union pacific [Updated October 2006]  

2006 WBC Report     

 2007 Status: pending December Membership Vote

Fred Minard, PA

2006 Champion

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Event History
2000    Joe Lux     67
2001    Jamie Tang     77
2002    Bruce Young     84
2003    Arthur Field     73
2004    Luke Koleszar     64
2005     Jeff Mullet     65
2006    Fred Minard     40

Euro Quest Event History
2003    Arthur Field     28

 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Arthur Field       SC    06     92
  2.  Joe Lux            NY    06     34
  3.  Jeff Mullet        OH    05     34
  4.  Luke Koleszar      VA    04     30
  5.  Bruce Young        SC    02     30
  6.  Jamie Tang         MD    01     30
  7.  Scott Pfeiffer     SC    02     21
  8.  Fred Minard        PA    06     20
  9.  Steve Shambeda     PA    06     20
 10.  Tom Stokes         NJ    03     18
 11.  Davyd Field        SC    02     18
 12.  Luke Koleszar      VA    01     18
 13.  David Fritsch      VA    00     18
 14.  John Wetherell     PA    03     17
 15.  Mike Backstrom     MN    04     12
 16.  Sean McCulloch     OH    04     12
 17.  Debbie Gutermuth   TX    03     12
 18.  Harald Henning     CT    03     12
 19.  Stu Hendrickson    VA    02     12
 20.  Bill Edwards       VA    00     12
 21.  Cliff Ackman       PA    06     11
 22.  Chris Terrell      VA    05      9
 23.  Cathy Kratz        ID    04      9
 24.  Kathy Stroh        PA    01      9
 25.  Jim Carvin         PA    06      6
 26.  Matt Calkins       VA    05      6
 27.  Rich Zelano        RI    04      6
 28.  Ewan McNay         CT    03      6
 29.  Tom DeMarco        NJ    03      6
 30.  Evan Davis         IN    02      6
 31.  Michael Mahady     TX    01      6
 32.  Mike Hazel         SC    00      6
 33.  Thomas Saal        MI    05      3
 34.  Chris LeFevre      AZ    02      3
 35.  Kim Foster         TX    01      3
 36.  Steve Scott        CA    00      3
 37.  Peter Staab        PA    03      2

2006 Laurelists

Arthur Field, SC
2nd

Cliff Ackmn, PA
3rd

Jim Carvin, PA
4th

Joe Lux, NY
5th

Steve Shambeda, PA
6th


Past Winners

Joe Lux, NY
2000

Jamie Tang, MD
2001

Bruce Young, SC
2002

Arthur Field, SC
2003

Luke Koleszar, VA
2004

Jeff Mullet, OH
2005
       

Fred Minard (right) on the way to his first championship since 1998. After six years of being one of the most consistent events at WBC with attendance always north of 64, Union Pacific inexplicably suffered a 39% decline to a record low and consequently dropped out of the Century for the first time.

All Aboard

The winning numbers wound up being $126 and $127.  The average number of  properties owned was seven.  In the first round, the average winning score was $126. Play moved swiftly, with several very close matches in the opening games.  One table scored 131,129,128 in a long game coming down to almost the very last card available. Steve Shambeda, last year's runner-up, won his opening round game by earning  $139 for the top score.

The semi-finals consisted of the Round 1 winners plus the top six runner-ups.  In one game Cliff Ackerman edge Jeff Mullet, our defending champion, in a relatively low scoring $110 - $107 contest.  While the other three games featured spirited play, the winners, Arthur Field, Jim Carvin, and Fred Minard won handily by an average  of $16.  The winning score:  $127. The winning players had seven properties.

The Final featured several unusual events. After a random draw for seating, Jim drew the first paytrain. He also scored the most by building the El Paso and Rio Grande (green). Play continued, evenly and Jim again drew the second pay train.  Fred's concentration on UPac trains paid off as he stole the lead.  Arthur forced the Upac play but ended up with the paytrain being pulled right in front of him,  again.

As the third round began players jockeyed for position by joining and switching several well built trains. Fred locked up UPac, and had three small train monopolies.   Cliff stole both the Denver Midland (black) and the Miami Southern (yellow) to shuffle the order.  Arthur had six properties. His principle train was the Billings Northern (red), which he swiped from  Fred. Jim, amazingly, drew the paytrain for the third time.  This to  the delight of the table, and much to the disgust of Arthur, sitting immediately to his left.

In the last round, Fred quickly took red back and later made a nice steal of the Sioux Falls line (purple).  He was able to maintain his lead in his small roads and built red for key points. In the end, it was enough for the win. Fred finished with $127 for a great win and his first wood since 1998. Arthur rode seconds in five companies (eight properties overall) to  $126, and one of the closest point margins in Final history.

Once again the GM is indebted to Jake Jacoby for his books and prints which we award to non plaque finishers and the Champion.

 GM      Bill Beckman  [2nd Year]   NE
    NA   NA

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