games will not get to play.

Each round will be limited to 75 minutes from when the last group is organized. A 15 minute warning will be called. At the end of 60 minutes, the round in progress will be completed and then any dividend cards remaining will be resolved.