You may play in as many of the four preliminary heats as you wish. You may elect to play Atlantic Storm or Pacific Typhoon--tell the GM your preference when you enter. Each heat consists of as many individual games as necessary to accommodate all players. 5- and 6-player games are the norm; we avoid 4-player games where possible. Table and seating assignment is done randomly using the Coussis seating mechanism.
All heat winners are guaranteed a seat in the semifinals. There are no alternates--you must win to advance. All semifinal winners advance to the Final. The Final always uses Atlantic Storm.
The GM may call for volunteer(s) to play the game they did not initially request (Atlantic Storm or Pacific Typhoon) to complete a table. If necessary, the GM will draft someone (typically an assistant GM) for this purpose.
Tables with Atlantic Storm games must use all Optional rules (pay particular attention to the rule regarding sharing of spoils). Tables with Pacific Typhoon games use the Standard game (do not play the Chronological, Short, or Team variants). |