Canadians -- 1 Additional Trip Reward to World's

[ugly psyducky]

Ugly Cup 2009​

The Ugly Cup is an invitational tournament, designed to provide a final chance to win a trip to the Pokemon World Championship in San Diego, California for Canadian Players. The details are now finalized see below:


DATE: Sunday June 21st

TIME: Pre-registration Saturday June 20th, 9 – 11 p.m.
Registration, 8 – 9 a.m. Sunday June 21st
Tournament Start 9 a.m.

LOCATION: Best Western Primrose Hotel – Sky Lounge 23rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario


Deck Construction
The format is Pokemon Organized Play Modified Constructed as defined for the Canadian National Championship in terms of series of cards allowed, promotional cards allowed, etc. with the following additional restrictions:

• Decks are to be constructed with 40 cards
• Decks are to be constructed with a MAXIMUM of FOUR (4) cards with a rarity symbol other than UNCOMMON or COMMON
• Decks may contain no more than TWO (2) duplicates of any one card name except for Basic Energy of which there may be an unlimited number subject to the 40 card total deck limit and Special Energy of which there may be a maximum of FOUR (4) duplicates

Format
Swiss Qualifying
Play will consist of a qualifying round of age-separated Swiss with the number of rounds determined by the number of players in the age pod. All Swiss Rounds will be single games with a 30 minute time limit. Owing to the deck size, matches will consist of 4 prize cards. The top 4 players in each age pod will advance to the Top Cut.

Top Cut
The Top Cut will be a combined age event. The winners in each age category along with the top placing competitor in all age categories, not an age category winner (referred to as the Wild Card Bye) will be awarded a first round bye. The remaining competitors will play a best two-out-of-three elimination round with the following pairings:

Round 1 Top Cut* (Top 12)
Game A
1st Overall Swiss vs. 8th Overall Swiss (as determined by Win/Loss % Opponents Win/Loss, etc.)

Game B
2nd Overall Swiss vs. 7th Overall Swiss

Game C
3rd Overall Swiss vs. 6th Overall Swiss

Game D
4th Overall Swiss vs. 5th Overall Swiss
* Placement ignores players with byes

Round 2 Top Cut (Top 8)
Game E
Masters Bye vs. Winner Game A

Game F
Seniors Bye vs. Winner Game B

Game G
Juniors Bye vs. Winner Game C

Game H
Wild Card Bye vs. Winner Game D

Round 3 Top Cut (Top 4)
Game I
Winner Game E vs. Winner Game F

Game J
Winner Game G vs. Winner Game H

Round 4 (Top 2)
Winner Game I vs. Game J

For play between competitors from different age groups the following handicap will apply.

• For one age separation (i.e. Junior vs. Senior or Senior vs. Master), after set-up of the game and determination of first-to-play (but before the cards are flipped), the younger player may search the elders deck and select 1 card and place it in the lost zone
• For two age group separation (i.e. Junior vs. Master), after set-up of the game and determination of first-to-play (but before the cards are flipped), the youngest player may search the elders deck and select up to 2 cards and place them in the lost zone

Prizes

8 – 12 th Place
- 4 Packs of Rising Rivals
5 - 8th
- 8 Packs of Rising Rivals
3rd and 4th
- 18 Packs of Rising Rivals
2nd
- 1 Box Rising Rivals
1st
- Round Trip Airfare from Vancouver / Calgary or Toronto to San Diego for 2
- Hotel Accommodations at or near the Pokemon World Championship

Qualifying

There will be 14 invitations available for each age category. Invitations will only be issued to individuals eligible to compete in the Canadian National Championship (i.e. Canadian Citizens in good standing with the POP). Official Ugly Cup Standings and Winners of SotG Invites will be Posted at the Canadian National Championship. Players must claim there invitations on Saturday June 20th at the National Championship.

The three qualifying events for the Ugly Cup are as Follows:

Burlington Gym Battle, Feb 21 in Burlington
Milton Gym Battle, April 4 in Milton
Oshawa Spring Battle Roads, Saturday 6 June - Oshawa - Skyfox Games


Invitations (Total 14 per age category) shall be provided as follows:

• 1 per age category to the winner of each of the Qualifying Events Above (in the case a single individual wins more than 1 Gym Challenge the invite will be extended to the next place finisher without an invitation)
• 6 per age category based on the composite results of the above Qualifying Events Above (ignoring those already with invites from a win in these tournaments) above with tie breakers determined in the following staged manner:
  • total number of wins
  • total number of losses
  • average opponent's win percentage
  • average opponent's opponent's win percentage
  • coin flip (hopefully it won't come down to that!)
• 2 invitations per age category to the 3rd - 4th place finishers at the Canadian National Championship
• 3 invitations per age category based on recommendations from Judges / PTOs etc. on players who demonstrate exceptional SoTG or who have been instrumental in the success of the game – send me the story via PM

In the event a competitor qualifies in more than one manner for the tournament, an additional invitation will be extended based on the composite qualifying event standings.

Important Note: Competitors having won a paid trip to Worlds from POP are excluded from winning the Grand Prize noted here, in the case the winner has won a paid trip, the Trip prize will revert to the next highest finisher in the tournament -- In the event that this invitee decides not to register for the tournament, this place will be given to the next player in the composite standings

For interest sake I will update the following nominations received to date

Current SotG Nominees

Master's
Dexter P. -- Alberta (AWARDED!!)
Bidier J. -- British Columbia (AWARDED!!)
Troy N. -- Ontario
David-John E. -- Ontario
Genesis P. -- Ontario
Nicole C. -- Ontario

Seniors
Winston C. -- Ontario (AWARDED!!)

Juniors
Connor C. -- British Columbifa (AWARDED!!)
Paige N. -- Ontario (AWARDED!!)


Nominations for SotG awards will close May 31st , 2009.

 

[Magnechu]

This is really cool. Good luck to all who compete.

 

[ColdCoates90]

Great idea. Although I am not elligible to play in it, I do have a suggestion:

The determination of which age group will play for the Grand Prize will be made at RANDOM prior to the start of the top cut games.

That would dissapoint me as a player to know that I was invited to a tournament and even if I didn't lose a single game, I stilll did not have a shot at the big prize.

Why not have like the top 2 from each age division play for it? Hardly seems fair that one age division wins a trip to worlds and another age division winner walks away with a mediocre box of cards and a handshake.

 

[sar86]

He's paying for this out of his pocket, (as far as I know) so the cost would be insane is he were to pay for people in each age group.

 

[bullados]

I think he means this.

Start a Top X with the Top X/3 from each age group, scaled both to match the size of the tournament as a whole and for the size of each individual group. Rank those players in a similar way they're ranked in TOM, and let them go after each other in 2/3 format.

That does leave the problem of a Junior facing a Master, though...

 

[ugly psyducky]

Why not have like the top 2 from each age division play for it? Hardly seems fair that one age division wins a trip to worlds and another age division winner walks away with a mediocre box of cards and a handshake.

I have a reason, its called 6$K out of my pocket. I'm all ears for a suggestion that allows a Top Cut format that makes it fair for say a Junior and Master's to compete for the prize. But, I'm pretty sure random allocation is the fairest way to distribute a single trip to equally worthy competitors.

Thx sar86 -- I take it that the silent majority of Canadian players would rather a chance of a trip to Worlds rather than nothing. BTW, lets come up with a better way of assuring decks meet the format this year.

 

[Diaz]

I think some sort of inter-division play would be good to determin who gets the trip. What if you did not have age groups? Give the little guys some credit, they could win. Just a sugestion. Good luck with this event!

 

[ColdCoates90]

Yes, bullados's post describes what I'm talking about.

I have a reason, its called 6$K out of my pocket. I'm all ears for a suggestion that allows a Top Cut format that makes it fair for say a Junior and Master's to compete for the prize. But, I'm pretty sure random allocation is the fairest way to distribute a single trip to equally worthy competitors.

Thx sar86 -- I take it that the silent majority of Canadian players would rather a chance of a trip to Worlds rather than nothing. BTW, lets come up with a better way of assuring decks meet the format this year.

Well if it were just ANY junior, I'd agree with you, but the way it would play out would be the most elite juniors (in a tournament full of elite juniors) versus the most elite masters and seniors.Yeah, its still not 100% fair because of the age difference, but a junior who made it so far as to get to the top 2 in his division that day has a legitimate chance of beating a master player, IMO.

The way I see it, you give everyone a chance at the prize instead of alienating two other divisions due to mere luck.

I realize this is YOUR event and YOUR money and you can do whatever it is you want,but its just a suggestion.

 

[ugly psyducky]

Yes, bullados's post describes what I'm talking about.


Well if it were just ANY junior, I'd agree with you, but the way it would play out would be the most elite juniors (in a tournament full of elite juniors) versus the most elite masters and seniors.Yeah, its still not 100% fair because of the age difference, but a junior who made it so far as to get to the top 2 in his division that day has a legitimate chance of beating a master player, IMO.

The way I see it, you give everyone a chance at the prize instead of alienating two other divisions due to mere luck.

I realize this is YOUR event and YOUR money and you can do whatever it is you want,but its just a suggestion.

Point taken - and opinion valued, I am in no means 100% satisfied that what I propose simply constrained by what can be offered. And FYI I read your intital post and interpretted it differently - if offense was taken then my appologies. I might consider an All Ages Top cut, with some form of handicapping, but haven't satisfied myself that that would be better than Random chance if I put myself in the shoes of a Junior player or that it wouldn't be seen as prejudicial by a Master's player. I remain open to suggestions, as although I am putting up the prize, the tournament is still for the players (and by that I mean all players of all ages).

As for no age separation for the entire tournament, I think that would really push the advantage over to the more experienced players side, especially in a Format that will be new to all players.

 

[Ardoptres]

Why in the world would you pay for this out of your own pocket? Do you have so much money, that you feel like just giving them away? lol.

 

[smacktack15]

Ardoptres: Terry is being extremely generous and is helping a player out that maybe couldn't pay to go to Worlds before (last year he payed for a trip out to Vancouver so Geneses P could play at Nationals). I admire Terry's generosity and I hope the winner of the tournament appreciates Terry's actions.

 

[kungfufita]

and i think he earns a lot of air miles with his work

 

[SlimeyGrimey]

I think this is a good idea but it really only applies to southern Ontario. Obviously none of the players out west are going to attend any of your qualifying events. The other problem is that there's going to be a lot more players in this event that don't have invites than those that do, so most likely the players that get 2nd-4th in each age category at nats are probably not going to win this event and get the paid trip, so the paid trip will likely end up just allowing someone to go and compete in the grinder, where their odds of making it into Worlds will obviously be pretty low.

I don't know if these qualifiers or this tournament itself is somehow helping to pay for this trip, or if there is some other reason for giving out the trip this way, but a better way to put this trip to use imo would be just to draw for the trip between the people that get 2nd in each age category at nats. That way at least you know it's going to allow someone to compete in worlds and gives people out west a chance to win the trip too.

 

[The Dark Toxicroak]

I think this is a good idea but it really only applies to southern Ontario. Obviously none of the players out west are going to attend any of your qualifying events. The other problem is that there's going to be a lot more players in this event that don't have invites than those that do, so most likely the players that get 2nd-4th in each age category at nats are probably not going to win this event and get the paid trip, so the paid trip will likely end up just allowing someone to go and compete in the grinder, where their odds of making it into Worlds will obviously be pretty low.

I don't know if these qualifiers or this tournament itself is somehow helping to pay for this trip, or if there is some other reason for giving out the trip this way, but a better way to put this trip to use imo would be just to draw for the trip between the people that get 2nd in each age category at nats. That way at least you know it's going to allow someone to compete in worlds and gives people out west a chance to win the trip too.

Yes I agree. It was said you wanted to open it to all the Poke community of Canada but there is a huge bias towards Ontario players. The only way someone from western Canada can even get invited to play in this tournament is if they get top 4 in Nationals whereas Ontario players just have to win a local tournament. Very few Western Canadian players will probably attend nationals so the chance of this tournament being straight Ontario players is extremely high.

Also I agree paying so someone can grind seems like a waste when you can be helping someone who has an invitation to represent us at worlds and not just a chance to represent us.

I also think that copying the professor cup format is a tad wacky but it would be fun that is for sure.

 

[MamaLugia]

This Ugly Cup idea is brilliant on so many levels. It is obvious that the Uglies are motivated by the love of this game. So much that they have "put their money where their mouth is" and have devised a method to reward the dedication of our Poke-players. It's beyond commendable and is coming from the right place in their hearts.

Is it perfect or equal for everyone across Canada? No, despite best efforts, it isn't quite there. (Dang, this County is huge - how can anyone pick a specific location that would be fair to everyone? Impossible) And really, why should it be perfectly equal to all? I don't see that we (westerners) have contributed to this effort and the Ugly Cup is a generous gift from individuals to the community in general. That's just awesome.

While I personally agree that a sponsorship travel award is best utilized by one of the top Canadian National players (not qualifying for the paid trip, of course), unless the Ugly Cup is expanded to a National rather than personal fundraising effort, it has to be applauded and appreciated as is. It's just my opinion of course but I believe it is exempt from critique.

It's too late for this year but nice and early for next year, so how about trying to get some like-minded (to the Uglies) people organizing a National sponsorship program for next year? I am not special but I would appreciate the chance to help send a top player to represent Canada at the Worlds. I believe there are a number of people across Canada who feel the same and would gladly volunteer time and resources towards fundraising this goal.

Who knows? Collectively we might be able to come up with enough money to send a player in each age category to the Worlds? Just look at what the Uglies have accomplished independently and think just a little bigger. The best side effect of a collective effort might be that we would unify Canadian players overall and work towards breaking down the difficulties due to geographical constraints we are currently experiencing. A Canadian at Worlds represents us all no matter what area of origination? I don't think I am alone in clapping loudly for a Canadian at Worlds. I see many clapping right beside me anyway.

Anybody out there up for a National expansion to the Ugly Cup?

 

[koolkidkaz]

Anybody out there up for a National expansion to the Ugly Cup?

This is a great idea, as there are great players that don't make it to worlds beacuse of 1 bad game from a brilliant season, or just dont have the extra cash to travel to worlds.

 

[dragonwarrior]

Instead of making it Random.

How about have a Top 8 cut including all age groups after swiss:

Top 2 in each age group
then 2 wild cards from the 3 3rd place player in each division.

Didn't sound so confusing when I was thinking it...

 

[sar86]

Instead of making it Random.

How about have a Top 8 cut including all age groups after swiss:

Top 2 in each age group
then 2 wild cards from the 3 3rd place player in each division.

Didn't sound so confusing when I was thinking it...

That'd be a good idea, but the masters would have quite an advantage over the juniors and seniors.

 

[ugly psyducky]

I think this is a good idea but it really only applies to southern Ontario. Obviously none of the players out west are going to attend any of your qualifying events.

This is agreed -- unfortunately, obviously all are welcome but the reality of the countries size is what it is. FYI 5 of the 14 spots are theoretically open to Western Players. 3 through the Nationals / 2 through the SOTG based invites. Best I can do. For what its worth we've had Quebec Players out in Ontario to CCs. I would suspect we will see them for these qualifiers as well.

The other problem is that there's going to be a lot more players in this event that don't have invites than those that do, so most likely the players that get 2nd-4th in each age category at nats are probably not going to win this event and get the paid trip, so the paid trip will likely end up just allowing someone to go and compete in the grinder, where their odds of making it into Worlds will obviously be pretty low.

Also agree, but not on point. Every Master who had an invite from Cdn Nationals or Ranking Invite made it to Florida last year. Paid trip or not. My guess is the same thing will happen this year as well. However, the chance to participate in Worlds "experience" is not just Invite based. In all reality, a 9 year old player and parent going to San Diego and going 0-X in the grinder is just as much a win for the game in Canada as the 2nd place Master's player going and becoming the World Champion. Not all will agree with this, but you probably won't argue me out of my view.

I don't know if these qualifiers or this tournament itself is somehow helping to pay for this trip, or if there is some other reason for giving out the trip this way, but a better way to put this trip to use imo would be just to draw for the trip between the people that get 2nd in each age category at nats.

The simple answer to this is no. The qualifying tournaments have an entry fee to support the prizes being put out there. I simply "piggy-backed" on these tournaments to put a significant prize at the end of the rainbow and hence push attendence at these already scheduled events -- might as well make the effort for putting these on more worthwhile.

For those that wonder, the entire cost of the tournament prizes, venue costs, etc. are paid directly out of my pocket. This is my family's investment into the game as a whole. As for the why I do this, I like this game, I like to see it played in its most creative and innovative fashion, I like the people who play this game.

I also think that copying the professor cup format is a tad wacky but it would be fun that is for sure.

Now we get to the point of the Cup. Sorry for cutting the rest of the quote out, but its perfectly on point. It also explains why just donating a trip to Cdn nationals doesn't cut it for me. There is no additional "fun" coming out of this. For those who experienced it last year, the best game in Ontario happened last year on my dining room table (Yes we got kicked out of the venue) in the Professor's Appreciation Tournament in which a Trip to Nats was on the line. That in itself was my reward for doing it and probably why we are doing it again.

This Ugly Cup idea is brilliant on so many levels. It is obvious that the Uglies are motivated by the love of this game. So much that they have "put their money where their mouth is" and have devised a method to reward the dedication of our Poke-players. It's beyond commendable and is coming from the right place in their hearts.

Is it perfect or equal for everyone across Canada? No, despite best efforts, it isn't quite there. (Dang, this County is huge - how can anyone pick a specific location that would be fair to everyone? Impossible) And really, why should it be perfectly equal to all? I don't see that we (westerners) have contributed to this effort and the Ugly Cup is a generous gift from individuals to the community in general. That's just awesome.

While I personally agree that a sponsorship travel award is best utilized by one of the top Canadian National players (not qualifying for the paid trip, of course), unless the Ugly Cup is expanded to a National rather than personal fundraising effort, it has to be applauded and appreciated as is. It's just my opinion of course but I believe it is exempt from critique.

It's too late for this year but nice and early for next year, so how about trying to get some like-minded (to the Uglies) people organizing a National sponsorship program for next year? I am not special but I would appreciate the chance to help send a top player to represent Canada at the Worlds. I believe there are a number of people across Canada who feel the same and would gladly volunteer time and resources towards fundraising this goal.

Who knows? Collectively we might be able to come up with enough money to send a player in each age category to the Worlds? Just look at what the Uglies have accomplished independently and think just a little bigger. The best side effect of a collective effort might be that we would unify Canadian players overall and work towards breaking down the difficulties due to geographical constraints we are currently experiencing. A Canadian at Worlds represents us all no matter what area of origination? I don't think I am alone in clapping loudly for a Canadian at Worlds. I see many clapping right beside me anyway.

Anybody out there up for a National expansion to the Ugly Cup?

Thank you for "getting it". I'm as much as the next person for making this even better and more inclusive next year.

 

[dragonwarrior]

That'd be a good idea, but the masters would have quite an advantage over the juniors and seniors.

Would agree with you if these were just your normal Junior and Seniors. Yes Masters would have the advantage through experience and can probably read a Junior and Senior like an open book, BUT these Juniors and Seniors played qualifiers and placed 2-4 at nationals. Not to mention they have also played in the invite tournament where they more elite players are shown. I believe a player who can endure all that pressure can compete no matter the difference in age.

Also, these tournament is probably a specialized constructed format that will hopefully allow the same handicap for all players.