Author Topic: Odd Number of Players in Sealed Deck (Read 4987 times)

Gabe · « **on:** June 15, 2016, 08:11:52 AM »

How do other hosts handle an odd number of players in sealed deck?

Oddly enough I don't know that I've ever run into an odd number of players for Sealed deck before Iowa States. Normally players can trade with their first round opponent, but with an odd number of people one player doesn't have an opponent to trade with leaving them at a potential disadvantage.

What we chose do to in this instance was have the host open packs and make reasonable trades as if he was the player's opponent. That seemed to be the most fair solution.

browarod · « **Reply #1 on:** June 15, 2016, 09:59:14 AM »

I would think a relatively fair alternative could also be having the odd player join a pair and just have the 3 trade among each other.

Red Wing · « **Reply #2 on:** June 15, 2016, 10:03:50 AM »

I have bribed/forced/coerced people in other categories into playing sealed

The Guardian · « **Reply #3 on:** June 15, 2016, 10:05:33 AM »

Quote from: Browa on June 15, 2016, 09:59:14 AM

I would think a relatively fair alternative could also be having the odd player join a pair and just have the 3 trade among each other.

I don't think that works...you'd have two players with the same deck competing for the same cards and the other player getting a higher price for the cards he's receiving.

browarod · « **Reply #4 on:** June 15, 2016, 10:14:59 AM »

Quote from: The Guardian on June 15, 2016, 10:05:33 AM

Quote from: Browa on June 15, 2016, 09:59:14 AM
I would think a relatively fair alternative could also be having the odd player join a pair and just have the 3 trade among each other.

I don't think that works...you'd have two players with the same deck competing for the same cards and the other player getting a higher price for the cards he's receiving.

That's a fair point, I hadn't considered the duplicate deck aspect. I just also don't know that every host would be able to have extra packs on hand every time.

uthminister [BR] · « **Reply #5 on:** June 15, 2016, 10:49:07 AM »

This is precisely the reason why trading with your first opponent is not a part of TLG events. I could not come up with a reasonable solution and in reality, there are some players who refuse to trade anyway. Anyone who is paired with someone like that in the first round is at a disadvantage too.

Red · « **Reply #6 on:** June 15, 2016, 04:03:02 PM »

Quote from: uthminister [BR] on June 15, 2016, 10:49:07 AM

This is precisely the reason why trading with your first opponent is not a part of TLG events. I could not come up with a reasonable solution and in reality, there are some players who refuse to trade anyway. Anyone who is paired with someone like that in the first round is at a disadvantage too.

It's still a part of Garbage Sealed correct?

YourMathTeacher · « **Reply #7 on:** June 15, 2016, 04:12:44 PM »

Quote from: uthminister [BR] on June 15, 2016, 10:49:07 AM

Anyone who is paired with someone like that in the first round is at a disadvantage too.

Anyone paired up with The Guardian in the first round is also at a disadvantage, but I think we should keep him anyway.

Personally, I would rather see one big "unboxing and trading event" to start Sealed than to not do any trading at all. Let the ones who don't want to trade just sit out.

uthminister [BR] · « **Reply #8 on:** June 15, 2016, 10:03:16 PM »

Quote from: Red on June 15, 2016, 04:03:02 PM

Quote from: uthminister [BR] on June 15, 2016, 10:49:07 AM
This is precisely the reason why trading with your first opponent is not a part of TLG events. I could not come up with a reasonable solution and in reality, there are some players who refuse to trade anyway. Anyone who is paired with someone like that in the first round is at a disadvantage too.
It's still a part of Garbage Sealed correct?

Of course it is but we make sure we have an even number of players.

Isildur · « **Reply #9 on:** June 16, 2016, 04:54:18 AM »

You just don't play with a odd number. Usually you'll just have to make a judge play or a RLK. I got screwed over one year at nationals because of a RLK who was added last minute (kid didn't want to trade because he was afraid I was going to cheat him out of good cards

It was like literally his second or third time playing the game).

At the California tournaments we used to have a incentive where if you provided your own half of the started deck or borrowed one (decks were still given out at random you didn't get to pick) you could drop the price of the event to just the price of the packs. It was always a good way of boosting attendance for sealed.

YourMathTeacher · « **Reply #10 on:** June 16, 2016, 07:57:06 AM »

I don't think forcing people to play, or worse convincing someone to not play, just so that there is an even number of players, is good for the category.

Another advantage to having everyone trade together in one big group is that you can still have some surprises for your first opponent.

Isildur · « **Reply #11 on:** June 16, 2016, 03:46:46 PM »

Quote from: YourMathTeacher on June 16, 2016, 07:57:06 AM

Another advantage to having everyone trade together in one big group is that you can still have some surprises for your first opponent.

The problem with sealed is that a HUGE component of the event is the trading and the trading only works if you trade with two people with the opposite deck as you. Neither of you need the same colors! Heck I used to do all sorts of weird stuff! Like trade my opponents my sites, entire brigades from my deck or even my dominants (usually Burial) for key parts from their packs or my deck.

Not having someone trade would be like taking out the drafting component of booster draft... just having a bunch of random cards in a deck just doesn't work. If you had people trade in one big group you turn sealed deck into a big game of Catan... like it works... but it isn't what the event was intended to be.

The Guardian · « **Reply #12 on:** June 16, 2016, 04:00:03 PM »

One thing that might encourage trading (especially at a large field like Nationals) is to mix up the pairings after trading has been completed. That way, you're not facing the person you just traded a bunch of good cards to that might end up costing you your first round match-up.

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Author Topic: Odd Number of Players in Sealed Deck (Read 4987 times)

Gabe

Odd Number of Players in Sealed Deck

browarod

Re: Odd Number of Players in Sealed Deck

Red Wing

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The Guardian

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browarod

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uthminister [BR]

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Red

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YourMathTeacher

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uthminister [BR]

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Isildur

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YourMathTeacher

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Isildur

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The Guardian

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