The 2011 Florida Marathon

Ness · 10/05/2011, 03:08 PM

The 2011 Florida Marathon

It's confirmed! The Florida Marathon starts with four tournaments on the east coast beginning Saturday, December 17 and then finishes with three more on the west coast from December 21-23, just in time for the holidays! Come enjoy 75° weather, beautiful beaches, and one of the largest, friendliest Pokémon TCG areas in the entire world as you compete for Championship Points!

Saturday, December 17
Cool Stuff Games South Florida
5655 S. University Dr.
Davie, FL 33328

Registration: 10:15-11:15 AM
Start Time: 11:35 AM

Phone: (954) 680-3929
Organizer: Larry Altavilla, (954) 226-6679

Sunday, December 18
Brad's Sports Cards
10548 Wiles Rd.
Coral Springs, FL 33076

Registration: 10:30-11:00 AM
Start Time: 11:30 AM

Phone: 954-255-2109
Organizer: Heidi Craig

Monday, December 19
Geek Xtreme Entertainment
2501 NW 17th Lane Unit A
Pompano Beach, FL 33064

Registration: 10:15-11:15 AM
Start Time: 11:35 AM

Phone: (954) 946-1516
Organizer: Larry Altavilla, (954) 226-6679

Tuesday, December 20
Tate's Gaming Satellite
4588 N. University Dr.
Lauderhill, FL 33351

Registration: 11:15-11:45 AM
Start Time: 12:15 PM

Phone: (954) 742-5141
Organizer: Heidi Craig

Wednesday, December 21
2d10 Games
2040 Collier Ave.
Ft Myers, FL 33901

Registration: 10:30-11:00 AM
Start Time: 11:30 AM

Phone: (239) 690-2310
Organizer: Heidi Craig

Thursday, December 22
The Dark Side
501 N Beneva Rd. #260
Sarasota, FL 34232

Registration: 11:00-11:30 AM
Start Time: Noon

Phone: (941) 363-0840
Organizer: Heidi Craig

Friday, December 23
Best Western Brandon
9331 E. Adamo Dr.
Brandon, FL 33619
Note: This address is sometimes listed in Tampa instead of Brandon.

Registration: 10:30-11:00 AM
Start Time: 11:30 AM

MAP Showing all Tournament Locations

FAQ

Are these tournaments sanctioned?
All 7 of these tournaments are City Championship Premier Events which means you can gain Championship Points.

Do I have to attend all 7?
Nope. You can attend however many you would like!

Is this related to the Georgia Marathon?
The Georgia Marathon is a completely different set of tournaments that is usually held in late December-January. Our tournaments have nothing to do with the Georgia Marathon.

Which airport should I fly into and out of?
One of the many great things about Florida? Many airports! You can save driving time by flying into one airport and flying out of another. I recommend flying into Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). Depending on your hotel's location during the final tournament, you can fly out of your choice of:

Ft. Myers International Airport (RSW)
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)
Tampa International Airport (TPA)

Ft. Myers is the furthest south, Tampa is the furthest north. Keeping the schedule in mind, the final three tournaments work their way from south to north (Fort Myers to Sarasota to Tampa.)

What about driving to the Marathon?
Heidi & I put much thought into planning the sequence of tournaments. Because most players attending this event are coming from the north, driving to the Marathon is especially convenient because the tournaments gradually work their way further and further north. So, as you play the last few tournaments, most players who chose to drive will be driving closer to their home each day. For those of you that live in southeast Florida, don't whine! It's still only a few hours back home for you by car.

Who is attending?
Players from all over the country from as far as California are expected to attend! Play Pokémon with National Champions Kyle Sucevich & Justin Sanchez, other past champions such as Alex Brosseau, World Champion Stephen Silvestro & of course, yours truly!

Why should I attend?
Florida has one of the largest Pokémon TCG bases in the world. In addition to that, it's an extremely friendly group of players. Florida airports offer relatively inexpensive flights, especially when booked early. There are plenty of things to do while enjoying the beautiful weather!

Additionally, we have experienced, friendly & fun judges. Heidi has been judging events for 10 years! Her events are quick & smooth. No nonsense 30-minute announcements. No constant re-pairs. Any problem with software or computers is fixed in a breeze! Florida tournaments are also some of the few tournaments that offer 75 minutes for Top Cut matches. Turnouts may be so large we could be forced to do 60 minutes, but if possible our judges always allow 75 minutes for Top Cut matches.

Why are there no tournaments further north near Orlando, Melbourne, Jacksonville, etc.?
There will still be City Championships in all of these locations. However, for the Florida marathon, we tried to keep these tournaments close together so that players only needed to book two hotels.
______________________________________

Post your questions here! So, who's coming?

Caveman · 10/05/2011, 03:41 PM

I think I'm gonna come, better be better than WME.
(Why did they let me back on this website? i don't even know.)

*LOLZ* · 10/05/2011, 03:48 PM

Pro tips for non-South Florida players, from a 2nd generation South Florida Native.

The first 4 events are very close to one another in Southeast Florida (With in 30 min drive). The next 3 are on the west coast going from South to North. So it is not like you are hotel hopping every night and driving miles to the next event. If you look at the schedule you really only need 2 different hotels, one in South Florida, one in Sarasota. This is just a suggestion, you don't have to take m

16th
-If Driving in the 16th Check into Hotel 1 in SouthFlorida

17th
-Play in Davie (Larry)
-If Driving in the morning of the 17th Check into Hotel 1 in SouthFlorida

18th
-Play in Coral Springs (Heidi)

19th
-Play in Pompano (Larry)

20th
-Play in Lauderhill (Heidi)

21st
-Check out of Hotel 1 in South Florida and drive ~134 miles west to Fort Myers
-Play in Ft Myers (Heidi)
-Drive to~77 miles north to Sarasota Check into Hotel 2

22nd
- Play in Sarasota (Heidi)

23nd
-Check out of Hotel 2 in Sarasota and drive ~55 miles north to Brandon
-Play in Brandon (Heidi)
-End of Marathon

For the a Hotel in South Florida I suggest looking in or near Plantation or Sunrise. This will put you less then 15 min from the Davie and Lauderhill events. 30-45 min from the Coral Springs and Pompano events. Don't search for hotels in Miami/Miami-Dade county area. The first 4 events are all 45-60 min away.

If you know anyone who is flying in from out of state I recommend they fly into Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Intl. (FLL). Miami (MIA) and Palm Beach Intl. (PBA) Airports are and hour South and an Hour North. In addition to being close and convenient to the start of the marathon, FLL is also the cheapest when it comes to booking Airfare.

If you have any questions about South Florida feel free to message me.

Chewie · 10/05/2011, 04:08 PM

Players you need to THANK Jason, Heidi and Larry for being able to pull this off. A fun time weill be had by

all. wish we could have been involved but work sometimes is in the way. maybe next year. Once again

Remember to thank them for organizing this event for you guys.

I hope this can become an annual event like Georgia.

Thanks again to the above people for the effort put into the marathon.

*Heidi Craig* · 10/05/2011, 04:29 PM

I am so excited for the marathon, it's gonna be a blast!! Thanks Jason for all your hard work in getting this event planned. Hope to see many players at these events.
Heidi

Ness · 10/05/2011, 05:55 PM

Thank you Heidi for running all these events! I almost feel like we should change the name of the marathon to The Heidi Craig Marathon: 7 consecutive days of Heidi Craig. What do you think?

Jason · 10/05/2011, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ness

Thank you Heidi for running all these events! I almost feel like we should change the name of the marathon to The Heidi Craig Marathon: 7 consecutive days of Heidi Craig. What do you think?

Some are by Larry...lol

Ness · 10/05/2011, 06:10 PM

The Heidi Craig Marathon ft. Larry Altavilla

Politoed666 · 10/05/2011, 06:15 PM

There is a 100% chance of me going to this next year in college.

The Gorn · 10/05/2011, 06:58 PM

Dang, that looks fun.

Konaru · 10/05/2011, 07:49 PM

Larry deserves more credit than just a ft. He's been working hard for the Leagues he's running!

L the Great · 10/05/2011, 08:09 PM

Can't wait for this! Now I have something equivalent to Georgia in my own backyard!

*LOLZ* · 10/06/2011, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konaru

Larry deserves more credit than just a ft. He's been working hard for the Leagues he's running!

Larry is pritty amazing, just saying.

yoyofsho16 · 10/06/2011, 10:11 AM

Gosh, people willing to travel down in GA/AL/FL will have a HUGE propoints advantage... this allows you to hit what, 17 CC's?

*LOLZ* · 10/06/2011, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yoyofsho16

Gosh, people willing to travel down in GA/AL/FL will have a HUGE propoints advantage... this allows you to hit what, 17 CC's?

15 (7 FL, 8 GA). 15 Cities, 17 Days. the extra 2 days between marathons are Christmas Eve/Christmas. I wonder who is going to do both marathons.

Ness · 10/06/2011, 01:31 PM

Heidi has informed me too that there will be raffles for prizes at all of her tournaments.

BlisseyRocks · 10/06/2011, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yoyofsho16

Gosh, people willing to travel down in GA/AL/FL will have a HUGE propoints advantage... this allows you to hit what, 17 CC's?

Atleast you cant win a couple then 3-0 drop the rest and pay your way to Hawaii :/

-This is going to be great! Huge thanks to Heidi and Larry for coordinating this! But no thanks to Jason, just hope you dont play against him ;)

Pokemon Larry · 10/06/2011, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ness

The Heidi Craig Marathon ft. Larry Altavilla

That sounds good to me Jason! We all must remember, Heidi has been doing this for many, many years.

No one can deny that if she chose to, she could've run the entire thing alone. She has double digit events allotted
to her every year. So, I'm appreciative about her and you allowing me an opportunity to show the nation that I'm really good at what I do! I have a responsible, knowledgable and
overall AWESOME head judge in Anthony Caspanello and if anyone knows me from attending my few past tournaments...my generosity spills over like cream from a cannoli!!

I truly hope to see all of you at Cool Stuff Games in Davie and Geek Xtreme Entertainment in Pompano!

jeffrey123 · 10/06/2011, 04:37 PM

Below is a little taste of the (top) competition;

Aaron C- Worlds Competitor (multiple)
Stephen S- World Champion (multiple worlds showings)
Justin S- 2011 National Champion
Jason K- 2X World Champion (multiple worlds showings)
Ryan V- Worlds Competitor
Chris B- Worlds Competitor
Omar I- Worlds Competitor (multiple worlds showings)
Kevin K- Worlds Competitor
Orion C- National Champion (multiple worlds showings)
Daniel A- Worlds Competitor (T32 seniors age up)
Grafton R-T4 Worlds 2011 (seniors 2011, age up)
Brian H- Worlds Competitor (seniors 2011, age up)
Zach N-Worlds Competitor (seniors 2011, age up)

Plus there are so many more excellent players I did not mention, Jim R, Roberto A, etc. This is masters BTW. That's a very scary list.

Ness · 10/06/2011, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pokemon Larry

That sounds good to me Jason! We all must remember, Heidi has been doing this for many, many years.

No one can deny that if she chose to, she could've run the entire thing alone. She has double digit events allotted
to her every year. So, I'm appreciative about her and you allowing me an opportunity to show the nation that I'm really good at what I do! I have a responsible, knowledgable and
overall AWESOME head judge in Anthony Caspanello and if anyone knows me from attending my few past tournaments...my generosity spills over like cream from a cannoli!!

I truly hope to see all of you at Cool Stuff Games in Davie and Geek Xtreme Entertainment in Pompano!

LOL, this was only a joke. We aren't actually going to call a Pokémon tournament The Heidi Craig Marathon. Can't wait for the tournaments! Thanks Larry!

deckmaster · 10/06/2011, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffrey123

Below is a little taste of the competition;

Aaron C- Worlds Competitor (multiple)
Stephen S- World Champion (multiple worlds showings)
Justin S- 2011 National Champion
Jason K- 2X World Champion (multiple worlds showings)
Ryan V- Worlds Competitor
Chris B- Worlds Competitor
Omar I- Worlds Competitor (multiple worlds showings)
Kevin K- Worlds Competitor
Orion C- National Champion (multiple worlds showings)
Daniel A- Worlds Competitor (T32 seniors age up)
Grafton R-T4 Worlds 2011 (seniors 2011, age up)
Brian H- Worlds Competitor (seniors 2011, age up)
Zach N-Worlds Competitor (seniors 2011, age up)

Plus there are so many more excellent players I did not mention, Jim R, Roberto A, etc. This is masters BTW. That's a very scary list.

Better add Frankie Durso to the list because I am going to be there.

jeffrey123 · 10/06/2011, 05:47 PM

I apologize but I do not recognize your name. Just out of curiosity, what accomplishments do you own? (Not trying to sound rude)

Team CREAM · 10/06/2011, 05:49 PM

Too far down south. :(

deckmaster · 10/06/2011, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffrey123

I apologize but I do not recognize your name. Just out of curiosity, what accomplishments do you own? (Not trying to sound rude)

No, you're not being "rude" at all.

My tournament credentials:

7 time City Champion
4 time State Champion
3 time Regional Champion
3 time Gym Challenge Champion
5 time Battle Road Champion
11 time New York City Pokémon league Champion
placed 4th at the 2005 National Championships
participated in worlds for 2004, 2005, and 2006
earned over $7,000 in scholarships
earned over $3,000 in booster boxes and portable gaming consoles from winning Pokémon TCG tournaments.

I was just trying to have some fun with your post. Other than that, I'm real nice guy

BlisseyRocks · 10/07/2011, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffrey123

Below is a little taste of the (top) competition;

Aaron C- Worlds Competitor (multiple)
Stephen S- World Champion (multiple worlds showings)
Justin S- 2011 National Champion
Jason K- 2X World Champion (multiple worlds showings)
Ryan V- Worlds Competitor
Chris B- Worlds Competitor
Omar I- Worlds Competitor (multiple worlds showings)
Kevin K- Worlds Competitor
Orion C- National Champion (multiple worlds showings)
Daniel A- Worlds Competitor (T32 seniors age up)
Grafton R-T4 Worlds 2011 (seniors 2011, age up)
Brian H- Worlds Competitor (seniors 2011, age up)
Zach N-Worlds Competitor (seniors 2011, age up)

Plus there are so many more excellent players I did not mention, Jim R, Roberto A, etc. This is masters BTW. That's a very scary list.

You should probably add Eric C. to that...he's playing again meaning we're all doomed -.-

10/05/2011, 06:58 PM	#10
The Gorn Blog Entries: 1	Dang, that looks fun. __________________ The Pokemon Fraternity - Epsilon Epsilon Epsilon Epsilon Epsilon Epsilon Epsilon Kappa (Eeeeeeek)

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10/05/2011, 03:41 PM	#2
Caveman	I think I'm gonna come, better be better than WME. (Why did they let me back on this website? i don't even know.) __________________ T8 Mid Atlantic Regionals 2010 T8 Philly Regionals 2011 23 Game win streak

10/05/2011, 03:48 PM	#3
LOLZ	Pro tips for non-South Florida players, from a 2nd generation South Florida Native. The first 4 events are very close to one another in Southeast Florida (With in 30 min drive). The next 3 are on the west coast going from South to North. So it is not like you are hotel hopping every night and driving miles to the next event. If you look at the schedule you really only need 2 different hotels, one in South Florida, one in Sarasota. This is just a suggestion, you don't have to take m 16th -If Driving in the 16th Check into Hotel 1 in SouthFlorida 17th -Play in Davie (Larry) -If Driving in the morning of the 17th Check into Hotel 1 in SouthFlorida 18th -Play in Coral Springs (Heidi) 19th -Play in Pompano (Larry) 20th -Play in Lauderhill (Heidi) 21st -Check out of Hotel 1 in South Florida and drive ~134 miles west to Fort Myers -Play in Ft Myers (Heidi) -Drive to~77 miles north to Sarasota Check into Hotel 2 22nd - Play in Sarasota (Heidi) 23nd -Check out of Hotel 2 in Sarasota and drive ~55 miles north to Brandon -Play in Brandon (Heidi) -End of Marathon For the a Hotel in South Florida I suggest looking in or near Plantation or Sunrise. This will put you less then 15 min from the Davie and Lauderhill events. 30-45 min from the Coral Springs and Pompano events. Don't search for hotels in Miami/Miami-Dade county area. The first 4 events are all 45-60 min away. If you know anyone who is flying in from out of state I recommend they fly into Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Intl. (FLL). Miami (MIA) and Palm Beach Intl. (PBA) Airports are and hour South and an Hour North. In addition to being close and convenient to the start of the marathon, FLL is also the cheapest when it comes to booking Airfare. If you have any questions about South Florida feel free to message me.

10/05/2011, 04:08 PM	#4
Chewie	Say Thank You to the following people Players you need to THANK Jason, Heidi and Larry for being able to pull this off. A fun time weill be had by all. wish we could have been involved but work sometimes is in the way. maybe next year. Once again Remember to thank them for organizing this event for you guys. I hope this can become an annual event like Georgia. Thanks again to the above people for the effort put into the marathon. __________________ It's just a cute little rabbit with very sharp teeth Laissez les bon temps roulez TEAMOP.ORG PLAY THE GAME, SHARE THE GAME, GROW THE GAME

10/05/2011, 04:29 PM	#5
Heidi Craig	I am so excited for the marathon, it's gonna be a blast!! Thanks Jason for all your hard work in getting this event planned. Hope to see many players at these events. Heidi

10/05/2011, 05:55 PM	#6
Ness	Thank you Heidi for running all these events! I almost feel like we should change the name of the marathon to The Heidi Craig Marathon: 7 consecutive days of Heidi Craig. What do you think? __________________ Jason Klaczynski 2006, 2008 World Champion 2003 Fan Appreciation Tournament Champion 2000 Tropical Mega Battle Champion Discuss Pokémon on the largest Pokémon TCG Facebook group. Open to everyone!

10/05/2011, 06:10 PM	#8
Ness	The Heidi Craig Marathon ft. Larry Altavilla __________________ Jason Klaczynski 2006, 2008 World Champion 2003 Fan Appreciation Tournament Champion 2000 Tropical Mega Battle Champion Discuss Pokémon on the largest Pokémon TCG Facebook group. Open to everyone!

10/05/2011, 06:15 PM	#9
Politoed666	There is a 100% chance of me going to this next year in college. __________________ New trade thread for the new year! CML! Also, check out my eBay auctions! T8 HTPC '12 T32 Nats '11 3rd Regs '12 Help Bulbapedia* expand its articles on Pokémon TCG strategy and deck archetypes, past and present!* 2012-2013 season: 4-87, 3 Championship Points, 1435.95

10/05/2011, 08:09 PM	#12
L the Great	Can't wait for this! Now I have something equivalent to Georgia in my own backyard! __________________ Lafonté 10th Place 2012 Texas Regionals with Zebstrika Follow my Blog, http://www.duelingsportsegos.blogspot.com/ Florida: Where Pokedads beat you mercilessly

10/06/2011, 01:31 PM	#16
Ness	Heidi has informed me too that there will be raffles for prizes at all of her tournaments. __________________ Jason Klaczynski 2006, 2008 World Champion 2003 Fan Appreciation Tournament Champion 2000 Tropical Mega Battle Champion Discuss Pokémon on the largest Pokémon TCG Facebook group. Open to everyone! Last edited by Ness; 10/06/2011 at 01:46 PM.

10/06/2011, 04:37 PM	#19
jeffrey123	Below is a little taste of the (top) competition; Aaron C- Worlds Competitor (multiple) Stephen S- World Champion (multiple worlds showings) Justin S- 2011 National Champion Jason K- 2X World Champion (multiple worlds showings) Ryan V- Worlds Competitor Chris B- Worlds Competitor Omar I- Worlds Competitor (multiple worlds showings) Kevin K- Worlds Competitor Orion C- National Champion (multiple worlds showings) Daniel A- Worlds Competitor (T32 seniors age up) Grafton R-T4 Worlds 2011 (seniors 2011, age up) Brian H- Worlds Competitor (seniors 2011, age up) Zach N-Worlds Competitor (seniors 2011, age up) Plus there are so many more excellent players I did not mention, Jim R, Roberto A, etc. This is masters BTW. That's a very scary list. __________________ 2011 Grinder Survivor Top 32 US Nationals 2012 Whoops. I lost my Whooper. Can I ahve urz? Last edited by jeffrey123; 10/06/2011 at 05:49 PM.

10/06/2011, 05:47 PM	#22
jeffrey123	I apologize but I do not recognize your name. Just out of curiosity, what accomplishments do you own? (Not trying to sound rude) __________________ 2011 Grinder Survivor Top 32 US Nationals 2012 Whoops. I lost my Whooper. Can I ahve urz?