Schedule for 2008: Jun 6-8: 2008 LOS ANGELES OPEN; L.A., CA; 818/901-0464 __ABT event (AirTel Plaza Hotel, Van Nuys, CA) Sept 20-21, 2008 VIETOR CUP Invitational; La Jolla, CA 818/901-0464 Dec 5-7, 2008 CALIFORNIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP; L.A., CA; 818/901-0464 __ABT event (Airtel Plaza Hotel & Convention Center)
LOS ANGELES OPEN
June 6-7-8, 2008
Venue: Airtel Plaza Hotel & Convention Center
7277 Valjean Street
Van Nuys, CA 91406
Reservations: 800.224.7835 or 818.997.7676
Gammon Associates is holding the 2008 LOS ANGELES OPEN at the Airtel Plaza Hotel & Convention Center Juen 6-7-8, 2008. This event is on the "2008 American Backgammon Tour". (Please make hotel reservations early; Van Nuys Flyaway has service to/from LAX ) In preparation for the Calcutta Auction, FINAL REGISTRATION CLOSES Friday night at 10 pm. We reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone, whether to play or to observe. -SUPER-32: high equity, open to all players, single elimination. -Paul Dingwell Amateur-16: high equity, open to players not of high championship level, single elimination. (5% of each entry fee goes to charity) -OPEN**: Open to all players including SUPER-32. -ADVANCED** & LIMITED**: open to players with online ratings less than 1700 & 1400 plus approval of an eligibility committee. Register or call for approval. -DOUBLES: open to all players, re-entries (time & space permitting). 1st-Rnd Entry Fee return MxLen Play Begins SUPER-32 $400 90% 11 pts Fri. 2 pm or 7 pm (2-4 places) P.D.Amateur-16 $180 85% 9 pts Fri. 2 pm or 7 pm (2 places) OPEN ** $240 85% 11 pts Sat. 11:30 am ADVANCED** $120 80% 9 pts Sat. 12:00 pm LIMITED ** $ 60 80% 7 pts Sat. 12:30 pm DOUBLES Team $160 85% 7 pts Fri 7 pm & Sun. 12:00 noon 2-Pt Quickies $ 20 85% 2 pts Fri., Sat., & Sun. (winner take all) JACKPOTS $100/50 80% 7 pts Sun. 2 pm, as interest is shown ( ** events) = "Double elimination with progressive consolation"; means you have three chances to win the cash prizes (2,3,4 ...7 places paid depending on the number of players). Notes: side events (e.g. Quickies, Doubles) are for players registered in the SUPER-32, P.D.Amateur-16, OPEN, ADVANCED, or LIMITED -- others must pay a one time tournament fee of $20. Please BRING YOUR OWN BACKGAMMON BOARD !! Byes: all entries, whether pre-paid or last minute registrations, will be equally eligible. Gammon Associates reserves the right to refuse entry to any person. Side Pools: There will be sidepools available ($100-SP32, $50-P.D.AM16 & Open, $30 Advanced, $60 Doubles): 100% return going to the two players in each pool who go the furthest in the event (2/3 to 1st & 1/3 to 2nd). DIGITAL Chess clocks: will be used at the Tournament Director's discretion. In addition, either player in a Super-32 or P.D.AM-16 match may require that a clock be used in that match. CLOCK RULES (Oct. 2007) will be available. There will be a "Calcutta Auction" of the OPEN & ADVANCED players to allow you to predict & participate in their successes (85% return, 5% goes to charity). Starts 10:00am Saturday. Friday (JUN. 6th) "SUPER-32" (limited to 32 players) "Paul Dingwell Amateur-16" (limited to 16 players) 12:00 noon registration opens (--Cash only--) 2:00 pm SUPER-32 & Paul Dingwell Am-16 'Early start', 3-rnds play Friday 7:00 pm SUPER-32 & Paul Dingwell Am-16 'Late start', 3-rnds play Friday 7:00 pm Doubles 1st start (plus new entries Sunday) 8:00 pm Try the 2-pt Quickies (8 players, blitz format) -available all three days
10:00pm FINAL REGISTRATION closes for OPEN & ADVANCED (you must be paid up, only entries for the LIMITED will be accepted on Saturday)
Saturday (JUN. 7th) "OPEN" & "ADVANCED" (limited to 64 players each) 09:30 am Adjustments to registrations 10:00 - 11:00 am -Live Calcutta Auction 11:00 – 11:30 am -Auction buy-backs from the owners & Public drawing. 11:30 - 5:00 pm -1st - nth rounds of play with automatic 2nd Chance & Consolation as matches are completed in the main draw. 5:00 - 7:00 pm -DINNER break, you're on your own. 7:00 - 12:30 am -Play continues (no match started past midnight) -2-pt Quickies between matches "LIMITED" (Eligibility determined by committee) 11:00 - 11:45 am -Final registration (--Cash only--) 12:15 pm -Drawing 12:30 - 5:00 pm -1st - nth rounds of play with automatic 2nd Chance & Consolation as matches are completed in the main draw. 5:00 - 7:00 pm -DINNER break, you're on your own. 7:00 -12:30 am -Play continues (no match started past midnight) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUNDAY times are approximate; all players must verify their start times with a Tournament director before leaving Saturday night. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday (JUN. 8th) 10:00 am Play continues in OPEN, ADVANCED & LIMITED divisions DOUBLES (open to all players) (85% return) 12:45 - 1:00 pm Registration ($160/team), drawing for new-teams, 1st rounds and continuation from Friday's start. 12:30 pm 2-pt QUICKIES (85% return) will be held as players are available ~1:00 pm Semi-Finals for SUPER-32 event (if not done Friday), FINALS to follow at 3:00pm ~2:00 pm Jackpots $100 & $50 as interest is shown ~2:00 pm Finals for OPEN, ADVANCED & LIMITED should begin ~4:00 pm Finals for CONSOLATION's and QUICKIES should begin ~6:30 pm Finals for DOUBLES should begin -Notes: - Non-Smoking Tournament w/ extra 5 min. smoke-break per match. The SUPER-32 & P.D.AM-16 fill quickly-- so please send deposit early. --We'll call, if max-entry issues. -The OPEN, ADV, & LTD events each garner master points for the 2008 American Backgammon Tour -DEPOSIT amounts ($40 for Super-32 & PD-AM16, $30, 20 or 10 for Main events). Entries must be postmarked before May 24th, 2008. The remainder is due at final registration, FRIDAY NIGHT, in Cash only (fully refundable up to the time of the draw). Send to: __________________________________________________________________________________________________HOTEL
This Tourney is held at a hotel: Airtel Plaza Hotel & Conference Center in Van Nuys. They are giving us a preferred group rate of $99/nite, single or double occupancy. Complimentary wireless & high-speed internet access and local phone calls are included. You must make your reservations at the numbers below no later than May 22, 2008. You must use the codeword "Backgammon-2008". Airtel Plaza Hotel & Conference Center 7277 Valjean Avenue (corner of Sherman Way) Van Nuys, CA 91406 Reservations: 800.224.7835 or direct= 818.997.7676 www.airtelplaza.com _________________________________________________________________________________________________Transportation
From the airport (LAX) use the "VAN NUYS FLYAWAY" bus service at the GREEN OVERHEAD SIGN outside each LAX terminal. Round-trip is $8.00 or $4.00 one-way. Once you & your luggage are loaded aboard, the trip takes 30-45 minutes depending on traffic. Make sure that it is "VAN NUYS" (NOT Westwood or Union Station). No reservations are needed, they are running 24 hrs/day. See their website (below) for the Van Nuys FLYAWAY schedule. You pay upon exit at Flyaway's Van Nuys terminal; then ask for the lobby free-phone to call the Airtel Plaza Hotel's free shuttle service for the 1/2 mile ride to the hotel. (a Taxi from LAX to the hotel can be over $65.) the Van Nuys Flyaway site (www.lawa.org/vny/flyAwayInfo.cfm)_________________________________________________________________________________________________ General Driving Directions DRIVING-- Take the 405 Fwy North (San Diego Freeway) past the junction of the 101 Fwy, exiting at Sherman Way-West. Proceed West (right turn) onto Shermany Way. Go approximately one mile to Valjean Avenue. Turn right onto Valjean, the hotel is immediately on the left. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Previous "OPEN" Winners 1st Jay Frydman (1981) 2nd Dimitrios Kontopides(1982) 3rd Faramarz Borna 5th Faramarz Borna (1983) 6th Bijan Ashkan 8th Grigore Harutunian (1984) 9th Mike Thunstrom (1985) 10th Bahman Fathi 11th Bob Glass (1986) 12th Norm Wiggins 13th Joe Russell (1987) 14th Ron Bruns 15th Elli Nache 17th Peter Zacks (1988) 19th Farzan Garmroodi (1989) 20th Bob Glass 21st Neil Kazaross (1990) 22nd Steve Sax 23rd Ray Baker 24th Ebby Mossanen (1991) 25th Paul Gedigian 26th Gene Chait 27th Al Demirjian (1992) 28th Scott McKenzie 29th Woody Woodson (1993) 30th Joe Harris 31st Dave Williams (1994) 32nd Rudy Citrom 33rd Odis Chenault (1995) 34th Dave Williams 35th Joe Russell 36th Ernest Ho (1996) 37th Odis Chenault 38th Doug Mayfield (1997) 39th Norm Wiggins 40th Steve Sax 41st Doug Mayfield (1998) 42nd Tom Zarrinnam 43rd Jeff Burdsall (1999) 44th Odis Chenault 45th Mike Ungerleider (2000) 46th Mike Sharp 47th Bob Wachtel (2001) 48th Sho Sengoku 49th Ray Fogerlund (2002) 50th Norm Wiggins 51st Mike Ungerleider (2003) 52nd Art Grater 53rd Wayne Jeffcoat (2004) 54th Jona Alexander (2004)(California State Championship) 55th Jason Lee (2005)(Los Angeles OPEN) 56th Stepan Nuniyants (2005)(California State Championship) 57th Bob Glass (2006)(Los Angeles OPEN) 58th Ken Fischer (2006)(California State Championship) 59th Bart Brooks (2007)(Los Angeles OPEN) 60th Adrian Costa (2007)(California State Championship) 61st (could be you?) (2008)(Los Angeles OPEN) ____________________________________________ Entry Form (2008 LOS ANGELES OPEN) Name: _______________________ Address: _____________________ City: _________________________ State/Zip: _____________________ Phone: ( ) __________________ Email: _________________________________ Deposit In Full Super-32 __ $40 __ $400 Start: 2pm __or 7pm __ --Side pool __ $ 50 Paul Dingwell Amateur-16 __ $40 __ $180 Start: 2pm __or 7pm __ --Side pool __ $ 50 OPEN __ $30 __ $240 --Side pool __ $ 50 ADVANCED __ $20 __ $120 --Side pool __ $ 30 LIMITED __ $10 __ $ 60 DOUBLES __ $20 __ $160 --Side pool __ $ 60 Total submitted: $ ______ In order to prepare for the drawings & AUCTION, Registration must complete, for OPEN & ADVANCED, (fully paid) by Friday night (June 6th) 10:00 pm ________________________________________________ Make payable to & Mail to: Gammon Associates 7641 Orion Avenue Van Nuys, CA 91406 (Cell)-818.645.6284 (Must be postmarked by May 24th, 2008)
Gammon Associates' is a group of backgammon players that compete weekly for prizes and master points. The weekly tournaments are randomly drawn matches of 5 or 7-points in length. They are single elimination events that accommodate re-entries into the first and second rounds. We use the U.S.Backgammon Tournament Rules including the "doubling cube". The game of backgammon is several thousand years old, with its origins in several civilizations (Persian, Egyp- tian and Indian archaeological evidence). The Persians call it "shesh besh", the Turkish and Farsi words for "6-5". "Master points" are accumulated all year long, with the top-16 highest point winners being invited to compete in the "Tournament of Champions". Please come visit us to either observe or to join in --our "face to face" competitions allow for the skill of strategies and the luck of the dice.
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VIETOR CUP Invitational SEPTEMBER 15-16, 2007 (La Jolla, CA)
CALIFORNIA CHALLENGE CUP "possibly next in 2007" --maybe done online-- --the last competition was held in December '98 between the two California Backgammon Clubs. The winner was Gammon Associates of Los Angeles.