Should Tournament organizers play in their own tourneys?



After I have watched this video I think its unclear what I am trying to communicate through it, so I am going to try and write it out.
1) I did not make it to the 2nd round. Point totals are all fair and square as far as I can testify.
2) Ultrabob took first place and will advance.
3) The tourney results felt shady because the tournament organizer was playing in the tournament and choosing everyones opponents. As Bob and I have both run tournaments, we both strongly stand against any sort of staff playing in the event they are running. Regardless of promises of complete objectivity, which CAN'T happen, it leaves participants with DOUBT. Bobby and I both dropped our jaws when we saw that the organizer marked himself a 24 in game 3 on the score board, because neither of us thought that he was playing the third round. I was stunned as I really thought that he bowed out of the third game! This along with his pre-tournament tales of selling victories to opponents made us shake our heads and leave. With Ultrabob's share of the loot, of course!
4) I made a huge error at the end of my first game. I would have sworn that vehiles, dreadnoughts included , could not consilidate after close combat. I promised him this was the case and was called on the rule! I felt verbally struck when he said that he caught me cheating him. Just to renew that debate;)

14 comments:

Grizzled Gorilla said...

I will have to say that as a general rule tournament organizers should not play in tournaments that they are holding...

...unless there is an odd number of players and they are absolutely needed.

Brent said...

Even then, I've never seen a tournament organizer qualified to win his own event.

Our local coordinator will occasionally play Round I if there is an odd number and he can't find a stand-in, but he'll set up 'by's' after that... and he'd never say he could win anything.

Frankly, this is bullshit on another level. I'd report the venue. GW should pull that store's ability to run Hard Boyz next year.

They did it to a number of stores last year.

Brent

Farrtorr said...

We had this same situation a while back, and it caused a stink because not only did the judge play in the tournament, but he won first prize (which came with a $50 gift certificate).

If there's an odd number of people then it's fine for a judge to jump in, but the judge shouldn't be scored.

BTW..wecome back. I've been following your blog for a while, but this is the first time i've commented.

Flekkzo said...

Organizer's / judges should *not* play. They should keep an extra player at hand for when you get odd number of players and that extra player don't score in the comp.

Seriously, why do people have to be so unpleasant? Weak, very weak.

HuronBH said...

Wow, just wow. I have heard of some fishy stuff happening but never anything like that. Selling wins, playing, and trying to win while running the event. Not cool.

Where did you guys go in Philly... just so I can avoid the place from now on.

Lokjaw said...

Apart from the completely dodge manoeuvre of a TO playing in his/her own tournament...

"At the conclusion of a round of close combat against a vehicle there is no combat result, and so there are no sweeping advances, no pile-in and no consolidation moves." - p63 WH40k Rulebook

"Walkers make sweeping advances, pile-in moves and consolidations unless they are stunned or immobilized" - p73 WH40k Rulebook

Gonewild40k said...

Organizers and judges should not participate in their own tournament AND GW should include this in their tournament rules. I wouldn't support a store that would allow such behavior in all honesty.

Farrtorr said...

As an officer in our local gaming club, i've run events in the past where I had to play because there were an odd number of players.

I think in a small organization this is probably unavoidable. In our Ard Boyz tournament the judge had to play because there were only 7 players and if he didn't someone wouldn't be able to participate.

He didn't score himself, and wasn't eligible to win. I've had this happen about half the time in our local tournaments that i've run also.

The solution is that the judge doesn't score any points, and isn't counted for placement.

I don't agree with Matt that a judge can never be objective in their own game (it depends on the person), but I think in an official GW tournament the organizers should arrange for an "alternate" in case the need should arise. In the case of our group, we're so small that it usually isn't possible.

Ad Astra said...

Tournament organizers should NEVER play in their own even, period! Not even for a fill in game- have an assistant or a standby for this. TO's playing in their own gig is shady, and will upset somebody.

Terminus Est said...

Very shady indeed.

By the way if you are engaged in a multi assault involving say vehicles and infantry then you do pile in to the enemy infantry units... You are never locked in combat with a vehicle (that has no WS).

G

DK said...

BTW. Dreads can consolidate.

Not cool to play in your own tourney.

Unknown said...

wow that guy should be shot(figuratively)... playing in the tourney, messing on rules that could have won you the game, posting scores he didn't get. i would not go back to that place, ever. report him and i hope his ass gets axed

TheKing Elessar said...

I agree completely with Fritz. Wow, did I really type that? :p

JHVR said...

I agree and disagree. 'Ard boyz is supposed to be a competitive environment so TO's should be available for rules disputes etc..

However, at my old local store, the TO played sometimes because someone didn't show up. That being said, he was never scored and always played against newer players or young kids that had no chance to win. Nobody was ever upset with this, it made the tournament more fun for the newbs, the better players could compete at the top tables and the TO always made himself available to settle a rules dispute.