Ruling New Jersey - Volume 1, Issue 7

"Running out of time"

Well, here it is again, the week after Worlds and I have this feeling again for the third time. This emptiness, so unsatisfying. Another year and no Title. I'm starting to feel like the Dan Marino of Trek, great career but no ring. I don't think I could be content never winning a Worlds. I want that ring. Now I'm not old, I can play this game for as long as I want. But with consecutive showings of 2nd, 3rd and now 6th I'm starting to think how long is this going to take. I'm getting the feeling I'm... running out of time.

The last two weeks are a blur to me. Shit, the last two months. The poker hasn't been going well for me. I think the secret is out on me, I play at the Tropicana 90% of the time and I think that's my problem. The good players have adjusted to me and maybe I'm also a little burned out. A couple of bad beats and I'm starting to get gun-shy and you can't have that in No Limit. No Limit isn't about luck or cards; it's a test of courage. Anything in excess is a bad thing so I think it's vacation time, but first let's look back on these past couple of nights and see where it all went wrong.

Actually it's starts the weekend before at the Trop. You should know by now that all my stories start like this. It's was a bad idea in the first place but I was playing with my GenCon money. With that in mind I was keeping it tight and playing solid. Then I run into a guy who wasn't. I flop top pair and make a reasonable bet, he calls. Turn comes, I make another reasonable bet, and he calls. River actually makes me a gut shot straight, I make a big bet, he pushes all-in. I'm shocked, I knew it came out runner-runner (both cards suited making a flush possible). But I wasn't worried about that since I made reasonable bets and only got called. I was forced to call since I had so much in the pot and sure enough he had the flush. He didn't even have a pair on the flop, unbelievable. I was only at the table for about fifteen minutes, but after that hand the player on my left informed me he's been playing loose all night. Information of little use to me now. I bought back in with the chump change I had left but it didn't last to long. But in that time the same loose player lost his whole stack, about $800, in one hand. He made a semi-bluff, he had a pair and a flush draw on the turn and he went all-in $500 into the big stack with a set of Jacks. There was a possible straight on the board so he considered for a long while but then made the call. So at least that restored my faith in the poker universe but now I was dicked for GenCon.

I had to dip into the emergency funds for a bus ticket. Last year it was a three-hour trip, this year 17 hours, ouch. But I figured I at least try to turn a negative into a positive. So I posted on the teamjersey.net message board when I got home that night. It was all true except for the not coming part. I figured maybe I would get some players hopes up. But as Sonsteby put it, "You would kill your own mother to get here." So he wasn't fooled but I heard some players were.

So I left Thursday morning for my exhausting journey. The trip there was pretty uneventful. The shitty part about taking a bus is the layovers at crappy bus stations. I had to sit in Pittsburgh for two hours, which licked balls, much like the city itself. But I managed to make it to Indianapolis by 2 a.m., luckily it's right by the convention center and I was able to meet up right away with the guys I was staying with. So I was able to get a couple of hours a sleep before Day 2.

I woke up early Friday so I could get there to buy a badge and register for the event. Last year I pre-registered and I remember Len waiting in line for 4 hours. So I called for a cab and waited, and waited. I saw a couple of gamers coming out of their room and I knew where they were headed. I asked them for a lift, ironically, they were from Binghamton, NY the same place where my roommates were from. I managed to buy a badge and register with plenty of time to spare. Jesse, the guy I was staying with asked me how I thought I would do and I told him 6-2. I should've played the lottery that day. I won my first 3 matches easily. Then I play Kris Sonsteby, he was playing Klingon Riker, as were 5 of my other opponents. Not to take anything from Kris but it was my first game where I made a mistake, I think I started to relax and I lost the game. Next I played Josh Latenau, I never quite abused anyone like I did to Josh this game. On my fourth turn, remember I'm running event/dilemma manipulation; I attempted my mission with 4 personnel. I solved the mission and went to my second mission; to my surprise I solved that one too. So I won my 4th game and pretty much locked up a Day 3 spot. Josh though would not have to wait too long for his revenge. With two more wins and only one other lose to Andrew Ehret's Riker deck I ended the day with the No. 3 seed. This, I think, being my unlucky break.

After Day 2 Justin Beal and I were looking over the results and seeing whom we matched up with. The judges didn't do the Trek BCS to determine the seeding. We noticed there was a good chance we would be playing each other. And sure enough...

Of all the, let me say, "easier" players I could've faced in the first round (Bowling, the two British fools, Ohio) I had to play Justin. So I prepared myself to go to war, as Sammy Farha would say. A war would be exactly what I got. We were told that the games would be untimed, best of 3 with a 3-hour limit. This made no sense to me; I assumed it would be hour time limits on the games. Our first game lasted almost two hours. It was exhausting, when you combine his Romulan manipulation with my Cardassian nonsense you're have yourself one hell of a chess match. I managed to "plot and scheme" and barely win that first game. Luckily, I think I had the stamina advantage as I think Justin's heart wasn't in the 2nd game. Compared to the first game the second was a piece of cake. I would be playing the winner of Sykes/Latenau, I beat both Day 2. Latenau won and it looked like I would have to run the Arizona gauntlet to get my Title.

I figured Josh would be switching his deck from the previous day. He's a competitor and I would've done the same. I was right, but I was confused when I saw a Cardassian/Bajorian combo. Game 1 was another Iron Man match lasting about an hour and a half. Unfortunately, this time I was on the bad end of it. I was running the Overwhelmed dilemma pile and Josh's deck had the perfect skill set for it. I would always stop him but rarely would I get kills. Josh knew he might have to play me round two and he played the perfect deck for it. Game 2 was odd, I drew 6 personnel, this rarely happens. At this point I was just about on tilt, I just played them and attempted the missions. Sure enough, Josh got some bad beats and I solved easily, shades of our Day 2 game. I managed to win without much trouble. But the game did take about 45 minutes and I knew Game 3 wasn't going to be long. Ironically, Game 3 my deck came out exactly as it should, but against Josh this was a bad thing. I knew I needed people and attempt fast. But it wasn't looking good; I didn't attempt a mission until Josh was well out. We both had a mission done and there was 12 minutes left. It wasn't looking good, I was....running out of time. He used a General Krim once to blow out a dilemma so if we had the same amount of missions done I would win by 5 points. I got stopped on my 2nd mission and had two dilemmas overcome. So it was Josh's turn with 10 minutes to go, he was thinking there awhile so I had to ask him, "Josh, you're not going to take a 10 minute turn, are you?" He wasn't quite stalling yet, but he was getting close. He completed his 2nd mission and went to his third. At this point I hear a 3-minute warning, I take the top seven cards of my deck and lay them out. I stop his attempt, and I figured there was about a minute and a half left. So I had no time for moves, I simply said draw seven and attempt. I think he drew 5; he picked two cards and told me, "I have the nuts." He was quoting me earlier; I guess he's a fan of RNJ. He turned over an In Training and a Captain's Holiday. I shook his hand and conceded the match. Crazy part is if I had one more 3 cost personnel I might have solved the mission. Not to be though, not to take away from Josh but I think if that was a full “one-hour" game I win. But he won in the format that was given and he won and I was busted out.

After Day 2 I watch some of the poker tournament they were having. To my surprise this year they were giving out a $1000 prize, unfortunately all the qualifiers were sold out. But after I busted out of Day 3 I went to see if I could talk my way into it. I found the guy in charge of it in the exhibit hall and luckily he knew a guy who wasn't playing and I could buy his ticket from him. So I was in and dominating my table. I did catch one bad beat when I flopped a set and a guy with top two called me and caught a boat on the river. But it only slowed me down for a moment. It got down to about 5 tables when our table broke up, then my cards went ice cold. The format they had was after 4 hours the top 3 chip leaders qualify for the final table. Problem was it was about 20 minutes left and there was about 20 players left. Again, I was....running out of time. So I get A-7 suited and push in, pocket 4’s calls me. So we flip the coin and I lose. So I bust out of my second tournament of the day.

So I wake up Sunday and figure I might as well go watch the final confrontation and pick up my glass. It was just as exciting as I expected, like a $1-3 stud game 8 a.m. on a Tuesday. After that I had some time to kill so I decide to play in the Race to the Alpha Quadrant tournament. I play my 90-card Goval deck; I figured I'd give some free rating points away. See, I give back to the "community". It manages one win and I managed to kill 3 hours, time to go home.

I get on my bus and this fat smelly Magic player sits next to me. Now this kid really stunk. It makes no sense to me these stinky gamers. I mean you got a hotel room, you get free towels and soap, wash your fat ass please. On top of that he's talking on his cell phone for two hours. At one point he went to reach for his bag in the overhead storage and I almost lost it. At this point if I could've choked this kid to death and get away with it I would have. Instead I just said, "Dude, I don't mean to be a dick but you have to keep your arms down." Luckily when we got to Columbus he was off the bus. 15 hours later I finally made it home.

As I sit here now disappointed, but not broken, I do have some grips about how Worlds was run. As I said, I assumed the games on Day 3 were going to be timed best of 3. DGMA should specified this ahead of time, this affects what types of decks can be played successfully. Decks like Justin's and mine are seriously diminished in untimed games I believe. And to my surprise, the Finals had hour time limits. This is ridiculous, how can you have a top 16 tournament and have different formats along the way? Decipher, next year just keep it the same the whole way, best-of-3 one-hour games. Another for the judges for not doing the pairings between Days 2 and 3. I know they’re tired and want to go do something else but give us a little effort please. Decipher, I know Trek is at the bottom of the list but I'm sure you can find us judges with a little enthusiasm. Last, where was the clock? A guy told me someone dropped it. Bullshit, they dropped the LotR clock and we got dicked. How sad, I'm playing in a World Championship and I got a guy yelling 3 minutes left like I'm playing in a shitty local. All right, story time is over, you can leave the library now; RNJ is about strategy so here are your nuggets of wisdom for the month. But I listened to some of the critics of RNJ and let me see if I can please the haters.

Decklist, Decklist, Decklist

Some of the criticism about RNJ was that it didn't include decklist. Well, I hate decklist. When I see them on DGMA I look at it for about 5 seconds, even if it's good or bad. One of the things I hate the most is a hack; someone that never makes their own decks and only copies other players. Now I'm not going to judge anyone else. If you need to look elsewhere for help then fine, do what you need to do. I'm not a good deckbuilder, so I'm not going to sit here and write out a deck that took me a long time to develop. I have to put a good amount of work into my decks, a lot of trial and error. I start with a rough copy and it takes some games to filter out the junk I put into it and fill in the gaps. I could churn out an average, maybe a little better, deck and put it here, but that's not me. You can get plenty of that at DGMA. But I'll tell you what I'll do. I'm going to look through my binder here and go through a couple of cards I like, and why I like them. This isn't natural for me, so it's probably not going to be enlightening. But let's get started:

Missions- 2E right now is in desperate need of more missions. There's only about 3 or 4 different sets of missions you can use for a winning deck. I could only imagine how much better this game would be if those clownshoes they call 'designers' would come up with some new missions. So there is not even one mission I like, I'm tired of them all. Aren't you tired of seeing Kressari Rendezvous?

Equipment- Have you ever used a non-Batleth equipment card? I haven't. And it's only used as a token hand weapon for gay Harsh Conditions. So if it weren't for that nobody would use them. Same as missions, there's not even one I like.

Dilemmas- Even though it crapped out on me at Origins, I love Biochemical Hyperacceleration. Throw a Dreamer and a Cave-in and blow out a crew and hand, good stuff. I remember one game with Mike when he went out on his third turn and after his attempt he was left with an empty ship in orbit and no hand. Problem is that just about every competitive deck is Security/Strength based. But just wait for the right time in your meta, when it works it's pretty solid.
I'm not a fan of the "crapshoot" dilemmas. Examples would be Murder Investigation, Dressing Down or Racial Tensions. The pick x personnel and if they have y they're stopped group. I'm not saying they're bad, I just dislike them. I catch enough bad beats at the poker table; I don't need them at the Trek table too.


Interrupts- I'm trying to think of something other than Escape, Shady, Comfort, Relentless, Stricken, or Death is Glory. Everyone knows they're good but there's not much else out there. One I don't like is Stricken Dumb; if I hate the "crapshoot" dilemmas I'm not going to stock cards to stop them.

Events- Instead of making battle or infiltration better, Brad and Evan, maybe to busy with another game, just said let's just design 100 different event cards. That'll make the game interesting. Decipher, see what happens when you make shitty 1E players game designers?
Anyway, the key event in my deck was Key to Victory. IF you're forced to play with 50 events in your deck you need a way to get through it. The other hot card was Crystalline Entity, against Klingon Riker it's pretty much useless but when you see a guy play a Far Seeing Eyes you'll be happy you have it out. Then you have your "fuck with your opponent" events, Trial Never Ended, Manheim Effect and Stir Crazy. Whatever is fucking him up keeps fucking him up with it. Also, don't forget Unexpected Difficulties, you have to make sure you draw those Secret Identities and get rid of Riker. Finally if you are going to play with all this junk you need the worst card of them all, Party Atmosphere. The only this worse than playing all this crap is paying for them.

1 Cost Personnel- It's my belief that 1 cost personnel are the backbone of any successful deck. Cardassians have Jerax, Klingons have Kahmis and TNG has bong-smoking Davies (look at him, it looks like he's hitting the 24th century bong). So when you make that deck remember you have to get those attributes from somewhere.

Right before publishing: that vacation didn't last too long. I got back on the poker horse and recently took eighth in a $20 buy-in tournament at the Trop. Didn't make a fortune but it's nice to get back on track. So with the 2004 Trek Championship Circuit at a close it's back to the Lab until '05. Until then, if you find yourself in A.C. stop by the Trop, maybe I'll see you clowns around.

John Corbett- "Tighten the back of your tongue. ...Keep Trying. You've almost got it."

Any questions, stories, fan/hate mail please feel free to send to johncorbettjr2 at comcast dot net

Ruling New Jersey - Volume 1, Issue 6

After "monkeying" around with my computer I finally got it working again. So let's look at what you were supposed to see last month.

"The Right Skills"

You cannot win at poker without understanding and applying basic strategies. Two important skills are hand reading and game selection. In Trek it is the same, you have to understand and apply the strategy you have. In Trek this would include deck building and playing that deck, and this article does not attempt to teach them. My counterparts at DGMA would be better suited for those articles (not that I think you'll find anything good there).

My goal is to help you prepare you for those moments in the game (or maybe before) that determine the outcome. Also, prepare you for the different opponents you will face.

For reading your opponent I turn to legendary poker player Doyle Brunson. He has two general rules:


(1) Against a low-grade player, you simply make the obvious play. That is you don't get fancy. You don't try to make subtle moves that'll be far beyond his capacity to understand or appreciate. You play fundamentally better (rather than strategically better) than a weak player. In a word, you outplay him.

In Trek this means when you're playing a bad player just play straight up. You don't have to do anything special. If you have nine personnel and he has four dilemmas underneath don't get cute and attempt with five and wonder why he top-decked you and drew a Triage or Racial Tensions. Just play straightforward. You are fundamentally better, you have a better deck, and you are a better player. Winning is the only goal, there are no style points, don't be cute.

(2) Against a higher-grade player (someone who could be thinking along the same lines as you), you must mix-up your play. Sometimes you make the obvious play against a strong player (as you always would against a weak player), and sometimes you go at it another way and make a play that's not so obvious. Most of the time.you have to put a play on (outmaneuver) a strong player.

This is where you prove yourself. Here's the time for the moves. Especially when you're playing opponents you play often. For example, I was playing Len in The Player's Championship in the final confrontation. He beat me earlier so I knew I had to "make a move". I was playing TNG Shared Problems, usually doing to two planet missions first. Instead, so I don't leave all his good space dilemmas left (I knew he only runs a few), I went for that mission first (It's the hardest to solve). Well, my gamble paid off, he only had one or two he could play and I solved on my first attempt.

That's all there is to it. And it seems simple and logical enough. But knowing something and being able to execute it is not the same thing. As I proved at the NJ Maiden Voyage, I was playing Nikolai and he was attempting his last mission for the first time. I drew my nine dilemmas and I could've definitely stopped him, but I was trailing slightly and maybe felt some pressure. Instead of trusting my deck and my abilities I decided to get cute, the mission required two diplomacy and I knew he had only two in the attempt. I just played a Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and stopped one. Then I said you're stopped you only had two. He said no and showed me his Elim Garak, and diplomacy in hand, and I said good game knowing that I just blew it.

Rating Players

Poker is a game of deception; opponents will dress differently or act differently to throw you off so you can't get a read of there style. Are they loose or tight? Are the passive or aggressive? But in Trek you can get a read on your opponent in a heartbeat, even in a big tournament with players you've never seen before. You can tell if he's good or bad usually by turn two. What cards has he played? Is the deck any good? Then, is he confident or unsure? Does he look like he knows exactly what he's doing? Does he feel like he's going to win or does it look like he's there to have fun?

In poker there is four types of players: Loose-Aggressive, Loose-Passive, Tight-Passive, and Tight-Aggressive. The last one is usually best suited for a winning poker player. In Trek I've noticed there can be a comparison: Bad-Confident, Bad-Unsure, Good-Unsure, Good-Confident. The last one is best suited for a winning Trek player. Now of course there is room in the middle, you might share qualities with more than one type. And by "Good" I mean players who win more than 50% of their games and the opposite for "Bad". Let's go over these four, their characteristics and how to play against them:

Bad-Confident - We come across this type of player all the time, mostly at locals. He has all the cards, but he doesn't know how to use them. He's talking all the time, about decks and strategy, but he doesn't know what he's talking about. When he loses he blames bad luck and never looks at his deck or his playing ability. He thinks he's there to win but doesn't have a chance.
To beat these players you don't have to do much. Their decks aren't very good and they will make mistakes. Remember, they are a low-grade player so just play straightforward. Don't get fancy. And don't waste your time trying any mind-games, they are so blind, they think they are good and nothing you say will change that.
If you are a Bad-Confident player- You have to simply stop denying reality. You have to see you aren't winning enough games. Sure you probably go 2-2 in most tournaments, but that's not a good player. It's not all bad though, you have an excellent trait in a player: confidence. You just need to look at yourself and be real. Maybe you could use some help? There's no shame and asking for help from fellow players.

Bad-Unsure - These are what I like to call "T-shirt" guys. They are there to have fun, socialize, and relax. They are generally nice, quite guys. This is probably the most common type of Trek player.
If you can't beat this type of player than there's not much hope for you. They don't put any time in there game. They probably have a wife, kids, or whatever and Trek is just another hobby. Once again, all you have to do is play your game and don't waiver. Even if you find yourself behind (this can happen in 2E no matter your opponent), don't "take a chance". Trust yourself and your deck and he'll need a miracle to win.
If you are a Bad-Unsure player- If you're playing to have fun and whatnot, than you're doing just fine. You're satisfying your motives and that's what's most important. But there are some players like these who become good (50%+ wins). I'll use Steve as an example, when he started he won about 1, maybe 2, games a tournament. Then he won the Cruiserweight Belt and he didn't want to lose it. He started asking for help, he listened and responded to it. Soon he was beating Len and I. He also went 4-0 Day 1 of Continentals. He lost the Belt to Nikolai and hasn't gotten it back, but he's gained confidence and skill. He still needs plenty of both but might be a player one day.

Good-Unsure - These guys blend in with the wallpaper. They never talk smack; you usually never notice them until you're in a game with them. They know what they're doing; they have a great deck and know all the cards. But in a game they are a little nervous and aren't sure what their next move is. They have a bad habit if making dumb mistakes.
To beat this player you have to be on your game. You can't sleep on this guy early. He's playing a solid deck so you can't mess around. But here's the key, he'll slip up. You have to make him pay when he does. And when it's time for him to make a tough decision, it's time to get in his head. Mess with him; say whatever to make him more worried. Hell, even before the game I go at him. Remember, you need an edge; this is a chance to get it.
If you are Good-Unsure player- Well, you really can't teach confidence. It's something you gain during life. If you're not confident in Trek I'm willing to bet you go about your whole life that way. You can only gain it one win at a time. Much the opposite a bad player has to look at himself and realize his faults, you have to realize your strengths.

Good Confident - This is the ideal Card player, no matter what the game. They have it all together, the deck, the ability, discipline, intensity, concentration; they know they are going to win. There are always looking for an edge, then take maximum advantage of that edge. It's not all perfect; sometimes you can get cocky and let a game slip. Also, if you are an aggressive player, like myself, other players will become hostile towards you. But you will gain respect.
Of course, these are the toughest players to beat, but if you're also this type of player, this is why you play the game. To be the man you have to beat the man. Play your game and let it dictate what you have to do. If you get a read on him and see a move that will work then this is the time for it. Even the most confident of players can get rattled, let's say a horrible dilemma draw. It's worth taking a verbal shot at him; you make be able to put him on tilt (make him play below his normal capacity).
If you are a Good-Confident player- You can go about to two ways, you can be aggressive (mean guy approach) or more passive (nice guy approach). I truly believe being aggressive gives you an edge, but it just depends on your personality. It depends if you want to be loved or feared. What will help your game?

---

You got away with it last month, but I know you're all dying to see the New Jersey Premier Series Standings. Here they are:

1. Len Neidorf 156 Pts. ($24)
2. John Corbett 110 Pts.
3. Michael Keller 84 Pts.
4. Nikolai Fomich 68 Pts.
5. Steve Fitchett 58 Pts.
6. Vera Sergeyeva 40 Pts.
7. Matt Sinclair 36 Pts.
8. James Bottomly 26 Pts.
9. Rob Tapp 16 Pts.
10. Tim Geary 8 Pts.
10. Cliff Lentz 8 Pts.
10. Michael Vroom 8 Pts.
13. Drew Christensen 6 Pts.


NJ Premier Series Schedule

Jan. 24th- KillerBOWL IV, Champion - Len Neidorf
Feb. 22nd- The New Jersey Pre-Territorial Open, Champion - Michael Keller
Mar. 28th - New Jersey Territorial, Champion - Michael Keller
Apr.17th & 18th - The Jersey Masters, Champion - Len Neidorf
May 16th - The New Jersey Player's Championship, Champion - Len Neidorf
June 6th - The Kellerman Invitational, Champion - Len Neidorf
July 18th - KillerSLAM!, Berlin NJ
Sep.- The World Champion Invitational
Oct.- The World Series of Trek $8 Buy-In, $2 Entry Fee
Nov.- KillerBAD BLOOD!
Dec.- The New Jersey Premier Series Championship (Major) $10 Entry Fee

Point Breakdown
1st - 24 Pts.
2nd- 18 Pts.
3rd & 4th- 14 Pts.
5th thru 8th - 8 Pts.
9th thru 16th - 6 Pts.
17th thru 24th - 2 Pts.
26th thru 32nd - 1 Pt.
*Majors worth double points*

The $24 is what Len took in by winning the Player's Championship. Nothing but high stakes here in Jersey. The 18th will bring KillerSLAM! with a Triple Threat, with Len and Steve, for my Heavyweight Title. Steve won the last tournament and has an opportunity to leave Berlin with both belts. Len has won three straight Premier Series tournaments and has a massive point lead. Looks like the odds are against the Champ.

Here's my Origins report: I went, I played Trek and sucked, I played poker and sucked. It got so bad I found myself playing board games at 3 a.m. with guys I didn't even know. But they turned out to be cool. The one dude got up and said he had to "take a walk". I'm down; I know what "take a walk" means. So I got to thinking, it's been some years since I "took a walk". Plus it was a pretty shitty weekend. So when he got back I said, "next time you take a walk I might come with you." I think I caught him off guard and he responded, "That depends on what you mean." I said, "You know what I mean." he said all right. So I "took a walk" and it sadly enough turned out to be the highlight of my trip. All because I committed deadly sin No. 2: denying reality. I played the MV and a warm-up on Friday; I should've known my dilemma scheme wasn't going to work there. Even the next tournament in Jersey I still tried to make it work and it failed. I was stubborn and I paid. So it's back to the Lab.

---

Shockingly enough we have something in the mailbag this month and it comes from the other side of the pond. Ian Taylor wrote:

If you delete the 'like myself' from the middle of paragraph three, this months RNJ is great. Even with it in it is still pretty good and only brought down by the one annoying bit of self-glorification. The series seems to be taking a good direction. I can definitely see the influence of a lot of poker articles but the points are also very valid for Trek. I look forward to the next one if the quality continues.

The sentence was: Even winners, like myself, take self-defeating actions that make us feel comfortable. Remember, these two articles were in reverse order, I defined winner (good) as a player who wins more than 50% of their games. And so what if I did anyway? I am a winner, if I can't throw a bit of self-glorification then what's the point? As for "if the quality continues", talk about annoying. You can take your tea drinking, fish and chips eating, non-toothpaste using self and kiss my fat American ass. Be a good little Brit, like Tony Blair, and do what the USA says, read the article, learn something and, if you have something useful to say, chime in when you want. Until then, I'll see you clowns around.

John Corbett- "Hey, how can you listen to this without feeling the urge to dance?"

P.S. any questions, stories, hate mail please feel free to send to johncorbettjr2 at comcast dot net

Ruling New Jersey - Volume 1, Issue 5

"The Right Skills"

I began writing this article on the 12th, I wrote about half of it then decided to go to bed (I do most of my writing, and everything else, in the middle of the night). Well, the next day my computer decided it didn't want to work anymore. I'm a computer monkey, I think I deleted something important for Windows to run and now when I start the computer it shuts down. So anyway, here it is the 14th and I finally found a computer to use. Instead of rewriting the "Right Skills" I'll skip to the next portion I was gong to cover, "Our Deadly Sins". Hopefully by next month I'll have my act together.

"Our Deadly Sins"

Some of us have all of them; a few winners have only one or two of them; but none of us are free of them. Some of us try to deny the last fact. We pretend to that we are better than we are, but denial is one of the worst sins. It stops us from doing anything about our weaknesses. The best way to improve ourselves is to see how we are beating ourselves. Only when we understand our thinking patterns and attitudes that prevent us from playing our best can we become the players we want to be. There used to be seven deadly sins, but as Trek players we've managed to beat that by having eight, they are:

Deadly Sin No. 1: Poor self-control. It's the worst sin and underlying cause of all the others. We all want to "do want comes naturally", but it's natural to lose. We're human, we're prone to making mistakes. Even winners, like myself, take self-defeating actions that make us feel comfortable. We rationalize that they improve our game. But winning is not natural, we need enough self-control to do the unnatural things it takes to win.

Deadly Sin No. 2: Denying reality. It's the second worst, and nearly all of us do it occasionally. We deny that this particular deck isn't good enough. We deny that we are playing poorly because we are bored, tired, or losing. We do not want to admit this because we don't want to admit our own limitations. Any type of denial can destroy our chances for winning consistently.

Deadly Sin No. 3: Impatience. Even a good player occasionally yields to it. We get a bad hand or our opponent gets off to a great start, so we "take a shot". Sometimes it works, but usually it cost us the game. I can use yesterday as an example in my game against Len. I was up one mission and attempting my second, he also got hurt when he attempted his first mission. So when I attempted he decided to "take a shot" and play only one dilemma, Murder Investigation. He knew he was taking a chance, I had six personnel and two had Security. I even told him this had all the makings of getting "scum bagged" (one of my words I like to use meaning when you should hit a random selection but miss). Well, I was right, he missed and I solved. He stopped me twice on my last mission and almost came back. He would've won if he didn't yield to his impatience and play "his" game.

Deadly Sin No. 4: Focusing on ourselves, not the opponent. We are so concerned with our own deck, our hand, our own strategy, that we forget the important information that comes from our opponent. We look at that bad hand or dilemma draw, those cards aren't going to change - no matter how hard we study them - and we miss signals and can't review the previous turns. Who did he play, what did we see in previous attempts or even previous games.

Deadly Sin No. 5: Yielding to our emotions. Anger and pressure can makes us take foolish chances - by not playing the right dilemmas, changing your strategy when you don't need to. Even a desire to be nice and help a player out can cost us later down the road.

Deadly Sin No. 6: Poor concentration. Sometimes we're having a conversation with our opponent during the game, or talking to a spectator, or thinking about your girlfriend. Usually it's more subtle, but just as destructive: for example, we all fall into the trap of thinking about earlier games - especially ones we lost or bad plays we regret. Trek is a "now" game. You need to focus because once it's time to make a play we are stuck with whatever we do. If we make a bad one we are stuck with it forever.

Deadly Sin No. 7: Educating the opposition. (This is my worst sin) We show our dilemmas when we get bad beats, or we explain why we made a certain play, or we criticize other players. We do this because we want respect or sympathy, or just expressing our frustration, but Trek is (for me, and maybe you) about winning, not making ourselves feel good. Every time we show cards, tell a story, or criticize a player it can cost us. A bad player will get better, and a good player will learn how to beat you. I had to learn this again yesterday. A week ago Steve showed me the deck he was playing, I told him what to take out and what to put in (I call this the Ray Linton Maneuver). Well, he did just that and yesterday he preceded to beat Len and me and win the tournament (actually a 3-way tie between him, Mike and me, our opposition totals were identical and we had to have a roll-off. This system does not work for Trek and I long for the days of differential. But from what I hear that's not going to happen). I don't mind seeing Steve do well and win, just not at my expense.

Deadly Sin No. 8: Blaming bad luck. We all do it. Blaming a bad hand or bad beat on dilemmas helps us protect our ego by justifying poor results. This is a form of denial; we deny that only we are responsible for our long term results. It makes us feel better, but stops us from working on our weaknesses. To play our best we have to increase our self-control, accept that responsibility, and sin less frequently.

This is where I would update everyone on the NJ Premier Points standings and any news on the happenings in Jersey. But since my computer is just a fancy paperweight at the moment you will be spared. When Decipher's new message boards opened I figured this would be a good chance to get some reader feedback on the Ruling New Jersey articles. So I posted on of them fancy new polls and these were the results as of 6/14:

Great 11%
Decent 11%
Average 30%
Bad 13%
Garbage 32%
Total votes: 43

When I saw this it didn't break my heart. I'm figuring half of those garbage votes are just your usual KillerB hating. So with that in mind, the jury is about deadlocked. It's either loved or hated, much like myself. So I just wanted to take a moment and respond to some of the responses to the poll:

---

Mogh wrote,
I voted "Great" based mostly on the last article you wrote. I found it very thought-provoking in how it draws parallels between poker and Star Trek CCG (or any TCG). I've watched enough poker on ESPN to come to this conclusion: the best players in poker and in any TCG are cut from the same cloth.

I agree, they are. You have to make tough decisions and handle the random nature of cards. You have to be mentally tough to be a winner.

Weyoun's Last Clone wrote,
I voted average. I thought it was a good read, quite interesting, but I didn't feel it really helped me as a player. I guess I'm not a real winner.

I'm thinking your motives aren't about being a winner. You're probably there to have fun and relax. As long as you are then you don't need to be a "real" winner.

Nickyank122 wrote,
I voted bad. reasons are: The name I find insulting to my friend Ian Taylor, and his excellent Ruling Britannia articles. At least his title made sense. Ruling New Jersey? What? Your writing leaves a lot to be desired. By writing I refer to both your gramma and writing style, for instance your tendency to insult and talk down to people. Do you think that all the players are huge fans of pro wrestling, which is where I would expect to see that style. When 99% of STCCG players are playing for fun, I have no comprehension of why you play the game. Playing to win is a valid motivation, but why STCCG? Why not a heap of other games? It's not like there is any serious money in it, and being a World Champion is hardly something for your resume. Maybe you could address this in one of your articles?

Insulting? They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The title is just that, but it's more about me being the leader of Team Jersey. As for my writing style, I'm no Steven King or Hemingway, nor do I claim to be. I don't try to be a good writer, I just try to express my point. As for 99% of Trek players play for fun, I would say you're right, but as I stated in my last article, nobody has just one motive. I play for fun, that's a part of it, but my main goal is to win. No different why a pro sports athlete plays, he loves his sport, but he wants to win. I won't mind putting World Champion on my resume.

Lore411 wrote,
While I don't agree with much written in any of the articles, I often find myself reading them just to keep tabs on your area. Keep on writing them, that way everyone here in MN can be prepared for your decks at Worlds.
Kris "Lore" Sonsteby


(Warning!: The insult and talking down portion of the article!)

Well Kris, maybe that's why you'll always be in the shadows of your fellow MN players. I look forward to Continentals for Round 1. Just so you know, you will never be prepared for Jersey. No matter what anyone says about me the one thing they can't take away is that I am the Continental Champion! It's MY title. And later this month I'll be the first man to ever become Back-to-Back Continental Champion. So Kris you have to ask yourself one question, "Are you ready to play THE GAME?". When you look into your soul and find the answer I'll see you MN clowns around.

John Corbett- "How can you not sing for all to hear?"

P.S. any questions, stories, hate mail please feel free to send to johncorbettjr2 at comcast dot net

Ruling New Jersey - Volume 1, Issue 4

Do you have "The Right Stuff"?

This is the first chapter in one of the poker books I own. In it, it lists twelve characteristics that most winners possess. But as I read these characteristics I noticed that they apply to Trek as well. Let's go through these twelve and see what separates the winners from the losers.

Characteristic No. 1: Winners always demand an edge. In poker it can be better hand, a good draw, favorable position, superior skill, greater concentration, etc. Without it, winners won't play. Well, in Trek you don't have that option. You draw your opponent and don't have a choice. But you certainly have an edge; the trick is to find it. My edge: KillerB. People wonder why I do all the online harassing, and this is a major part. When a player meets me at a big tournament for the first time and he's concentrating on me, just a little bit, instead of his game that gives me an edge. Find your edge; are you a better player than your opponent? Is he distracted by something? Did he just lose his last game and going on tilt? (If you're an avid RNJ fan you know what that means. Len used that word at the last tournament. I'm glad to see I'm teaching the kids.)

Characteristic No. 2: Winners are obsessed with winning. A poker player once said, "I'd bust my own grandmother if she played poker with me." This means that sometimes we have to do unpleasant things to win. In poker you can never play soft. At the poker table I play with the same people often. I've come to know these people. Spent many hours with them. I like some of them, but I'll take their money in a heartbeat. In Trek I don't care if I'm playing Len, my girlfriend, or the #1 rated player in the world, if I can I'm going to beat you 100-0.

Characteristic No. 3: Winners have extreme self-control. Without this control the obsession would become self-destructive. Last year at Worlds before Day 3 started Mike looked like a mess. He said he was up in his hotel room all night crying. Well, I hope he was exaggerating but he still had no control. Mike still got 4th, but I believe he could've won that day if he could've controlled his fear and anxiety.

Characteristic No. 4: Winners are brutally realistic. They don't kid themselves when they lose a game. They don't blame a random selection, bad hand, or a bad beat on dilemmas. They see where they lost the game and what they could have done to change it.

Characteristic No. 5: Winners concentrate intently. This is obvious in-game, what personnel your opponent played, what skills is he lacking in, what cheaters is he running with that deck, etc. But also concentrate when you're not playing. What are the other players saying? Keep your ears open. Some people call this a form of scouting, but you can't help with what you hear.

Characteristic No. 6: Winners think visibly. They verbalize their observations. Len is excellent at this. Sometimes when I attempt a mission he can recite all the people I'm attempting with. Doing that gives you a huge advantage.

Characteristic No. 7: Winners admit mistakes quickly. Self-control and visible thinking enables them to admit their mistakes. It allows them to correct the problem fast.

Characteristic No. 8: Winners learn from their mistakes. Winners rarely make the same mistakes twice. An obsession combined with self-control helps them learn from those mistakes. I've blown countless games of Trek, but I'm glad to say I've never done it the same way twice.

Characteristic No. 9: Winners accept responsibility. They don't complain about how they lost the game. They don't complain because they accept the game as it is - with all its frustrations. When you accept the responsibility it allows you to focus on the only thing you can control: Your own decisions. When I lost to Matthew Frid at Worlds last year, when he pulled the only card he could to win, it wasn't bad luck. I didn't make a bad play but apparently it was the wrong one. I lost the game.

Characteristic No. 10: Winners depersonalize conflicts. Since winning is the goal, an anger or desire for revenge would reduce your edge. If I go to Worlds looking to get Frid back, I would be losing focus on my real objective: winning.

Characteristic No. 11: Winners adjust to changes. The last 1E Worlds they banned cards. This killed the deck I was planning. I dealt with it. I touched on this last month with the meta-game; some decks can win one place and get crushed in another. You have to adjust to what is being played at your tournaments.

Characteristic No. 12: Winners are selectively aggressive. In poker this means waiting for the right cards, right position, the right opponent, or all three. Then they attack. In Trek you can have those things as well. How do you attack? This is where I would start the mind games. If I can think of a way to rattle my opponent I'll do it. Some people may look down at these tactics but I don't. If there's something that you can say to make your opponent lose his concentration I say go for it. Be careful, if you're focusing on how to do this more than your game it defeats the point.


Why do you play Trek?

If you ask a poker player why they play 99% will say, "To make money." They are kidding themselves. First, most of them are losers. Second, nobody does anything just for one reason. In the book it has you rate your motives for playing poker. They are:

Make Money __%
Socialize, meet people __%
Relax __%
Get excitement of risk __%
Test self against competitive challenges __%
Sense of accomplishment from winning __%
Pass Time __%
Other (specify) __%

The blank spaces should add up to 100. Here's what I think an average Trek players motives are:

Make Money 0%
Socialize, meet people 50 %
Relax 15%
Get excitement from risk 5%
Test self against competitive challenges 10%
Sense of accomplishment from winning 5%
Pass Time 15%

Now here are my motives for playing Trek:

Make Money 1%
Socialize, meet people 5%
Relax 5%
Get excitement from risk 15%
Test self against competitive challenges 30%
Sense of accomplishment from winning 34%
Pass time 10%

Now my motives are no better from the average player. The point is that we all play for different reasons. If your motives are closer to an average player than most of those characteristics don't matter to you. You play for fun and to hang out with people and there's nothing wrong with that. Like in poker if you there to have fun and lose a little bit of money you really win. You're accomplishing your motives. However, if your motives are similar to mine and you're not accomplishing them they should be important to you. They are what will separate you from the rest of the field. Now here's what's going on in the fine land that is Jersey:

ST:CCG 2E New Jersey Premier Series Standings

1. Len Neidorf 84 Pts.
2. John Corbett 60 Pts.
3. Michael Keller 56 Pts.
4. Nikolai Fomich 50 Pts.
5. Steve Fitchett 28 Pts.
6. James Bottomly 26 Pts.
7. Vera Sergeyeva 16 Pts.
7. Rob Tapp 16 Pts.
9. Matt Sinclair 8 Pts.
9. Tim Geary 8 Pts.
9. Cliff Lentz 8 Pts.
12. Drew Christensen 6 Pts.

NJ Premier Series Schedule

Jan. 24th- KillerBOWL IV, Champion - Len Neidorf
Feb. 22nd- The New Jersey Pre-Territorial Open, Champion - Michael Keller
Mar. 28th - New Jersey Territorial, Champion - Michael Keller
Apr.17th & 18th - The Jersey Masters, Champion - Len Neidorf
May 16th - The New Jersey Player's Championship, Cinnaminson NJ, (Major) $10 entry fee Prizes: $25 Cash (minimum) Foils- Martok (2), Shinzon, Storage Compartment Rares- Elim Garak, Seven of Nine, Storage Compartment + Packs
*NEW* June 6th - NJ Maiden Voyage (The Kellerman Invitational), Denville NJ
July- KillerSLAM!
Sep.- The World Champion Invitational
Oct.- The World Series of Trek
Nov.- KillerBAD BLOOD!
Dec.- The New Jersey Premier Series Championship (Major) $10 entry fee

Point Breakdown
1st - 24 Pts.
2nd- 18 Pts.
3rd & 4th- 14 Pts.
5th thru 8th - 8 Pts.
9th thru 16th - 6 Pts.
17th thru 24th - 2 Pts.
26th thru 32nd - 1 Pt.
*Majors worth double points*

The last month saw both Title belts changing hands. Nikolai, riding a huge push after beating Mike and myself in a previous tournament, took the Cruiserweight Belt (1750 rating or lower) away from Steve. In the last tournament Mike had the option of putting up the belt against Len or myself or nobody, if he didn't we would both have a shot at the Player's Championship. He decided to give Len the shot. This was a bad move. He lost his game to Len. I managed a timed win over Len. (A nice one where he was attempting a mission in overtime for the win and he double crewed. I stopped the first with Whisper in the Dark; I failed to draw a Timescape, I was running 3! I stopped the second by using Machinations to download Talosian Trial to hit the second away team with the same Whispers) However, I lost to Mike's Borg Deck, again. I thought I could abuse it with In Training, I was wrong. So Len won the belt and became the first ever two-time World Heavyweight Champion. The 16th will be the Player's Championship, the first of two "Majors", and it'll be another new format. Three rounds and then the top four will have a playoff. Once again it'll be Len and I battling it out for the World Heavyweight Title.

Now that you know if you have the "Right Stuff" you need the "Right Skills" Next month we'll discuss exactly what that is. Until then, I'll see you clowns around.

John Corbett

P.S. any questions, stories, hate mail please feel free to send to johncorbettjr2 at comcast dot net

Ruling New Jersey - Volume 1, Issue 3

Let's start this months article with a good old KillerB battle. This month it's with Tristan Marsman of Decipher. A couple of weeks ago I contributed to the Q Series article on DGMA. The next time I contributed I got cut and didn't make it in to the article. Needless to say, I was a little annoyed with this. So I sent him an e-mail:

Will Hawkins? Now this is some funny shit. I can't wait to hear what the 142 ranked player in the world has to say on the game. Are you kidding me? My new name for you is the "Ringmaster" because you got nothing but a bunch of clowns writing for you. Thanks for proving my point. I appreciate the good laugh.

I guess I struck a nerve and he responded with:

Dude, you're such a loser... You're like the evil player that couldn't do nothing. I'd be surprised if you made top 10 in the WC this year. In fact, I think I'll be there to witness you not becoming WC this year either.

Thanks for making me laugh again over yet another silly email, since you don't get the point. You're so unlike the other highranked players; you lack, among a lot of other things, personality and a good writing style. And, most of all, you keep missing the target.

Keep it up and maybe someday, you'll become WC of something. I'll be picking people for my own website until then, thanks. My new name for you is number 5. Funny, last time I talked to you, you seemed to be higher up on the list.

Well, I just had to respond myself:

Top 10? I hope you're there when I run all your boys out. Your the "Ringmaster" and I'm going to abuse every member of the "clown squad". Now how's that for writing style? Your right, I'm not like other highranked player. What's the difference? I NEVER miss the target, and that's the Title. One of your clowns won it last year but he had to go through me to do it. Don't you forget who I am, the most recongnized player in the game. I didn't do that without any personality. Loser? Son, check this picture out and tell me your pulling better tail than this. And that's only one of them. I'll see your punk ass at GenCon, if you can't find me I'll be the guy on the stage with the big trophy.

John Corbett
http://home.comcast.net/~surfitch/
Don't jerkoff too hard you geek

He responded again, I guess:

Fine, if you really want to go into this.

> Top 10? I hope you're there when I run all your boys out. Your the Ringmaster and I'm going to abuse every member of the "clown squad". Now how's that for writing style?

Well, you spelled "your" incorrect, 2 times.

> Your right, I'm not like other highranked player.

Oh, there it is again.

> What's the difference? I NEVER miss the target, and that's the Title. One of your clowns won it last year but he had to go through me to do it.

Oh boy. Reality check: you weren't even in the final.

> Don't you forget who I am, the most recongnized player in the game. I didn't do that without any personality.

Illusions of Grandeur again. Oh well, I guess that's to be expected. All you can do is talk. When you fail to talk you make up stupid shit to mess up conventions. When that fails, you're left with playing the game at Tier 1, at which you didn't really do good (let's face it, Hayes was better than you and he only played because he thought it was easier than LotR).

> Loser? Son, check this picture out and tell me your pulling better tail than this. And that's only one of them. I'll see your punk ass at GenCon, if you can't find me I'll be the guy on the stage with the big trophy.

Didn't know they were giving out trophies for losers this year... I will need to check

The Hayes thing was too much, I had to break it down to him:

Oh, we can go.

> Well, you spelled "your" incorrect, 2 times.

Oh God, don't make fun of my bad grammar. If that's what you think it takes to be a good strategy writer no wonder you got clowns writing for you.

> Oh boy. Reality check: you weren't even in the final.

Your boy Frid got a lucky ass win off me Day 3, you better check in to reality son.

> let's face it, Hayes was better than you and he only played because he thought it was easier than LotR.

I BEAT hayes Day 2, are you fucking kidding me? Plus, I never seen somebody choke so bad before in my life. That fool ain't got no skills. I don't mess up conventions, I make them famous.

> Didn't know they were giving out trophies for losers this year... I will need to check.

What's that I can't hear you? Didn't think you did. Don't be jealous, maybe at GenCon I'll let her sit on yout lap. I bet it's been awhile since you've touched a girl.

I really like that last line, probably because it's true. He came back with this:

> Your boy Frid got a lucky ass win off me Day 3, you better check in to reality son.

My boy Frid won the World Championships. You finished nowhere near him. That's reality for ya.

> I BEAT hayes Day 2, are you fucking kidding me? Plus, I never seen somebody choke so bad before in my life. That fool ain't got no skills. I don't mess up conventions, I make them famous.

Hayes was in the final. There's reality knocking on your door again. The "fool" got the skill to beat you to the final.

> What's that I can't hear you? Didn't think you did. Don't be jealous, maybe at GenCon I'll let her sit on yout lap. I bet it's been awhile since you've touched a girl.

I'm not getting into a girlfriend debate, that's so extremely lame... Even lamer than this, since I got the list of the top 2 finishers of the WC last year sitting right here at my desk, and, funny enough for me, you're not on it.

Sorry if I make you feel bad.

Ah, I knew that last line would get him. I was smelling blood and wrote this:

> My boy Frid won the World Championships. You finished nowhere near him. That's reality for ya.

Um, 3rd place, and in "reality" I was ties for 2nd. You reading thats list in front of you right?

> Hayes was in the final. There's reality knocking on your door again. The "fool" got the skill to beat you to the final.

That fool was lucky enough not to have to play me day 3 or he wouldn't of been in the final.

> I'm not getting into a girlfriend debate, that's so extremely lame... Even lamer than this, since I got the list of the top 2 finishers of the WC last year sitting right here at my desk, and, funny enough for me, you're not on it.

I sure your a master-debater. Now that's style son. Bring that list with you to GenCon so I can wipe my ass with it

> Sorry if I make you feel bad,

Sorry, clowns like you make me laugh and feel pretty good.

After that he sent something saying thanks for the funny little e-mails and that he had to get back to work. Sounded like somebody tapping out to me. It was good stuff though, nothing like a good battle to get you motivated for Worlds. Now here’s how the TOC season went for me.


Two Territorials in 24 hours

It all starts with a bad beat story, like most things in my life do. It's Thursday night and I'm playing No-Limit at the Tropicana in Atlantic City with my Russian girlfriend. I'm up $300 and about to leave, I decide to limp in (when there's a small raise and you call) with 83 suited. The flop comes 3,J,3 and it's three-handed. I'm first to act and the player to my left is a player and to his left some fish (a term for easy money) I never seen before. I check, the player to my left bets $22 and the fish calls. With about $40 in the pot pre-flop and $44 just bet I wanted to get these guys out of the hand and go home with that so I decided to move all-in (the guy to my left had only $100 and the fish about $300). The guy to my left folds, he knows me too well, the fish thinks about it for a while. We were joking earlier about going all-in so I said, 'Well, here's your chance buddy.' A sure tell (a sign giving away someone's hand) I have a three, this being wasted since he's not that good. He says, 'Fuck it' and calls. I tell him I have a three and he says, 'That's good for now.' The Turn a Queen and the River a King. Then he flips over his two cards, KK! A full house! Going into the river he's a 95.6% underdog, but that's poker baby. I pay him off, $297. I do some math in my head; I'm still up $37 for the night. So I pick up my checks (chips) and leave. On the 'long' drive home (it takes about an hour but after a bad beat it always seems longer) I remember about the tournament in Yorktown VA. So I decided I needed a little break from poker and I want to be the one pooping on people's heads.

I drop the Russian off and get home about 5 a.m. Friday morning, tell the 'wife' to pack some stuff, call out of work (she was a little sick) and that we're going down to Virginia. My Dad lives in Newport News, which is about 3 miles from the store so I give him a call a head down.

Saturday morning I get to the store and I'm walking when this guy points and says, 'John Corbett?' I didn't recognize him and just kept walking like he was a nobody, I thought he was just some local clown who recognized me. Then realized it was John from Decipher who was the judge at Worlds. I said, 'Sorry buddy, I didn't recognize you without the Decipher shirt on. I didn't mean to clown you like that.' John's a good guy, he runs a good tournament and decided to run this event so the original TD could play. See, I don't hate everyone who's affiliated with Decipher.

The Territorial runs smoothly for me after 5 rounds. I took my Dominion Infiltrator deck. Problem is it only gets timed wins. But I did manage one full win and after 5 rounds I was tied for 2nd. Since I never lost I owned any tie-breakers and played the final against a guy I already beat. With final confrontations being untimed he knew his chances were not good. He was also playing Dominion but his was a Jem'Hadar solver. He put up a good fight but I won in the end. Got my T-shirt and my byes and some of my Trek confidence back. Grabbed my stuff and the World Heavyweight Belt, which everyone in Virginia marked out for, and headed home.

I got home to New Jersey about 4:30 a.m. and got about 5 hours sleep, picked up the Russian and was ready to go again. This time there was more at stake; if Michael Keller wins not only is he the Territorial Champ he also would win the World Title. I decide to play the same deck, with a couple of changes. This would prove to be a fatal error. The first round I'm paired against my Russian. I only had time to teach her in one game. So this game went pretty slow and I got a timed win. I draw Kellerman, as I like to call him, in the 2nd round. He's playing the 'broken-ass gay Borg Deck', my new name for it. This thing is fast and it is stupid. Discard half your deck by interlinking and then swapping all the drones you need with the Queen, nice and broken. I put up a little struggle but it's pointless and he wins. 3rd round I get a bye, shit, I'll take 3 points. 4th round I get Len, he's playing the same-old Cardassian Comfort Women deck, but the worst part is he's winning with it. He's off by turn 3 and my dilemmas crap out on me, for some reason I draw like 1 event in the first 4 turns and that kinda hurts when it's all based around Formal Hearings, Tsolvski Infections and Whisper in the Dark. So I get abused again, for some reason I get the worst situations against Mike and Len, I've made these guys into monsters. Kellerman wins his last game when Nikolai blows it when he could've solved his last mission. He hit Gomtuu Shockwave and he only had one Diplomacy (Kell), but he had Telepathy but Integrity at exactly 35. What he missed was that he had a shady resource and could've had the two Diplomacy and he would've been over the 32 integrity that's required. Len was hounding him for missing that play, they playtest a lot together, but I told him not to worry about it. That's a tough play to see, and he's still a young player. He'll be good someday.

So the final was Len versus Kellerman with my title hanging in the balance. I wanted to leave but since the belt might change hands I was forced to sit and watch. Len jumped out to a commanding lead. At this point I was feeling pretty good. Len was up 2 missions and Kellerman was working on his first. Len got stopped on his third and had four underneath. Kellerman drops another ship, solves the mission where he's at, swaps ships, goes to the 2nd mission, solves that and heads to the third. He's about to get 100 points in one turn and abuse the shit out of Len, but Kellerman gets stopped by a Flim-flam; no Locutus out for him, too bad. Len has 5 guys on his last mission, he plays two guys, picks them up and goes back. He attempts with 7 and gives Kellerman 3 points to work with. Why he would give 3 points to a guy who's playing an attrition dilemma pile is beyond me. I'm sure there was a better play he could've made. Kellerman draws a Dressing Down and it's lights out for Len. Kellerman drops a Locutus and attempts again, survives a So Many Enemies and a Murder Investigation, solves the mission and wins. What a bum Len is, he blows the Territorial and in the process gives the belt to Kellerman. All kidding aside, Mike's a good player and it'll be tough for anybody to take it from around his waist (I'm sorry Mike, I had to do it). The deck might be broken, but he put the effort in and earned this tournament and the Belt.

The fatal error I made was not adjusting to the metas of each TOC. I knew I wasn't going to see any competition in Virginia. I'm not being a dick, you guys played good there, I'm just saying. So I could get away with a slower, stall-type deck, but in Jersey that stuff won't win. I knew Kellerman was playing Borg and Len always plays something fast. The only way to beat speed is with speed, unless you get lucky. I don't get lucky, ever. So take a lesson from me, if everyone is playing speed in your area get faster or get luckier. You can only prepare for one.

So overall I say the trip was a success, I lost the Belt and got abused in Jersey again but I owned Virginia and got my byes. Next month is the Jersey Master and the new Green Jacket will be awarded to the winner. With a new prize comes a new format, there will be two separate tournaments on Saturday and Sunday. But the combined scores from both will determine who wins the Jacket and the NJ Premier Points.

For pictures go to:
http://home.comcast.net/~surfitch/NJ_2004_TOC/NJ2004TOC.htm

Here's April's Standings in the New Jersey Premier Series:

1. Len Neidorf 60 Pts.
2. Michael Keller 48 Pts.
3. John Corbett 42 Pts.
4. Nikolai Fomich 36 Pts.
5. James Bottomly 26 Pts.
6. Rob Tapp 16 Pts.
7. Steve Fitchett 14 Pts.
8. Cliff Lentz 8 Pts.
9. Vera Sergeyeva 8 Pts.

NJ Premier Series Schedule

Jan. 24th- KillerBOWL IV, Champion: Len Neidorf
Feb. 22nd- The New Jersey Pre-Territorial Open, Champion: Michael Keller
Mar. 28th - New Jersey Territorial, Champion: Michael Keller
Apr.- The Jersey Masters, Cinnaminson NJ
May- The New Jersey Player's Championship (Major) $10 entry fee
July- KillerSLAM!
Sep.- The World Champion Invitational
Oct.- The New Jersey Premier Series Fall Classic
Nov.- KillerBAD BLOOD!
Dec.- The New Jersey Premier Series Championship (Major) $10 entry fee

Point Breakdown

1st- 24 Pts.
2nd- 18 Pts.
3rd & 4th- 14 Pts.
5th thru 8th- 8 Pts.
9th thru 16th- 6 Pts.
17th thru 24th- 2 Pts.
26th thru 32nd- 1 Pt.
* Majors worth double points

Prizes
$60 cash (minimum)
Complete Set of Premier 2E Foils
Complete Set of Enhance 1E Premier
#1 Contender for the WTE Title and more to come (donations welcome)

---

We actually have something in the mailbag this month and it comes from Olav Rokne:

Hey John,

I really am enjoying your New Jersey article series-- finally a reason to read WNOHGB again. Plus it's getting me stoked for Gen Con.

Perhaps I'll have a chance to lose a game to you :-)

--Olav

Last year at GenCon I was waiting for my flight home when this guy behind me heard Len and I talking about Trek. It was Olav. We talked for the brief time while we were in line and he seemed like a good guy. I hope you get your chance Olav, unless it's sealed. A lot of players when they see me say, 'I remember you, I beat you before.' I'm ask them when and they always say some sealed event. I tell them good for you but I don't count sealed. There's nothing wrong with being a good sealed deck player, it's just not my forte. I don't recall playing Olav in sealed, but I'm sure he would beat me as well.

I just want to wrap this up with a little something for Tristan Marsman. Just in case you wonder where I got my 'Illusions of Grandeur' from this might help:

John Corbett - 46 picks
Brian Sykes - 23 picks
Justin Beal - 18 picks
Kris Sonsteby - 18 picks
Hayes Hunter - 13 picks
Michael Keller - 12 picks
Franklin Kenter - 12 picks
Jesse Carlucci - 11 picks
Greg Hodur - 10 picks
Robert Corbett - 8 picks
Matthew Frid - 8 picks

This is last years fantasy team picks. Since you like lists so much I thought I jolt your memory with one. I pulled it off of 'your' website. I believe I have twice as many votes as any other player. That would make me the most recognized player in the game. You're not the first man to doubt me and, I'm sure, not the last. But in the end, just like the rest, you will come to know that I am just THAT DAMN GOOD! I'll see you clowns around. And Tristan, I'll see you at Worlds.

John Corbett- "How can you not sing for all to hear?"

P.S. any questions, stories, fan/hate mail please feel free to send to johncorbettjr2 at comcast dot net

Ruling New Jersey - Volume 1, Issue 2

"I'm all in"

The words every poker player wants to hear when you got the nut flush ("Nuts" is the poker term for meaning the best possible hand). I'm not a "professional" poker player but during the winter I scratch out a living when I'm off from my job during the summer as a security supervisor. This being ironic since it was 15 security guards who threw me out of Origins, but anyway. Back to my story, the game is No-Limit Texas Hold-em (just like you see on T.V.), the guy goes all in for about $400 and of course I call. This guy is a real fish (poker term for a bad player) so I'm already counting the money in my head. With one card left to come he turns his hand over, 4-6 of clubs. He's got a weak flush; I look at the board (the community cards on the table that players make their hand from plus the two in their hand) and say, "I got the lock." But then another player points out that there is the 5 and the 8 of clubs on the board. Everyone at the table, almost in unison says, "He can get the 7." Now the chances of this happening are under 2% so nobody was serious. But as they said this my stomach just dropped, and then the dealer turned the last card over... seven of clubs. Of course the table went crazy, people came from all over to see what the fuss was about. What do you think I did? I said nice hand, sat down and waited for the next hand. Why? Because I wouldn't have player it any differently.

"You got to be fucking kidding me"

That's what I said when Matthew Frid showed me Chula: Pick One to Save Two on my last attempt at the World Championship last year. If you haven't heard the story yet, it's round four, I believe, and I'm about to win my game against this Minnesota guy I've never heard of before. I'm on my last mission, he's drawing only two dilemmas and I got an away team of all Honor klingons. I have three Relentless's and three interrupts in my hand, I have "the nuts." Nobody can get stopped, no walls can get me, and I'm counting the money in my head already. Then he picks a card and my stomach dropped, and then I turned the card over... Chula. Now the chances of him drawing this were over 2%, but still. What do you think I did? I said nice game, shook his hand, and waited for the next round. Why? Because I wouldn't have played it any differently.

Now what do both these stories have in common? Well, in the poker room I left up $60 and at Worlds I left in 3rd Place (Tied for 2nd really) and up $500. Both times I left a winner: in the poker room I didn't go on tilt (poker term for when a player starts playing differently and starts losing money) and at Worlds kept on playing my game. Bad beats and unlucky draws are just a part of the games we play. That's what makes both games great in my opinion (O.K. 2E isn't great yet but I'm giving it some more time, if DeFruiter doesn't fuck it up). But the mark of a great player is being able to handle any situation. The great poker players, when they lose, they lose small, and when they win, they win big. In poker when I lose I might drop $100 maybe $200 and when I win it's anywhere from $500 up. In Trek when I lose it's a 3rd place or Runner-up trophy and when I do win well... we'll just see.

The first step on this years Championship circuit is coming later this month with the New Jersey Territorial. To tell you guys the truth, not that I'm making excuses, I've been slacking this year. With my poker "job", two girlfriends, and my 18-month-old daughter it's been my Trek that's been taking the hit. The last tournament, on my birthday no less, I only won one game. Two losses and a tie, that's not "THE GAME" now is it? But with a new expansion coming out and some "real" tournaments coming I feel the motivation brewing inside me again. And when something is brewing inside me it's usually dangerous, things like fog machines and strobe lights start floating around my brain. Next month look for the run down of how the Territorial went, who had the balls from outside Jersey to come, and how many times I knock off the nerd beads from the table when Len and Mike play LotR. Not that anyone cares, except the guys on this list, here's the current standing in the New Jersey Premier Series:

1. Len Neidorf 42 Pts.
2. John Corbett 28 Pts.
3. James Bottomly 26 Pts.
4. Michael Keller 24 Pts.
5. Nikolai Fomich 22 Pts.
6. Steve Fitchett 14 Pts.
7. Rob Tapt 8 Pts.
8. Cliff Lentz 8 Pts.

With eight events to go including two majors (worth double points) I still have plenty of time to catch Len's punk ass and fend off Michael "The Lawyer" Kellerman. And who knows, the new Cruiserweight Champion Steve Fitchett might be for real. At the beginning of 2003 since most us Jersey players are wrestling fans we came up with a belt, this going to the best player at the time. Some of you clowns might have seen the belt at Origins or GenCon. And about six months ago we started the Cruiserweight Belt going to the best player who's rated 1750 or lower. We're innovators here in Jersey, we love to make it a show. We know most people don't get it but we don't care. And maybe at Origins I'll make it a show again, who knows? I feel something brewing, that's all I can say. See you clowns around.

John Corbett- "For the Win!"

P.S. any questions, stories, hate mail please feel free to send to johncorbettjr2 at comcast dot net

Ruling New Jersey - Volume 1, Issue 1

"I am sad to announce that this is the last Ruling Britannia I will be writing. I started out in mid 2000 with a plan to put the English Star Trek scene on the map. We housed some of the best players in the world and had a tournament scene the competitiveness of which topped anywhere in the world. We also had a group of top players who, through the game, had become best of friends."
- The Final Ruling Britannia

Even though I used to give Ian grief back in the day, we had a lot in common. My goal was to put the New Jersey Trek scene on the map. However, I went about doing it in an entirely different way. We had (and still do) some of the best players in the world and a competitive tournament scene. Now I look back over the past decade and realize the friends I've made ... and the enemies. But that was going to happen with the way I went about my mission.

"Ruling Britannia became the side of Star Trek that Decipher had no control over. A virtual world where we were free to call playtesters crap, DQSS broken and Kathy McKracken a bitch. A world where nobody was ever banned and no story was ever covered up."

Ah, another thing we shared in common, our displeasure with Decipher. If I had a nickel everytime I was banned I still be poor, but I would have a shitload of nickels. Decipher never liked me and I never really like them. Most of the time I didn't agree on how they handled Trek, and when I voiced that opinion I was banned and dismissed. This just played into the way I wanted to make New Jersey, and myself, famous. But that's not how I want to handle it anymore. Decipher on the other hand, maintains the status quo.

"Special thanks go to the following people... John Corbett - For being a fantastic Troll."
Yeah, I loved you too buddy. I live to serve.

So I'm here now for the same reasons Ian was back in 2000, bring our regions perspective on the game to all the players in the world. We have 2 of the top 4 players in the world currently and some up and comers. There's not a more competitive area in the world... OK, Minnesota might be close. We've created a Premier Points System to generate interest in the region. This apparently has created a stir in Decipher. I never claimed to anyone that it was DGMA sanctioned. But of course if it's New Jersey it must be bad. So in the coming months you'll get the happenings on this Trek scene, my random rants, and maybe some strategy ideas. Or maybe I'll give you more reasons to hate me. It's been known to happen. See you clowns around.

John Corbett- "For the Win!"
P.S. Any ideas, questions, and hate mail please feel free to e-mail at johncorbettjr2 at comcast dot net