How to Direct Live Card Tournaments

A lot of work goes into the planning, promotion, and directing a "live" card game tournament. Securing a facilty is the first step you must take. This topic will be covered in a separate article. Directing a tournament on site requires considerable experience and knowledge of various formats. Spades, Pinochle, Euchre, Bridge and Whist are examples of pairs or partnership games. Cribbage, Two-Handed Pinochle and Gin Rummy are examples of singles or individuals competitions. The Host must determine the TYPE of tournament which he/she would like to organize. Many choices are there. The size of the space (playing area), staff and the length of the event (an afternoon, a whole day, a weekend or several days) will factor into the selection of your format and you should thoroughly know the rules of the game you are hosting. The Director (or his assistants) must be very familiar with the seeding, pairing, and bracketing of players in order to ensure a fair and harmonious tournament. Let us review some options.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A playing area (function room or hall) large enough to accommodate the expected number of players
• A well-lit and ventilated facility
• Standard card-sized tables, as well as rectangular tables (a Pairs event will require the smaller tables)
• Registration forms, scoresheets, and bracket sheets
• Plenty of decks of cards, pens, pencils, and markers
• Sufficient Staffing (Hosts, Scorekeepers, Volunteers)

Tournament Formats

1. FORMAT "A" SINGLE ELIMINATION
   
   This is the Director's dream! The bracket sheet is very basic and easy to diagram. Two different players or partnerships are paired together for each round. Teams are paired randomly, or seeded prior to the start. Round One of the tournament would feature #1 vs. #2; #3 vs. #4; #5 vs. #6 and #7 vs #8 and so on. The winner of each game would then advance to Round #2. Some rounds might be the best 2 out of 3 or one game (only). Single eliminations move along very quickly. The only downside here, is that one defeat or loss results in elimination and the losers have no more playing time.

2. FORMAT "B" DOUBLE ELIMINATION
   
   This is a variation of "A," in which a participant may lose one game or short match and still be eligible to win the championship until they incur their SECOND loss. A double elimination tournament is divided into two parallel sections: the Winners Bracket, and the Losers Bracket. Drop a game or match and you are in the one loss (losers') section. Keep winning from the beginning and you will be in the Finals. The longer you are undefeated, the further out you are placed in the other section when you lose your first match. (It is a vertical function.) This format is a lot of work for the Director, who must know how to place the one-loss players on that side of the bracket, and also be able to handle "byes". However, it is better for the players who are assured of at least two rounds.

3. FORMAT "C" ROUND ROBIN
   
   Round Robin formats work well with a small number of pairs or players. The idea is to have a balanced event in which each participant plays every other participant once. If you have less than 11 pairs (an even number is ideal, as you avoid "byes")--and if you have enough time, the movement is perfect. (Ten teams will require nine rounds to complete.) Some directors prefer to have playoffs for the top two or top four pairs at the conclusion of the qualifying rounds. First round pairings are random. Round Robins do not work well with more than 10 Teams, as there is usually not enough time to complete the schedule.

4. FORMAT "D" SWISS PAIRED EVENTS
   
   This is a multiple round system, similar to the Round Robin, with one very distinct difference. In each successive round, partnerships or single players are then paired by the results of the previous rounds. (For example, at the end of Round 1 all of the winners are paired together and all of the losers are paired together. ) Pairings for Round #1 are usually random (or "seeded") by rating. As the event moves along, later Rounds will feature the pairings of undefeated teams on the upper end of the bracket sheet and teams with one or no wins on the other half of the sheet. The typical tournament will consist of many rounds, based on the number of participants and the time frame. The Chess, Bridge and Backgammon organizations prefer this system because it caters to the better teams or players.

5. FORMAT "E" PROGRESSIVE
   
   Progressive systems work well with individual players or with changing partners for each round. Games such as Spades, Pinochle, Euchre and Bid Whist are ideal for this format, as partners are changed for successive rounds. Thus, a player has a new partner for each game. To avoid long waits, a round consists of a fixed number of deal or hands. Euchre seems to work well with eight-hand rounds; Spades and Whist are ideal with four-hand rounds. Progressive is geared toward the social player; however, events with strong fields are also adaptable as well. Games with two players (Cribbage, Rummy) will not work in this format.

6. FORMAT "F" TRADITIONAL MOVEMENT
   
   Partnership games are best played in a multiple-round system in which half of the field stays stationary ("North/South"), while the other half of the field ("East/West") moves up to the next highest number table. The Director sets the number of rounds for the event (one-day events may have up to five or six rounds). Euchre moves along more quickly and can accommodate more qualifying rounds. At the end of the preliminaires the top pairs then move to the playoffs, where they are seeded. Single player events feature two players at each table.

7. MISCELLANEOUS - "PLAYOFFS"
   
   Most professional sporting events feature a "playoff" at the end of what is usually a long season. In this way, a selected number of qualifing teams have the opportunity to play in the post season. Teams are seeded which is based on their won-lost records. Single elimination is most often used. (Exception - The Little League World Series, and the College Baseball World Series.) The same idea can apply to card game events. Determine the # of Teams / individuals for your playoffs. It will based on the # of participants in the main event. Approximately 25% of the Teams should qualify. Seed the field, and set up the brackets. The best two out of three games, single elimination rounds will work well. Be sure to avoid byes.

8. MISCELLANEOUS - "CONSOLATION" SECTION
   
   Some Directors will offer a "Consolation" or "Last Chance" Tournament after their Main Event playoffs begin. This is usually an optional event for those players who might be interested in having additional games. The entry fee is usually very minimal. The idea to keep everyone "in the game", and to have chance to win a Prize. Another variation on this theme is to conduct a new Tournament on the last day of the convention. Remember, your participants came to play cards - give them a chance to get one more taste of competition, and to have fun!

Tips & Warnings

• Negotiate with the hotel or site for the desired space.
• Larger events will require staffing; experience is important!
• If possible, do a site visit and inspect the facility.
• Try to arrive at least 2 hours before your event in order to ensure that the room has been set up properly.
• Number each table in order. If you have more than one section, identify with colors or signs.
• Set up a registration area with forms and clearly marked signage.
• Be sure to set up a schedule of rounds and break times.
• All of the Rules for each game MUST be clear and concise.
• Do not veer from your schedule and do not allow teams/players to delay your event by tardiness or slow play!
• Most facilities will not permit smoking; thus, you will need to have smoke breaks in your schedule.
• Watch alcohol consumption and DQ (eject) any player who is rowdy or acting inappropriately.
• Discourage food consumption during game times.

[smilesatme1]

on 2/2/2009 Cool tips Joe. Good article. Thanks!