WIZARD NEWSLETTER….October 2008

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October derives its name from the Latin "octo" meaning "eight".
Why then is October the 10th month?
• I’ll let you find the answer for yourself.
•
Hidden Bid Tournament

When: Sept 29th
Registration: 8:00-8:45p.m. Est.
Starts: 9:00p.m.
Host: Mactonight

Reminder: WIZARD TOURNAMENT in LAS VEGAS
Friday-Saturday, October 17-18
Hosted by "Grand Prix Tournaments"
For info visit the URL below:
http://www.grandprixtournaments.com/
For more info or to register:
Send e mail to: heartsmoon@aol.com

Scoring System & Master Points
You still don’t fully grasp how the system works?
Visit the following URLs to be enlightened.
http://www.wizardcards.com/viewthread.php?tid=454
http://www.wizardcards.com/viewthread.php?tid=175

Mac’s Moment October 2008

Welcome to the first ever Mac’s Moment
Since this is the first article I thought I’d take a few minutes to explain what it is all about. I thought it would be fun to create a monthly column so players could get to know a little bit more about some of the other players on the site. Since I have a Radio and Television degree from Seneca College and I work for the Canadian Press I thought who better to conduct these interviews than me?
This month I am honored and privileged to have the one and only Trapizoid with me.
So without further comment, here is the interview with Trapizoid who didn’t give me permission to conduct it, nor was he even aware it was being done and he didn’t even bother to show up.

Mactonight – Hey Trapizoid would it be ok if I called you Trap?
Trapizoid – No.
Mactonight – You are coming off of back-to-back victories at the Wizard International Tournament held at Niagara Falls. That must have been exciting?
Trapizoid – I had a lot of fun.
Mactonight – Last years tournament had 90 plus people there and this year we maxed out at 100. There was the Japanese champion as well as four winners from Germany. You beat them all. Do you think you’re unbeatable?
Trapizoid – {Shrug}
Mactonight – Did you just shrug?
Trapizoid – Yep.
Mactonight – This is a printed interview how am I supposed to let the readers know you shrugged?
Trapizoid – You’ll think of something.
Mactonight – Have you seen the German Wizard site?
Trapizoid – There’s a German wizard site?
Mactonight – Yes, http://www.brettspielwelt.de/?action=play&loginroom=43
Trapizoid – Oh, yes I remember that now, let me log in.
Mactonight – Now? We’re talking here.
Trapizoid – You’re talking to yourself.
Mactonight – When I conducted this interview you were 5th on the wizard ranking board and have the Fire Wizard Status. How long have you been on the site?
Trapizoid – I just signed on.
Mactonight – Not the German Site, the Wizard Card site.
Trapizoid – Six years just a few weekends ago.
Mactonight – Happy Anniversary.
Trapizoid – Thanks, do you know what the German word for Trapizoid is?
Mactonight – Depends if you mean Trapizoid or Trapezoid. Why did you spell it with an I and not an E?
Trapizoid – These German cards are great. They have characters on them and everything
Mactonight – Are you ignoring my question?
Trapizoid – Yes and No. I did it to be different, hope that’s ok.
Mactonight – Are you winning?
Trapizoid – What do you think?
Mactonight – Did you hear that next year Wizard Cards is thinking about conducting three tournaments?
Trapizoid – Tell me more.
Mactonight – There is a proposed three tournament system, one held in Canada and one held in the U.S. and the winners would be flown to Germany to play in their tournament.
Trapizoid – Do you have an American Citizenship?
Mactonight - No why?
Trapizoid – You’d have a better chance of winning if you could play in the U.S.
Mactonight – Thanks. {sigh}
Trapizoid – Just watch out for Mr. Wizard and Deanna and Gertielongbum and Denny Crane and Wizbucket, actually never mind Mac, you still have no chance.
Mactonight – Thanks again. Do you think you can win again?
Trapizoid – I’m online right now renewing my passport.
Mactonight – I thought you were playing on the German site.
Trapizoid – I am.
Mactonight – And eating a sandwich?
Trapizoid – Schnitzel.
Mactonight – Who is the toughest player you faced?
Trapizoid – No one specific, just harder playing people who think they are better than they are.
Mactonight – How come?
Trapizoid – They are unpredictable and impossible to figure out.
Mactonight – Have you heard of the Las Vegas tournament?
Trapizoid – Yes.
Mactonight – Are you going?
Trapizoid – No, time to let someone else win.
Mactonight – I know you don’t get involved in site surveys and such, but what is your opinion on Alias?
Trapizoid – The TV show?
Mactonight – No, about having more then one name on the site.
Trapizoid – I only have one name on the site.
Mactonight – Do you think it’s ok to have more?
Trapizoid – Why is there an option to allow it?
Mactonight – I don’t know.
Trapizoid – Then go find out.
Mactonight – If you can have 5 players on a table who would you like them to be?
Trapizoid – Ken Mccoy, Merlin, Mr. Wizard, Cargobeep and you Mac.
Mactonight – Me? Wow, I’m honored.
Trapizoid – With you there, I’m guaranteed not to be last.
Mactonight – Thanks again.
Trapizoid – Ha, look I won!
Mactonight – The German game?
Trapizoid – No that’s still going, I won an Ipod from Icoke.
Mactonight – Is there anything you can’t do?
Trapizoid – Get you to leave.
Mactonight – Fine, just one more question.
Trapizoid – Finally.
Mactonight – If someone were to ask me who Trapizoid really is, the man behind the name, what would you want me to tell them?
Trapizoid – Call me Trap.

Join me next month when my guest will reveal the secret behind the username that is used as well as a strategy for making it to the final table more often.

Mactonight


??The Future of Wizard Tournaments??

The annual tournaments have been successful based on reports by all who have attended.
The down side is that the cost averages $120 per participant. On that scale the 2008 event with 100 players cost $12,000. That figure is actually lower than the real total cost of the event. It is impossible to maintain that level of largess in the future. Consequently future Annual Events are likely to be more austere. In an ideal world we’d have 4 or 5 regional tournaments culminating in one annual final tournament but that is not tenable. Such a scenario would require enthusiastic Wizard players in various regions to organize and run the regional tournaments on a limited budget.
Nevertheless the format for 2009 appears to be set at 2 tournaments, one in Canada and one in the USA. For 2010 and beyond all options are on the table.
Personally I see online tournaments holding the best potential for engaging participants from a large spectrum of regions. The planned 2-day online tournament in February will be a test-run for the feasibilty of such a program. It is much easier to attract 100 online players to a tournament than to attract 100 players to a live tournament. And of course the cost and preparation needed for online tournaments is manageable. Do not misunderstand me, I appreciate the value of face-to-face encounters but the cost is becoming prohibitive.
A huge spike in sales in the USA is needed in order to justify the current level of expenditures on Wizard Tournaments.

Wizard Fantasy Deck
The German deck is an example of a “Wizard Fantasy Deck” in which each card depicts a character. I am currently working towards producing a Fantasy Deck for North America.
I would like to see it packaged in an attractive box along with a set of Wizard Bidding Coins as the next version of our “Gift Wizard”.
What follows is the “Wizard Legend” which supports the proposed characters for the game.

The Legend

Long, long ago before the beginning of time there existed four equally powerful Kingdoms. Each Kingdom divided its members into 13 castes. The Kingdoms offered their services as mercenaries on a daily basis to any of the 6 Emperors that existed at the time. The Emperors were constantly at strife with one another and eager to accept the assistance of the Kingdoms whose powers they needed to be victorious. At times as few as 3 of the Emperors were at war but at other times 4, 5, or even all six were in conflict. The mercenaries only visited the Emperors who were in conflict and offered their services but always in equal numbers so that no one Emperor had more mercenaries than another at any one time. In fact the Kingdoms always began by offering a single mercenary and then increased the number by one each day. Only 1 member of each of the 13 castes was made available at any one time by each Kingdom. This meant that on the last day of battle each of the 4 Kingdoms offered a maximum of 13 mercenaries, one from each level of society.
However each day the gods did randomly declare one of the 4 Kingdoms to be dominant over the other 3. This did provide Emperors with more mercenaries from the dominant Kingdom a powerful advantage.
However the gods did not favor power as much as truth. Truth was the measure by which each Emperor was judged. Each day after the mercenaries had arrived each Emperor would evaluate his strength and declare how many battles he would win that day. The number of battles to be fought always equalled the number of mercenaries available that day. The Emperors who correctly named the number of battles in which they would be victorious were greatly rewarded by the gods who granted them merits based on the number of battles won. Conversely any Emperor who failed to correctly identify the exact number of battles won was punished by a system of demerits.
In addition to the mercenaries made available by the 4 Kingdoms there existed 4 equally powerful wizards and 4 equally impotent jesters who would randomly offer their services to the Emperors. Because both the Wizards and Jesters were found to be very effective in helping to win battles their services were preferred over even the most powerful mercenary from any of the 4 Kingdoms. Any Emperor was delighted to find his quota of warriors included one or more Wizards and Jesters.
If only 3 champions were in conflict a victor was declared after 20 days of battle, if 4 champions after 15 days, if 5 champions after 12 days and if all 6 champions were in conflict after 10 days of battle.


Toronto East Wizard Club
The locations of the monthly meetings are being alternated between Marko's house in Whitby and Merlin’s house in Pickering. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call merlin anytime (905)839-9497 Questions: Contact merlin

Cambridge Wizard Club
Location: Pops & Ruby's Tap & Grill
200 Preston Parkway, Cambridge
Questions: Contact ken mccoy

Cheers
Ken Fisher
wizard