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Ra
is typical of many multi-player games that use multiple heats
to generate many games and game winners who fail to pursue advancement
opportunities. |
By using tie-breakers and advancing
only the optimal number of players for the next round, event
lengths are trimmed and players are free to experience other
events sooner. |
Record Attendance
RA set a new attendance record as 150 aspiring Pharoahs
appeared to contest the coveted scepter of power better known
as the "wood". The turnout for each heat was consistent
with 13, 14, 14, and 10 games respectively in Heats 1 through
4 for a total of 250 player games. There were eight multiple
heat winners with Kenneth Horan as the only 3-heat winner, making
him the favorite entering the semi-finals, if he even makes the
semi-finals. Having lost his first heat, he could be on the outside
looking in come Semi- time. Not to fear as No Shows abound among
the 29 first-heat winners.
All five semi-final games had clear-cut winners. The closest
game saw Kevin Brown finish five points ahead of Curt Collins;
thus securing 6th place for Curt. Joining Kevin in the Final
was two-time champion Tom Dunning, David Buchholz, Ken Rothstein
and one of the three females to make the semi's, Bobbi Warczak.
The Final had an ominous beginning. Before the first tile
was even pulled out of the bag Tom Dunning spilled his cup of
water dangerously close to the gameboard. The Gods must have
taken this as a sign as throughout the first epoch it seemed
that every bid had a flood involved. With most of the floods
gone during the first epoch it seemed like collecting rivers
was not going to be a good strategy. A very close Final came
down to the last RA. Bobbi had collected quite a few rivers but
had all but given up on collecting one last flood. Having nothing
to lose she decided to play chicken with the tiles needing only
one more RA to end the game. But when she pulled the last flood
out of the bag she didn't hesitate to grab it and the Championship
that came with it.
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