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The inaugural Backgammon in London event but the 31st Bg in Camden
event.
4.00 pm - 3 hours before the event: How will players react to the
price rise from £2 an evening to £5 an evening and the Auctions
having a 5% commission is the big question in my mind. Will
players still turn up or will they vote with their
feet? Looking back at Jan '07 when attendance dipped to 33 should be
taken into consideration but this might be balanced in that in Dec
'07 we ran two Bg in Camdens and had over 50 players at both. If
50 players turn up tonight I can feel happy that players are
indeed willing to pay a realistic price for their bg, but if less than 30 turned up
it'll probably say that I've got my business plan skequiff.
5.00 am 9th Jan - 5 hours after the event and I'm reasonably happy
with how things turned out. Sorry, I'm a hard man when it comes to
pleasing
myself. So my hoped for number of players came along and had a
good time I think but it's interesting that the money played for
was down. However it's January; people don't have bundles to throw
around at this time of year and are taking it easy. This latter
fact was bourne out that the bar made loads of sales of coke -
it's de-tox period in many peoples lives and de-tox periods are
accompanied by tightening of belts periods. The fact that 53 came
out, on a wet and horrible London night, to play is, quite
frankly, hugely exciting news for Backgammon in London.
Numbers looked low at 7.00 pm and I tried offering various
categories of "Auctionables" which in hindsight I should have
possibly not have done; I'm getting the feeling that players like
being all in the first Auction even if they are pretty sure
they'll drop out soon so at the next BG in Camden (Tue 22nd Jan)
I'll revert to just the one £50 Auction starting bracket and take all those
interesting in playing for more than £10 there.
I'm also aware that the Auctions are now taking just over half an
hour to do which means many £10 and £5 players are not getting to
commence play until about 7.45 pm. It could be that those players
who will never play for more than a tenner are losing out on
backgammon playing time because others wish to play for more than
they wish to. So in a fortnights time we'll accept registration of
£10 and £5 players before 7.00 pm and get yous started straight
away before we launch into doing Auctions.
When the Auctions start I have the music in The Lockside Lounge
turned off. It's turned back on when all players are playing. We
have been quite particular of late in what music is played and the
volume it is played at. Basically our spec is for ambient music at
a low volume that does not detract players from being able to
concentrate on their game yet providing a comfortable background
atmosphere. For two minutes this plan went horribly wrong. The
music was turned back on at A) far too high a volume and B) it was
totally the wrong (too loud) type of music. This seemingly small
fact was a minor disaster. Ok - the volume was turned down and the
music was changed shortly after but by then a far too high degree
of damage had been done. So we need to look at this and ensure
that this department is in full working order for future events.
So let's start with "Should music be on at all?" Your
answers and comments by email please. Our current view is that
we are hosting backgammon in a Camden Lock Pub therefore music
will be played when applicable. The Lockside Lounge's main
functions are music functions. A DJ in pulls in the crowds and the
bar is rocking. The Management of The Lockside Lounge, who do play
some backgammon, fully understand that our music requirements are
quite different to other evenings and of late have been more than
happy to let us provide the choice of music. However this didn't
happen last night. So there was a mess up in arrangements and the
staff on duty were not those who have had this scenario happen
before. Result: blaring music when players possibly have a Martha*
to play. Therefore the management on duty also need to know of our
music requirements before any knobs are twiddled (down please) and
the music should probably be wordless and certainly in obtrusive
to those in play yet conducive to to those milling about. We chose
Enigma 1 as an option but it was played at both December events
and is in danger of being overplayed. Hence
suggestions via email please.
For those of you who prefer / require a non music environment when
playing backgammon we would like to invite you to
Bg in The City. We'll be playing most of the bg there upstairs
which will a musicless environment. Smokers outside the front only
these days.
Our first Tournament (T1) was an 8 player £130 entry event. T2 was
an 8 player £55 entry event. This left T3 with 4 players
interested in an 8 player £25 entry event. Rather than be a sour
puss I elected to go with drawing these first four £25 players and
thus making it possible for others to join at will. The 4 seats
were taken up upon within the hour so no worries there though the
final was a little rushed later no. Even so I'd do this again
though I might make match lengths 5 pointers. The choice of events
to run will remain flexible so that I can deliver tournaments to
suit those there. At gone 7.30 pm 18 players where there to sign
up for the £10ers and 4 players patiently waited for a £5er.
Arrive by say 6.45 pm in a fortnight and I'll get those of you
there kicked off then if you like.
In T1 Peter Bennet versus Michael Michael turned out to be
something of an epic. At DMP Peter won it. In Ts1 & 2 Andy Bell
and Pana lost in the first round but were able to join T3 at £25 a
spin.
Fancy a week in Spain? Jo & Dod Davies and Neil Davidson were with
us this evening which gave the 4 of us a change to talk further
about details for Neil's 7th Festival of Backgammon. Details are
going to be launched shortly but for the moment suffice to say
that you might wish to keep your diary in late May / early June
vacant for the moment. Paul and Ursula Money are "stationed" in
Spain and are also on the team. Sounds impressive. I'll be going
along as the Bg T.D. chappie but there'll be loads of other games
too as well as trips around the area all in a comfortable setting.
I gather numbers are going to be limited to 32 so on that basis,
given the above, I would expect it to be fully booked before the
events happens, ra,ra,ra, you get what I'm meaning? Cool. More
News on this as we have it.
There has been one recurring question over the last few weeks that
I've been asked. What's with Gammonitis? No Tournament dates
published for 2008, problems with the online server and Andrew
seems to have gone into hiding. So it's natural that people have
turned to me to find out info. However it is not healthy if I
answer those questions. I'm not correctly positioned to answer
them and besides it just wouldn't be right. It's for Andrew to
say. What is undeniable is the contribution that Gammonitis has
made towards British Bg in the years since its birth and that can
never be taken away from it so G'itis heads can be held high for
that for sure. If it is, as many small businesses do, going pear
shaped then the least we can do is to say Thanx for what they've
done. Meanwhile we might stop to ponder if we are doing everything
possible to help make it work. I gather Andrew will release at
statement shortly.
The new players this evening nestled in behind the T.D. desk. 5
man "rule" being de-regulated, "No those checkers start there... I
think", Doubling Cube and Crawford Rule being explained. Some
played with a little bit on money on it, others didn't need to do
that. Cool. From the noise behind me it sounded like they we all
having fun. Super cool.
At 10.30 pm the final of T1 was at last ready to be played. Both
of Peter Bennet's matches had been epics and, with only a short
time until closing, I moved over to the two finalist, Peter B and
George Sulimirski, knowing that I was probably going to have to
reduced the match length unless something else could be arranged.
To my utter relief they were splitting anyway. In a roll of 4 dice
to decide a winner Peter rolled a very respectable 18 than George
would have to match or beat. As it was George rolled a very
respectable but not quite enough 17.
In the other Ts Jon B. took T2, Simon M. kept his record by
winning T3, In T4 Graham R. established himself into the winners
slot, Alan did the Beckersons proud by taking T5, in T6 Daniel
carried on his winning ways, T7 was won by returned to Bg in
Camden player Jake S, in T8 the honours go to Mahmoud J, Parvin
took a shortened final T9 and T10 was won by 1st time Bg in London
player Kudret. Congrats all.
*A Martha: aka "Any Shitty Six
You Like." Named after Martha Littlehales when it is said that she
her opponent, Dod Davies, repeatedly threw something and a six
which left the six with loads of appalling plays - everything was
equally bad. It will by now be obvious to the reader what Martha
repeatedly said. This is even more hilarious to all that know
Marthe Littlehales for the Lady is the most demure looking soul
one could imagine.
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