As always, no matter how I do in a tournament, I post a report. Yes, it's a week later, but with my birthday, research, and the 4th of July, I was quite delinquent in posting this.
Day 0: Thursday, June 28
I took the L to Kedzie in the morning, where Tim and Manny <Aniro> picked me up to head to Indianapolis. The drive was hot, and since the car's air conditioning wasn't very effective, we had to have the windows open. Oh well--at least it got us there!
It was about 16:00 when we checked in to the hotel, so we took our cards to sell and headed off to the convention center. Tim had a full cooler (without rollers) of cards to sell, comprising a bulk lot of nearly 16,000 cards. We alternated standing in line while pre-registration happened, but because Tim's last name was incorrectly spelled, he had to wait in the dreaded line at "Table 1." After a long wait, he got registered, and Manny & I both had no trouble. After selling the cards, each of us played a few practice matches, and then went to Steak 'n' Shake for dinner, before turning in to the hotel to decide who had to sleep on the floor tonight. Manny lost that battle, and I cemented my deck of "Avogadro Appears Again". It wasn't until 00:30 that I slept, though!
Day 1: Friday, June 29
The morning routine was routine, and we left the hotel at about 07:30, to head downtown. I suggested Einstein Bros. for breakfast, and indeed that is what we ate.
While waiting for pairings and such, I encountered some familiar faces: Isaiah B., Cora and Nat M., and several others of whose names currently escape me. We found that there were 1005 Masters this year, and the announcements were trying to get us externally excited. That doesn't seem to work on the Masters! But anyway: FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE!
Oh, and by the way, "Avogadro Appears Again" is Excadrill/Zekrom.
ROUND ONE: Noah vs. Brian G. (Darkrai/Tornadus EX): I started Zekrom to Smeargle. Hands were being changed all the time, with my N, his Portraited N, and his Judge, but I managed to get Energy in play each turn. He took a 3-0 lead early from Darkrai EX's attacks. After I KO'd it, X Ball got me on the defensive. But I had Catchers to force out his new Darkrai, and also his Smeargle in order to get the high-quality win. YAY—first time I have won in Rounds 1, 2, or 3 at Nats! Noah wins the match 6-4 and has a record of 1-0.
ROUND TWO: Noah vs. Stephen M. (Darkrai/Terrakion): Last time I faced him, I got donked in States. Losing the flip, I saw Smeargle against my Zekrom. His first Darkrai fell to my Drilbur as I couldn’t get Evolution cards until late. I took a 2-1 lead, and eventually he got stuck after I had downed two of his Darkrai. But, I pulled defeat from the jaws of victory as he got Terrakion late, and I had no answer to it. If only he were still playing Zeel, but even then I would have needed finesse around Mewtwo. Noah loses the match 4-6 and has a record of 1-1.
Since it was a long match, lunch break wasn't long enough for me since I am a slow eater. So I eschewed lunch after seeing the long lines, and just had some of my Chex Mix. I played and lost one League match in the meantime with a fun deck. Back to the tournament!
ROUND THREE: Noah vs. Casey B. (Darkrai/Tornadus/Terrakion): I opened with 2 Drilbur facing his Terrakion. He took a 2-0 lead off 2 early KOs when he fielded Tornadus EX and Darkrai EX, but Excadrill managed to dig up my Catcher cards so that I could force out Darkrai. Later, I had the availability to KO Tornadus to make a 4-4 tie, but instead attacked something else that I saw as a bigger threat (my notes are inconclusive about what that was), but he had the resources to pull out of the jam and defeat me. Noah loses the match 2-6 and has a record of 1-2.
ROUND FOUR: Noah vs. Jose G. (Klinklang EX Toolbox). I saw Klink and Darkrai EX, which implied a good matchup for me. Indeed, I kept his Special Energy away with Hammers, in jumping to a 4-0 lead off KOs on Darkrai EX and Groudon EX. I then got N’d and he got Kyurem EX and a few Prize cards. A Hail Blizzard attack left 10 HP on Zekrom, because he thought that the attack did 150 (!?!), so Outrage left Kyurem with 20 HP left, since a Helmet was equipped. He retreated for Klinklang, but I had another attacker and a Catcher to force up the Kyurem for the win! Noah wins the match 6-3 and has a record of 2-2.
ROUND FIVE: Noah vs. Toby N. (Zeel). I easily downed his Eels and Smeargle, but Tornadus EX and Mewtwo EX and N came, which blew me to bits. Lightning decks have too many outs against Fighting type decks with how splashable Mewtwo and Tornadus are! Noah loses the match and has a record of 2-3.
OK, so I am 2-3 after Day One. Certainly an improvement over last year’s 0-5 start.
Because of the new Professor Cup scheduling, I also had these battles to play. I used "247" (Seismitoad/Wigglytuff with Archeops for the mirror and Espeon against effects).
Professor Round One: Noah vs. Rick M. (Brutal Bash): I started with 1 Wigglytuff and 1 Palpitoad and went second. He got 4 Pokémon in play with Zoroark Active, but didn’t have the Double. I stalled, and Catchered up the Mandibuzz, but he took the first Prize. By that time, I was set up, so I won the one-hit KO war by getting Seismitoad out. Noah wins the match 6-2 and has a record of 1-0.
Professor Round Two: Noah vs. David N. (Fighting). I started with Wigglytuff and got 5 Pokémon in play turn one, and attached to Palpitoad as I didn't have a Double Colorless. He fielded Archeops on turn one, and Hammers came to disrupt me. The Dig Uppercuts sent me down 0-2, and Archeops prevented me from Evolving my Pokémon, so I lost on basically the hard counter. Noah loses the match 3-6 and has a record of 1-1.
Professor Round Three: Noah vs. Dana L. (Brutal Bash) I had a Round for 120 on turn two, and he scooped after losing 2 Zoroark in two attacks. Noah wins the match and has a record of 2-1.
Professor Round Four: Noah vs. Raymond C. (Eelektrik Toolbox) Zebstrika and Deck-and-Cover Accelgor came against a lone Palpitoad. I got 1 more in play, but he played Archeops on turn one. Disconnect and Do The Wave disrupted and then did me in—he didn’t even need the Deck and Cover! Noah loses the match 3-6 and has a record of 2-2.
That was the end of a long day. Tim and Manny had already eaten, and since the time was 21:30, I had suffered time-induced anorexia, so we just returned to the hotel. Journaling a bit, I fell asleep at 23:30, in order to regenerate for tomorrow.
Day 2: Saturday, June 30
As usual, I got up to the Radetzky March, prepared for the day, and we all headed off at 07:30. I got breakfast at Steak 'n' Shake (blueberry pancakes for the win :smile
and carried it into the convention center. Pairings were posted at 08:40 or so, and I headed to my seat for the next round.
ROUND SIX: Noah vs. Kyle D. “LATE” was written on Kyle’s side of the match slip. Five minutes later, I had to take the non-victory (i.e. win by forfeit). UGH Kyle… you deny me the opportunity to play! Noah "wins" the match by forfeit and has a record of 3-3.
During the meantime, I took "Nervous Veins" (Durant/Cobalion/Beartic) into a pickup tournament and rolled to two victories, before having to drop after the next round was paired. I got nothing interesting in my two packs, unfortunately. The next match, interestingly, was at Table 121.
ROUND SEVEN: Noah vs. Confesor D. (Hammertime). Despite going first with Drilbur and Zekrom, he used Eviolite on Sableye and got heads on Crushing Hammer. After Junk Hunt, I used N and failed on my own Hammer attempt. Basically, between Sableye and Junk Arm and him hitting heads on every 50% Trainer, my squad was flattened. Literally. (When describing the match to the Chicagoans, I laughed at my own pain by using the Hammer sound effect from Super Smash Bros. to describe the match. Noah lost the match 0-6 and has a record of 3-4.
The wait was long, because a match went WAY overtime. I got to chat with Mike Liesek in the meantime, so that was good!
ROUND EIGHT: Noah vs. Josh C. He was not there at the start, and he was not there five minutes in either. BOO—that’s my FIFTH non-victory in Nats/Professor Cup in the last two years! Noah "won" the match by forfeit and has a record of 4-4.
I would prefer to lose an actual match than win by forfeit. I did just that in League with a different deck.
ROUND NINE: Noah vs. Paul M. He went first, showing Mewtwo and Ralts, to my Zekrom and two Drilbur. He got Gardevoir out and Catchered some Drilbur, but Zekrom put Mewtwo at 10 HP left after I was down 0-3. His Energy then dried up after Mewtwo fell and I rallied to 2-3. Later, I had KO’d both Gardevoir, and forgot to take a Prize. Judges ruled the irregularity a wash, so I shuffled one of my Prizes back into the deck. A Mewtwo with no Energy was Active, a Mewtwo with DCE was Benched. He was out of Supporters, as Random Receiver had failed. Additionally, he was almost out of Energy, but had one Switch left in the deck. On a late Dig Uppercut, I picked a Catcher instead of a Hammer, and this cost me. I was on the verge of a comeback, being down 4-5, and Zekrom dealing 100 damage to the Active Mewtwo. If he drew Switch, he won, and if he drew anything else, he lost. His topdeck: Switch. AAAAACK! Noah loses the match 4-6 and finishes with a record of 4-5.
For the second year in a row, my deck finished Swiss at 2-5, quite disappointing. (That pushes my career Nats record on my decks to 7-15, with 11-15 if you count the four non-victories). I headed to lunch at the mall, and just like last year, had Chick-fil-A for lunch. The spicy chicken sandwich was my choice, and it really hit the spot with the waffle fries, even if not “for free!”
Before the Professor Cup, I did a few more League matches, without much success.
Professor Round Five: Noah vs. Mitch D. (Gothitelle/Accelgor/Eelektrik) He showed Gothorita and Accelgor, so I fielded Seismitoad followed by Archeops and Espeon. This was good, as Seismitoad was able to one-hit KO anything. I won on time with timely Switch and MAX Potion, despite failing to get my Catcher cards at the right time. Espeon was a critical card in this case. Noah won the match 5-2 and has a record of 3-2.
Professor Round Six: Noah vs. Anthony A. (Eelektrik Toolbox) He started Zebstrika and Flareon, but won the flip, fielded Eel and Cinccino, got an Energy in the discard pile, filled his Bench, and had Energy in hand. I had a single Wigglytuff… ergo I didn’t get a turn. Noah lost the match 0-1 and has a record of 3-3.
Therefore, I am now out of contention, but I never drop.
Professor Round Seven: Noah vs. Brian D. (Eelektrik Toolbox) He won the coin flip showing Accelgor (with Slashing Strike) and Zoroark (Foul Play). He got 1 Cinccino in play to do 40 with Do The Wave to my Active Wigglytuff. I got no attack off on the first turn, as Do The Wave put him up 1-0. But on my next turn, I got Seismitoad in play with 4 Rounders to do 120. He promoted Zoroark and could only do 70 damage, and from there, a Prize was taken every turn, with Round versus Do The Wave, Slashing Strike, or Lightning Crash. That was a great match! Noah won the match 6-5 and has a record of 4-3.
Professor Round Eight: Noah vs. Christopher L. He started Eelektrik to my Wigglytuff and Palpitoad. I had no Supporters, and he got Switch, 4 other Basics including Cinccino, and a Do The Wave on a Catchered Palpitoad. My next draw: an Energy. LOSS. Noah lost the match 0-2 and finishes with a record of 4-4.
With a few people around me, we played "We Didn't Playtest This At All" and a few other games, and then the crazy scene at Table 25 broke out after Vince threw dice at (whoever was sitting South). He even borrowed my hard hat for the scene, and it was pretty hilarious.
The rest of the night, and the rest of Nationals was uneventful, but on the way back to Chicago on Sunday afternoon, Tim's car unleashed a white puff of smoke near Whitestown, and we barely escaped the interstate, only to deem the car dead. A stroke of luck happened, and Kaleb, Ryan, and Justin from Rockford drove into this gas station, and had just enough room to get us back to Chicago. You guys are LIFESAVERS.
PROPS:
* Kaleb, Ryan, and Justin, for getting us out of car you-know-what
* Tim and Manny for letting me tag along for the ride.
* Collector's Cache for buying the excess League cards that I had
* Seeing friends from Kansas City and Lincoln that I haven't seen in a long time
* The high-quality matches on Day 1 of the tournament
* Vince B. for helping me retool "247" for the Professor Cup
* Alisha from Florida for a great conversation in the League line on the last day
* Red Roof Inn, for being a convenient location and in a non-bad neighborhood and being only $49/night.
* The judges in Round 9 for obeying the maxim, "Let the match be decided at the table" after I called them on my own irregularity.
SLOPS:
* Tim's car, for dying and nearly causing us to get stuck.
* Kyle and Josh, for denying me the opportunity to play.
* The 100-degree heat.
Thanks for reading!
Day 0: Thursday, June 28
I took the L to Kedzie in the morning, where Tim and Manny <Aniro> picked me up to head to Indianapolis. The drive was hot, and since the car's air conditioning wasn't very effective, we had to have the windows open. Oh well--at least it got us there!
It was about 16:00 when we checked in to the hotel, so we took our cards to sell and headed off to the convention center. Tim had a full cooler (without rollers) of cards to sell, comprising a bulk lot of nearly 16,000 cards. We alternated standing in line while pre-registration happened, but because Tim's last name was incorrectly spelled, he had to wait in the dreaded line at "Table 1." After a long wait, he got registered, and Manny & I both had no trouble. After selling the cards, each of us played a few practice matches, and then went to Steak 'n' Shake for dinner, before turning in to the hotel to decide who had to sleep on the floor tonight. Manny lost that battle, and I cemented my deck of "Avogadro Appears Again". It wasn't until 00:30 that I slept, though!
Day 1: Friday, June 29
The morning routine was routine, and we left the hotel at about 07:30, to head downtown. I suggested Einstein Bros. for breakfast, and indeed that is what we ate.
While waiting for pairings and such, I encountered some familiar faces: Isaiah B., Cora and Nat M., and several others of whose names currently escape me. We found that there were 1005 Masters this year, and the announcements were trying to get us externally excited. That doesn't seem to work on the Masters! But anyway: FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE!
Oh, and by the way, "Avogadro Appears Again" is Excadrill/Zekrom.
ROUND ONE: Noah vs. Brian G. (Darkrai/Tornadus EX): I started Zekrom to Smeargle. Hands were being changed all the time, with my N, his Portraited N, and his Judge, but I managed to get Energy in play each turn. He took a 3-0 lead early from Darkrai EX's attacks. After I KO'd it, X Ball got me on the defensive. But I had Catchers to force out his new Darkrai, and also his Smeargle in order to get the high-quality win. YAY—first time I have won in Rounds 1, 2, or 3 at Nats! Noah wins the match 6-4 and has a record of 1-0.
ROUND TWO: Noah vs. Stephen M. (Darkrai/Terrakion): Last time I faced him, I got donked in States. Losing the flip, I saw Smeargle against my Zekrom. His first Darkrai fell to my Drilbur as I couldn’t get Evolution cards until late. I took a 2-1 lead, and eventually he got stuck after I had downed two of his Darkrai. But, I pulled defeat from the jaws of victory as he got Terrakion late, and I had no answer to it. If only he were still playing Zeel, but even then I would have needed finesse around Mewtwo. Noah loses the match 4-6 and has a record of 1-1.
Since it was a long match, lunch break wasn't long enough for me since I am a slow eater. So I eschewed lunch after seeing the long lines, and just had some of my Chex Mix. I played and lost one League match in the meantime with a fun deck. Back to the tournament!
ROUND THREE: Noah vs. Casey B. (Darkrai/Tornadus/Terrakion): I opened with 2 Drilbur facing his Terrakion. He took a 2-0 lead off 2 early KOs when he fielded Tornadus EX and Darkrai EX, but Excadrill managed to dig up my Catcher cards so that I could force out Darkrai. Later, I had the availability to KO Tornadus to make a 4-4 tie, but instead attacked something else that I saw as a bigger threat (my notes are inconclusive about what that was), but he had the resources to pull out of the jam and defeat me. Noah loses the match 2-6 and has a record of 1-2.
ROUND FOUR: Noah vs. Jose G. (Klinklang EX Toolbox). I saw Klink and Darkrai EX, which implied a good matchup for me. Indeed, I kept his Special Energy away with Hammers, in jumping to a 4-0 lead off KOs on Darkrai EX and Groudon EX. I then got N’d and he got Kyurem EX and a few Prize cards. A Hail Blizzard attack left 10 HP on Zekrom, because he thought that the attack did 150 (!?!), so Outrage left Kyurem with 20 HP left, since a Helmet was equipped. He retreated for Klinklang, but I had another attacker and a Catcher to force up the Kyurem for the win! Noah wins the match 6-3 and has a record of 2-2.
ROUND FIVE: Noah vs. Toby N. (Zeel). I easily downed his Eels and Smeargle, but Tornadus EX and Mewtwo EX and N came, which blew me to bits. Lightning decks have too many outs against Fighting type decks with how splashable Mewtwo and Tornadus are! Noah loses the match and has a record of 2-3.
OK, so I am 2-3 after Day One. Certainly an improvement over last year’s 0-5 start.
Because of the new Professor Cup scheduling, I also had these battles to play. I used "247" (Seismitoad/Wigglytuff with Archeops for the mirror and Espeon against effects).
Professor Round One: Noah vs. Rick M. (Brutal Bash): I started with 1 Wigglytuff and 1 Palpitoad and went second. He got 4 Pokémon in play with Zoroark Active, but didn’t have the Double. I stalled, and Catchered up the Mandibuzz, but he took the first Prize. By that time, I was set up, so I won the one-hit KO war by getting Seismitoad out. Noah wins the match 6-2 and has a record of 1-0.
Professor Round Two: Noah vs. David N. (Fighting). I started with Wigglytuff and got 5 Pokémon in play turn one, and attached to Palpitoad as I didn't have a Double Colorless. He fielded Archeops on turn one, and Hammers came to disrupt me. The Dig Uppercuts sent me down 0-2, and Archeops prevented me from Evolving my Pokémon, so I lost on basically the hard counter. Noah loses the match 3-6 and has a record of 1-1.
Professor Round Three: Noah vs. Dana L. (Brutal Bash) I had a Round for 120 on turn two, and he scooped after losing 2 Zoroark in two attacks. Noah wins the match and has a record of 2-1.
Professor Round Four: Noah vs. Raymond C. (Eelektrik Toolbox) Zebstrika and Deck-and-Cover Accelgor came against a lone Palpitoad. I got 1 more in play, but he played Archeops on turn one. Disconnect and Do The Wave disrupted and then did me in—he didn’t even need the Deck and Cover! Noah loses the match 3-6 and has a record of 2-2.
That was the end of a long day. Tim and Manny had already eaten, and since the time was 21:30, I had suffered time-induced anorexia, so we just returned to the hotel. Journaling a bit, I fell asleep at 23:30, in order to regenerate for tomorrow.
Day 2: Saturday, June 30
As usual, I got up to the Radetzky March, prepared for the day, and we all headed off at 07:30. I got breakfast at Steak 'n' Shake (blueberry pancakes for the win :smile
and carried it into the convention center. Pairings were posted at 08:40 or so, and I headed to my seat for the next round. ROUND SIX: Noah vs. Kyle D. “LATE” was written on Kyle’s side of the match slip. Five minutes later, I had to take the non-victory (i.e. win by forfeit). UGH Kyle… you deny me the opportunity to play! Noah "wins" the match by forfeit and has a record of 3-3.
During the meantime, I took "Nervous Veins" (Durant/Cobalion/Beartic) into a pickup tournament and rolled to two victories, before having to drop after the next round was paired. I got nothing interesting in my two packs, unfortunately. The next match, interestingly, was at Table 121.
ROUND SEVEN: Noah vs. Confesor D. (Hammertime). Despite going first with Drilbur and Zekrom, he used Eviolite on Sableye and got heads on Crushing Hammer. After Junk Hunt, I used N and failed on my own Hammer attempt. Basically, between Sableye and Junk Arm and him hitting heads on every 50% Trainer, my squad was flattened. Literally. (When describing the match to the Chicagoans, I laughed at my own pain by using the Hammer sound effect from Super Smash Bros. to describe the match. Noah lost the match 0-6 and has a record of 3-4.
The wait was long, because a match went WAY overtime. I got to chat with Mike Liesek in the meantime, so that was good!
ROUND EIGHT: Noah vs. Josh C. He was not there at the start, and he was not there five minutes in either. BOO—that’s my FIFTH non-victory in Nats/Professor Cup in the last two years! Noah "won" the match by forfeit and has a record of 4-4.
I would prefer to lose an actual match than win by forfeit. I did just that in League with a different deck.
ROUND NINE: Noah vs. Paul M. He went first, showing Mewtwo and Ralts, to my Zekrom and two Drilbur. He got Gardevoir out and Catchered some Drilbur, but Zekrom put Mewtwo at 10 HP left after I was down 0-3. His Energy then dried up after Mewtwo fell and I rallied to 2-3. Later, I had KO’d both Gardevoir, and forgot to take a Prize. Judges ruled the irregularity a wash, so I shuffled one of my Prizes back into the deck. A Mewtwo with no Energy was Active, a Mewtwo with DCE was Benched. He was out of Supporters, as Random Receiver had failed. Additionally, he was almost out of Energy, but had one Switch left in the deck. On a late Dig Uppercut, I picked a Catcher instead of a Hammer, and this cost me. I was on the verge of a comeback, being down 4-5, and Zekrom dealing 100 damage to the Active Mewtwo. If he drew Switch, he won, and if he drew anything else, he lost. His topdeck: Switch. AAAAACK! Noah loses the match 4-6 and finishes with a record of 4-5.
For the second year in a row, my deck finished Swiss at 2-5, quite disappointing. (That pushes my career Nats record on my decks to 7-15, with 11-15 if you count the four non-victories). I headed to lunch at the mall, and just like last year, had Chick-fil-A for lunch. The spicy chicken sandwich was my choice, and it really hit the spot with the waffle fries, even if not “for free!”
Before the Professor Cup, I did a few more League matches, without much success.
Professor Round Five: Noah vs. Mitch D. (Gothitelle/Accelgor/Eelektrik) He showed Gothorita and Accelgor, so I fielded Seismitoad followed by Archeops and Espeon. This was good, as Seismitoad was able to one-hit KO anything. I won on time with timely Switch and MAX Potion, despite failing to get my Catcher cards at the right time. Espeon was a critical card in this case. Noah won the match 5-2 and has a record of 3-2.
Professor Round Six: Noah vs. Anthony A. (Eelektrik Toolbox) He started Zebstrika and Flareon, but won the flip, fielded Eel and Cinccino, got an Energy in the discard pile, filled his Bench, and had Energy in hand. I had a single Wigglytuff… ergo I didn’t get a turn. Noah lost the match 0-1 and has a record of 3-3.
Therefore, I am now out of contention, but I never drop.
Professor Round Seven: Noah vs. Brian D. (Eelektrik Toolbox) He won the coin flip showing Accelgor (with Slashing Strike) and Zoroark (Foul Play). He got 1 Cinccino in play to do 40 with Do The Wave to my Active Wigglytuff. I got no attack off on the first turn, as Do The Wave put him up 1-0. But on my next turn, I got Seismitoad in play with 4 Rounders to do 120. He promoted Zoroark and could only do 70 damage, and from there, a Prize was taken every turn, with Round versus Do The Wave, Slashing Strike, or Lightning Crash. That was a great match! Noah won the match 6-5 and has a record of 4-3.
Professor Round Eight: Noah vs. Christopher L. He started Eelektrik to my Wigglytuff and Palpitoad. I had no Supporters, and he got Switch, 4 other Basics including Cinccino, and a Do The Wave on a Catchered Palpitoad. My next draw: an Energy. LOSS. Noah lost the match 0-2 and finishes with a record of 4-4.
With a few people around me, we played "We Didn't Playtest This At All" and a few other games, and then the crazy scene at Table 25 broke out after Vince threw dice at (whoever was sitting South). He even borrowed my hard hat for the scene, and it was pretty hilarious.
The rest of the night, and the rest of Nationals was uneventful, but on the way back to Chicago on Sunday afternoon, Tim's car unleashed a white puff of smoke near Whitestown, and we barely escaped the interstate, only to deem the car dead. A stroke of luck happened, and Kaleb, Ryan, and Justin from Rockford drove into this gas station, and had just enough room to get us back to Chicago. You guys are LIFESAVERS.
PROPS:
* Kaleb, Ryan, and Justin, for getting us out of car you-know-what
* Tim and Manny for letting me tag along for the ride.
* Collector's Cache for buying the excess League cards that I had
* Seeing friends from Kansas City and Lincoln that I haven't seen in a long time
* The high-quality matches on Day 1 of the tournament
* Vince B. for helping me retool "247" for the Professor Cup
* Alisha from Florida for a great conversation in the League line on the last day
* Red Roof Inn, for being a convenient location and in a non-bad neighborhood and being only $49/night.
* The judges in Round 9 for obeying the maxim, "Let the match be decided at the table" after I called them on my own irregularity.
SLOPS:
* Tim's car, for dying and nearly causing us to get stuck.
* Kyle and Josh, for denying me the opportunity to play.
* The 100-degree heat.
Thanks for reading!