186 - New Tournament Format

[Master Roshambollah]

The latest word in Invitational Tournament formats is a little number called "186."  The number of invited players is typically small, usually between 8 and 16 (though 4 would be interesting, as would 32, for reasons that will be explained shortly.)  The caliber of players is unusually high at a 186 tournament, and the location is usually unannounced publicly.

Quite simply, a 186 tournament boils down to this:  all players show up with $186 dollars (local currency) in their pockets.  The funds consist of one unit each in the common denominations ($1, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.)  Six single-elimination tournaments are held, the first of which involves a "registration fee" of $1.  For the next tournament, the ante is raised to $5, and so on. Winner takes all.  It is not unusual to see players use a variation of the Urbanus Defense, losing the first five matches then scoring big with the last one.  

Other than that, the only rule is "what happens at a 186 stays at a 186."    

Due to the high quality of players typically invited to such an event, 186 tournaments tend towards reliable self-refereeing.  A few top referees have even been spotted in attendance at these events.

Publicity is typically word-of-mouth.  A player may even invite another in public without raising suspicions, using such phrases as "I just bought a cup of coffee; can you believe they charged me a dollar and eighty-six cents?" or "I went to a hot dog eating competition; one person ate five hot dogs and one ate six (one-eight-six.)  A player may even absent-mindedly scribble the number on a piece of paper and hand it off.  

Locations for 186 tournaments are typically upscale, and more than one has taken place in a hotel room numbered (what else?) 186.

Players of lesser means have been known to play 86, or even 36, but the real competiton comes out for a full 186 tourney.  There are rumors that such a tourney may be taking place in Toronto this year during the IWC, but more than this I cannot say...

[custardchuk]

The caliber of players is unusually high at a 186 tournament

That is because the stakes are unusually high.

While trophies look good on the mantlepiece, to a player, (and dusty to his or her heirs,) the reality is that proffesional players, by neccessity, run on cash.

A win at the Internationals may support the pursuit of a 186 payoff, but not for long. A win at a 186 will support repeated attempts to dress up the living room.

regards
custardchuk

[paperchamp]

someone get me an invite