The weather was fine and so was the play at the final day of MLP Test Matches before the season begins next Sunday. We had 6 teams from the Champions League work on their Dreambreakers game and 2 teams from the Challengers League do a full dress rehearsal for a complete match.
It was an entertaining time and the Dreambreakers format takes a little time to get used to and, more importantly, figure out how to set up your lineup to succeed. We had a few subs play today but that didn’t have a material impact to the results. In the end, the team of Mark Montgomery, Kathy Pals, Jim Martin and Karen Marlowe figured out the winning strategy and finished the morning 4-1. Not far behind were Nancy and Alan Knuckles, Linda Sacre (for Maureen Plainfield) and Jim Alexander with a 3-2 record, edging out Mary Ellen and Danny Dowsett, Martine Lamy, and Rob Schultz with an equal 3-2 record but losing to the Knuckles in their 5th game, 21-16.
In the Challengers dress rehearsal, it was team Godzilla (Barbara and Fernando Garcia, Jim Martin and Carolyn McNash) defeating team Stack Attack, 3-1 (M 15-21, W 21-11, Mixed 1 21-20, Mixed 2 21-12). For shits and giggles, we also practiced the Dreambreakers where team Godzilla won 21-10.
Kongrats to all the winners and participants!
Thanks again to my volunteers Chas Popplestone, Miriam Bernstein and Fred Veenstra for keeping track of the scores and herding the teams to their proper courts. And thanks to the folks who came to watch and got to learn a little about the
MLP format.
[Technical Note: the livestream had a network failure towards the end of the day so I hope most, if not all the footage makes to the YT channel @JohnnyKingKong. From the clip I did see, it also seems the image is the mirror image of what it should be. SMH]
Next week:
- MLP League play begins with the Champions league playing from 10a-noon and the Challengers league playing from noon to 2p.
- The next Pickle N’ Poker Palooza is Feb 7, 7-9p
Here is the link to the photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBZnuZ
Here is the link to the YT playlist, including the replay of the livestream from court 3 and the GoPro footage from court 4 and 1: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy0MUnaQ-KX8dp-FKq5ff7sM4sNOcELV1
Livestream (video is flipped! not sure why that happened)
Champions League Dreambreakers Court 1
- Intro (0:06:45)
- Game 1 (0:13:50): Mary Ellen Dowsett, Danny Dowsett, Martine Lamy, Rob Schultz v Robert Kraft, Doug McClintock, Deb Linderwirth (for Bryana Witt), Nina Riley (for Jodi Schaefer)
- Game 2 (0:35:25): Mary Ellen Dowsett, Danny Dowsett, Martine Lamy, Rob Schultz v Oliver Sun, Ralph Brine, Randy Friedman, Claudia Fontana
- Game 3 (0:55:40): Robert Kraft, Doub McClintock, Deb Linderwirth, Nina Riley v Oliver Sun, Ralph Brine, Randy Friedman, Claudia Fontana
- Game 4: (1:13:14): Nancy Knuckles, Alan Knuckles, Linda Sacre (for Maureen Plainfield), Jim Alexander v Robert Kraft, Doub McClintock, Deb Linderwirth, Nina Riley
- Game 5 (1:31:00): Robert Kraft, Doub McClintock, Deb Linderwirth, Nina Riley v Mark Montgomery, Jim Martin, Kathy Pals, Karen Marlowe
Challengers League Dress Rehearsal
- Intro (1:51:54)
- Women’s Double (2:14:25): Barbara Garcia and Carolyn McNash v Lori Gloerson and Cathy Huffman
- Mixed Doubles 2 (2:32:20): Barbara Garcia and Jim Martin v Frank Pindulic and Lori Gloeson [unfortunately, the network dropped midway through this game, with Barbara serving at 8-8]
GoPro
Champions League Dreambreakers Court 4
- Intro (0:00:00)
- Game 1 (0:07:07): Nancy Knuckles, Alan Knuckles, Linda Sacre, Jim Alexander v Oliver Sun, Ralph Brine, Randy Friedman, Claudia Fontana
- Game 2(0:22:20): Scott Farnsworth, Tony Campbell, Gina Dennis, Laura Mayes v Robert Kraft, Doug McClintock, Deb Linderwirth, Nina Riley
- Game 3 (0:39:04): Mary Ellen Dowsett, Danny Dowsett, Martine Lamy, Rob Schultz v Mark Montgomery, Jim Martin, Kathy Pals, Karen Marlowe
- Game 4 (0:50:44): Scott Farnsworth, Tony Campbell, Gina Dennis, Laura Mayes v Mary Ellen Dowsett, Danny Dowsett, Martine Lamy, Rob Schultz
- Game 5 (1:09:25): Oliver Sun, Ralph Brine, Randy Friedman, Claudia Fontana v Scott Farnsworth, Tony Campbell, Gina Dennis, Laura Mayes
Challengers League Dress Rehearsal Court 1
- Men’s Doubles (1:26:50): Fernando Garcia and Jim Martin v Frank Pindulic and Jon Huffman
- Mixed Doubles 1 (1:38:49): Fernando Garcia and Carolyn McNash v Jim Martin and Cathy Huffman
- Dreambreakers (1:56:56): Barbara Garcia, Fernando Garcia, Jim Martin, Carolyn McNash v Frank Pindulic, Lori Gloerson, Jon Huffman, Cathy Huffman