Haha…..Michael, note that I also lumped
France and Norway together at 12:1, stating that both countries offer a great
location if they can get rolling (check) and that Jorge and Joe will need to be
very active on the diplomatic front early (check).
 
Course, some of my predictions went
horribly wrong too, so I guess a career as an odds-maker is not in my future.
 
Cheers!
Frank
 
 




From: Michael Sims [mailto:mike(at)fuzzylogicllc.net]

Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 8:49
PM

To: Frank
Martin; ddz999cat(at)yahoo.com;
Garry Bledsoe; nephilli99(at)hotmail.com; m_don_j(at)hotmail.com; Jorge Saralegui;
jhack16(at)gmail.com; matthew.kremer(at)yale.edu; smegdwarf(at)yahoo.com; drew3739o(at)yahoo.com; maxatrest(at)yahoo.co.uk; dci

Subject: RE: DCI 9: Las Vegas Odds to Win

 
Turkey:  9:1
“it could be a long game at three centers.”
Creepy.
-mike
 
 


From: Frank Martin [mailto:fmartin(at)psomas.com]

Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009
2:55 PM

Subject: DCI 9: Las Vegas Odds to Win


 

AP Las Vegas:


 


Just posted are the odds to win the famous DCI 9 Diplomacy
Invitational, a gathering of world-renowned gamers on one of the games biggest
stages. The competition will be held over the next several months and will be
watched by at least dozens of rabid (and probably slightly bored) net
followers.


 


Austria: 3:1 -
Until dethroned, Dan is the champ. To be the champ, you've got to beat the
champ. Dan's odds would probably even be better if he had not drawn the
typically difficult starting position of Austria. Even with that though,
Dan's abilities (see Tiger Woods) are so dominating that odds makers still see
him as the prohibitive favorite.


 


Russia: 7:2 -
Nobody in the game has been hotter than Nefarious Nigel (see Brazil futbol), and he's drawn Russia as a
base. Game experts are all wishing they could be flies on the wall when Dan and
Nigel eventually start butting heads.


 


England: 9:2 - Far
away from the favorites, 2009 WB Champion Garry is probably giggling about his
projected path to victory (see Dr. Evil). "Get middle countries to fight,
check. Get France and Spain on
different sides of the fence, check. Hope everybody ignores my slow and steady
growth, mate."


 


Balkans and Germany:
6:1 - Hey! They're moderator picks (see Ryder Cup Golf). They're here for a reason.
Give Drew or Max a little breathing room, and you'll wish you were in England or Spain, where you can scream from a
distance for those closer to fall on their swords for your behalf.


 


Spain and Turkey: 9:1 - Matt and Adam
have top notch resumes, and they are both starting in the potentially
awesome starting corner positions of Spain
and Turkey.
If either get an alliance from the outset with a neighbor and get rolling, look
out (see the University of Florida and Oklahoma
football teams). If they get stonewalled by their neighbors, it could be a long
game at three centers.


 



Lowlands: 10:1 - So
Frank plays one game in the past two years and wins. Is this an aberration, or
is this guy so good that he can dust off his diplomacy hat and produce an epic
win over an elite field (see Bobby Fischer). Time will tell, but from his past
exploits, it certainly won't be boring.


 


France and Norway: 12:1 - France
is typically a great starting position in standard diplomacy, but when you
throw a player to your south, the position becomes much more difficult (see Belgium in
conflicts of the 1900s). And Norway,
sandwiched between Russia
and England, can be a
nightmare if the player doesn't get off to a good start (see Belgium in
conflicts of the 1900s). Both countries offer a great location if they can get
rolling, but both face potentially daunting opposition at the outset. Jorge and
Joe will need to be very active on the diplomatic front early.


 


Italy: 15:1 -
Mikael is an incredible player, but this is Italy
we're talking about (see Italy
in 99.9% of diplomacy games). Under the best of conditions, Italy sometimes has a hard time grabbing more
than Tunis,
and in this variant, there's already a Spanish fleet there. Mikael will need to
work his miracles (see anything done by Michelangelo) to see Italy grow into
a monster.


 


Hope you all enjoyed this. Please let it be known that this
is all off the cuff, and all slights/exaggerations were not (wholly)
intentional. haha


 


I better get back to work now.  : )