Re: Gameroom Rock/Paper/Scissors Tournament IV
First Round results
At last, the true tournament has begun. After thirteen long and punishing days of the round robin, separation has been achieved. Seeds have been determined.The passive voice has been abused.Now the fun begins. From here on out, there are no draws. Matches will go as long as they need to, and people are wondering if the record of five tiebreakers set by Sigurd and edse is going to be broken.
Of course, that's not the only thing they're wondering about. Will seireikhaan break out of his funk and win a knockout round matchup for the first time since his upset victory over Sasaki Kojiro in the second tournament? Can Sigurd put a poor round robin behind him and go on a run to win it all after four tries? Can Al Sipsclar and BSmith, who met on the final day of the round robin and battled to a draw, settle their accounts? And can anyone in the first round do what has never been done before and win all four necessary matches to become champion?
The betting has been fast and furious this round, a mark of the heightened stakes as well as the fact that the bettors now have previous matches to use as data. Of today's matchups, #5 Zack defeated #12 Sigurd on Day 3, #6 Jolt beat #11 seireikhaan on Day 11, #7 Al Sipsclar and #10 BSmith drew on Day 13, and #8 Myrddraal took down #9 El Barto on Day 9. In other words, the lower seeds are not only underdogs by virtue of seeding, but also by virtue of having outright lost their round robin contests in three of the four matchups. We will see if the chalk holds.
With the stakes as high as they've ever been, whichever contestant does the best job of keeping down his nerves has the best chance of advancing. And so they all fight their private battles as the referee walks out, acknowledges the contestants, and raises his hand in the air.
"Rock... paper... scissors... shoot!"
#5 Zack vs. #12 Sigurd
Despite the disparity in seeding, Sigurd's fine knockout round record (3-0 lifetime before the semifinals) and his immense experience means that he can by no means be considered an easy out. Zack, having participated in the previous tournament - and bowing out in his first match in the knockout round - is fully aware of this and is prepared for a battle. Battle is exactly what Sigurd gives him. Zack's first throw is Scissors, but Sigurd, in no hurry, meets it with some Scissors of his own. On the rethrow, Sigurd stares Zack down, searching for weakness, but the #5 seed is able to keep his composure. He switches to Rock... but sees Sigurd's likeminded Rock. Now we're getting into truly unique territory, but Sigurd has been here before and looks, for his part, the most relaxed he's been all tournament while Zack is starting to sweat. On the second rethrow, he decides to switch it up one more time, showing Paper... and this time Sigurd has held steady with Rock. After a brutal matchup, the seedings have held and Sigurd's glittering streak of making every semifinal is finally over. He gamely congratulates Zack, shakes his hand, and walks off saluting the crowd in what could be the final match of his fine career.
Zack advances
#6 Jolt vs. #11 seireikhaan
Jolt is slightly annoyed at his solid performance in the round robin resulting in a first-round matchup with the Chaotic Neutral of the tournament in seireikhaan, but he consoles himself with the fact that most of khaan's attempts to shake up the status quo lately have epically backfired on himself. That said, he knows this is not going to be an easy match - khaan, having received the equivalent of a Rock/Paper/Scissors tar-and-feathering lately, is focused and out for blood. It's in Jolt's interests to end this as quickly as possible, and he goes right for the throat by throwing Paper... only to see that it matches khaan's Paper of his own. khaan raises his eyebrow once and smiles. He's gotten over the hump, and how he has the initiative. Will Jolt react well? On the second throw, he remains with Paper... but khaan, *finally*, has guessed right and thrown Scissors. With this victory, and the break from the pattern, khaan has re-assumed the title of "most dangerous opponent in the tournament". Jolt may only be the first of his victims.
seireikhaan advances
#7 Al Sipsclar vs. #10 BSmith
This is the second match in a row these two have faced each other, and they each have unfinished business - the draw ensured that Al Sipsclar lost any chance of being a top-four seed, and doomed BSmith to being third in a series of three tiebreakers to determine the 8, 9, and 10 slots. Both of them angry for vengeance, they face each other with nothing but victory on their minds. However, it looks like they drew on Day 13 for a reason. Al Sipsclar starts off with Rock. So does BSmith. Of course, nothing would be this easy. Al Sipsclar moves to Paper. So does BSmith. Now, the pressure is truly on. The second tiebreaker is where we see resolutions in most of these scenarios, and this is no exception. Al Sipsclar switches to Scissors - and BSmith correctly guesses this by moving back to Rock. After five throws over two days, a victor is finally crowned in their personal battle.
BSmith advances
#8 Myrddraal vs. #9 El Barto
The two of them are exactly equal in seeding (and points accrued in the round robin), but Myrddraal does have the mental advantage going into this by virtue of his victory over El Barto on Day 9. That is the only separation the two of them have. Will a fourth straight match go to tiebreakers? Unfortunately (but fortunately for the overworked ER doctors concerned about heart attacks) it does not, with Myrddraal's Paper dispatching El Barto's Rock on the first throw.
Myrddraal advances
I've talked a lot in the tournament about the "dreaded #13" seed, but the #6 seed is proving to be just as deadly. It has now been upset by the #11 seed for the third tournament in a row.
Congratulations to the four players who advanced, as well as to the ones who lost for their great efforts. The real challenge for these four begins next round, as they get to play the top four seeds in the tournament for the right to advance to the semi-finals.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is now the Quarterfinals!
Quarterfinal matchups:
#1 atheotes vs. #11 seireikhaan
#2 Csargo vs. #10 BSmith
#3 Winston Hughes vs. #8 Myrddraal
#4 Visorslash vs. #5 Zack
Originally Posted by TosaInu
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