ACC Internet Cribbage

2005-6 All-Internet		IRPs	Ts
1.	John Schafer	861	117
2.	Mark Van Dyke	858	122
3.	Donald Olney	786	84
4.	Scott Buhrow	765	100
5.	John Dellarsina	720	98
6.	Craig E. Jensen	702	97
7.	Tom Ford	690	87
8.	Tom Lewis	675	95
9.	Marilyn Gaudreu	668	100
10.	Robert H Campbell	633	121

	TOC qualifiers	IRPs	Ts
11.	William MacMillan	630	100
12.	Allen Nypen	615	113
13.	Jim Hatch	603	75
14.	Jack Wifladt	603	100
15.	Bob Bousquet	600	84
16.	Mike Rosenstock	591	92
17.	Kelly Ann Burgar	576	93
18.	Roger Grandgeorge	561	81
19.	Tom Cookman	552	84

This playing year ended about six weeks early on June 18, 2006 because the site we were using for tournaments dropped many classic games, including cribbage. 188 Tournaments were held for the season.

219 ACC members participated during this season with 182 earning Internet Rating Points (IRPs). The top 10% of those earning IRPs will receive invitations to the ACC Tournament of Champions which will be held February 9, 2007 at the Sands in Reno, NV.

The ACC Internet Tournaments will begin August 14th. The Tournament Schedule for the August and September is posted The Games will be played in the ACC Room on Game Colony.

This room can be reached through the numerous Gamecolony.com links found within the ACC Internet Cribbage or directly through the following URL:

Game Colony is working on this needed modification to the ACC Room. Once this modification is complete, we can begin our tournaments. This modification is the providing the capability to run the scripts for the rules and assignments by those without the Game Colony TD designation. It will take about 10 minutes to make assignments if these are made manually.

Game Colony is also working on an update to their cribbage game. That update is that the option for the played cards to be displayed (as is standard in ACC play) or hide the cards. Once this option is available, we will use 'Display Card' option for our tournaments.

June saw our host site dropping cribbage. Unfortunately, we have had to temporarily suspend the tournaments until July. This was due to selecting a new site, re-registration of members onto the new site, and redesign of our tools for the new site.

The top 10 remains basically unchanged from last month with just a slight shift in positions.

Hopefully, during the last weeks of July, some folks have an opportunity to move up in the standings. As you know the top 10% of IRP earners gain an invitation to the ACC Tournament of Champions held in Reno in February 2007.

The ACC Internet Committee and their TDs have ruled that screen names cannot contain any tokens. Tokens are used for special designations and many token designations have special privileges. Tokens include, but are not limited to, the following +, $, (TD).

If you registered a screen name that contains a token, you MUST register a non-token name on Game Colony and register the new screen name at the ACC web site. Therefore, if you have registered a screen that indicated you are a $TIX player, a TD, or a Member+, your screen name is not valid for ACC Internet play and you must obtain a new screen name that contains no token. FYI - I too need to get a new one as $Moojus is not valid for ACC Internet play.

If you need a new screen name at Gamecolony.com, please register your new screen name using a link from any ACC Internet Page or click here.

As many of you know, there was a rule that if you booted on 4th St, you usually forfeited your game. This was because of a deficiency with the old Zone software that you usually did not return to the same point in the game as when the boot occurred.

The Gamecolony.com software maintains the game state on their server such that you return to the same point in the game after the boot. Because of this Gamecolony.com feature, the ACC Internet Committee is suspending the 4th St Boot/Forfeiture rule at this time. The TDs will monitor this type situation and have the discretion to re-introduce this rule should it becomes necessary.

We have been testing the ACC portal on the Gamecolony.com site and our very own ACC room. Our TDs have been becoming familiar with Game Colony and have been modifying the scripts that are used for our tournaments. There are several TD tools that are being modified for the new site. The switch in sites also necessitated new procedures for the assignment of tables.

Gamecolony.com announce Partnership with American Cribbage Congress to Provide Online Cribbage Games and Tournaments.

We will be starting our tournaments on Game Colony later this month. We are working out the final scheduling. Our schedule will be close to the schedule from the Zone.

Important: All players must also re-register with the ACC Internet for our tournaments. This is because many nicknames may change with our moving to the new site.

May 2006 Wrap-up:
John Schafer (netview85) is on top with Mark Van Dyke (loosespokes1135) in second. These folks can be caught! They can earn no more IRPS as you earn IRPs in the first 100 tournaments is which you participate. Come on everyone and try to catch them!

The ACC Executive Committee approved the business proposal submitted by Game Colony. The signed proposal has been mailed to Game Colony. Once Game Colony receives this signed proposal, they will begin working on the co-branded entrance.

I recommend that everyone register for play at Game Colony and play some games there so you can become familiar with the 'look and feel' of the site. Since not everyone will be able to keep the same nickname that was used on MS Zone, we will have be announcing a re-registration process for internet play.

As we have previously announced, MS Zone will discontinue Cribbage on their site effective June 19, 2006. MS Zone did not permit the ACC to run their own tournaments on the Zone. Thanks to Lois Fosdal, our Assistant Statistician, we are able to piggyback onto Pegging Pals for our tournaments.

At this time, the ACC and Game Colony are in negotiations for the purposes of promoting cribbage by having having our ACC internet cribbage tournaments hosted by Game Colony. Though not fully finalized, I expect that there will be a signed agreement soon.

1. The ACC will continue to offer FREE tournaments on Game Colony. Registration in Game Colony is FREE.

2. Game Colony will develop the necessary co-branded pages for entrance into the ACC area. When you enter the ACC area, the pages are branded with the ACC logo and verbiage along with the Game Colony logo. I displayed to several board members the entrance pages that Game Colony developed for other game organizations and we agree that these are most professional. It will be great to see ACC highlighted.

3. Secure Site: You see only the cards that are needed for play at the time of play, the remaining cards are placed on on the secure server until needed. I play frequently on a 28.8 dial-up, and there is almost no delay.

4. Manual Scoring Option - This option requires that you score your points during play and counting of your hand and crib. If you claim more than you have, you peg is placed in the correct hole and the non-offending player receives the amount of overpeg as a penalty. I expect that we we begin on Game Colony, we will begin with automatic scoring; this allows everyone to become familiar with the site before adding complexities.

5. Family Rated Site: All chat goes through a filter process; it is very tight. What you enter may get echoes back to you, but it will be trapped. Isn't it an added plus for many people to know they can bring their kids in to play, their spouse, their mother or even their pastor and not risk being embarrassed by racial slurs, sexual comments and/or profanity?

6. Contact Us - A means to request information from Game Colony. Some examples include; bug reports, questions, comments, rules, concerns, etc. Once submitted, you receive an acknowledgement within several minutes. Game Colony strives to respond to all submitted within 24 hours. I have frequently used this feature and I can attest to their responsiveness.

7. Moderated Forum - All postings are reviewed to ensure they meet Game Colony appropriateness. The postings are not immediate to ensure the appropriateness.

8. Disconnects/boots: In four years only once was I not able to return to the exact point of the game from which I was at the time of the disconnect. I have played over 7500 games on this site and only on one disconnect could I not return to the exact point (about 3 years ago).

11. The Game Colony tournament internal logic performs the assignments for the start of the tournaments; byes are in the first round.

The links to Game Colony that are on this page are also on the ACC Cribbage Links Page. If you are curious, check out this site.

At this time, we do not have a definite start date for play at the new site. I will keep you informed from this page. Feel free to send an email to Robert Milk.

We started discussions several days ago with another site to host our Cribbage Tournaments. These discussion began not realizing MS Zone was going to be taking this step. The management of this site provided me with a proposal which both the ACC Internet Committee and the ACC Executive Board needs to review and approve. These discussion began not realizing MS Zone was going to be taking this step.

For obvious business reasons, I cannot divulge the name of this site at this time. I have played on this site for four years and my personal experience is most positive. I will provide you with some features:

'Manual Scoring Option" - This option requires that you score your points during play and counting of your hand and crib. If you claim more than you have, you peg is placed in the correct hole and the non-offending player receives the amount of overpeg as a penalty.

Secure Site: You see only the cards that are needed for play at the time of play, the remaining cards are placed on on the secure server until needed. I play frequently on a 28.8 dial-up, and there is almost no delay.

The site deals individual cards, not hands. Any and all combinations are possible.

Disconnects/boots: In four years only once was I not able to return to the exact point of the game from which I was at the time of the disconnect. I have played over 7500 games on this site.

The ACC Internet Committee is doing everything we can to continue our ACC Internet Cribbage program with little or no interruption.

I thank everyone for the support you have given over the past two+ years and ask that you have patience over the next several weeks as we work through this.

March 2006 Wrap-up:
Important News: MSN Zone is now enforcing the policy of not permitting the Tournament Directors from adding players after the advertised start time. The room is open 1 hour prior to the start of the tournament; this provides ample time for everyone to sign up. It is not fair to the TDs to wait until the last minute to sign up. At five minutes before the tournament start time, the TD runs the rules. If you are NOT assigned a seat by the start of the rules, you may miss out on the tournament. This is not a rule designed by the ACC or the TDs, but it is a Zone rule. The TDs must abide by the rules of the Zone, the hosting site.

February 2006 wrap-up:
We had a wife and husband team win on consecutive days - Jennifer Buhrow (ACC_PrincessJ) on February 18 and hubby Scott Buhrow (MrB_IA218) on February 19.

Mark Van Dyke (loosespokes1135), John Schafer (netview85), and John Dellarsina(ginprofessor3) continue to peg on for the lead.

January 2006 wrap-up:
Mike Schell, the Assistant ACC Internet Commissioner, has been blest with a new addition to his family. In addition to this, Mike has an opportunity to co-author a book on computer operating systems. With these additional responsibilities, Mike has had to let go of some of his more visible tasks as the Assistant Internet Commissioner.

December 2005 wrap-up:
Mark Van Dyke (loosespokes1135) has spent more atop the ratings list than anyone. One of our tournament directors, Rick LaVallee (+_Kwiz), was curious how Mark pulled this off, so he decided to sit in on Van Dyke's fourth round match against Nicholas Cheung (nicholas179) during the December 17 single elimination event to see if he could catch some of the 2004�5 Internet Champion's secrets. (read more...)

November 2005 wrap-up:
Mark Van Dyke has yet another month atop the Top Ten list, compiling 186 IRPs during November. Tied for Second Place are Van Dyke's neighbor and perpetual challenger John Schafer (netview85) of Battle Creek, MI, and John Dellarsina (ginprofessor3) of El Cajon, CA. Player of the month is Saskatchewan's finest, Donald Olney (olney_1147), who amassed 210 IRPs on the month. Meanwhile, as reported previously, ACC Tournament Director Annie Poppe (+Clas_syLady) died suddenly on November 15 from a cerebral aneurysm. In her honor, the first annual Annie Poppe Memorial was held on Thursday, November 17th, attracting 212 players. (read more...)

Please keep the following two points in mind, as failure to comply with them delays the verification of tournament results and greatly increases the workload of our Statisticians. Thanks!

The ACC is saddened to announce the passing of Lou Ann "Annie" Poppe on November 15, 2005. Annie was a regular tournament director for ACC Internet Cribbage on Thursday nights. Those that had the distinct privilege of knowing her personally remember that she was a loving, caring and unselfish person that gave fully of herself to help others. In her honor, the ACC will hold an annual memorial tournament, starting with the Thursday, November 17th event. (read more...)

October 2005 wrap-up:
We all know that our fair game was invented in England back around 1630 by Sir John Suckling. Seems that some of Sir John's compatriots are getting into the ACC Internet Cribbage act in the true international spirit of the game and the Web. Thus it is that we have our first tournament winner from the UK: Adrian Parslow (CorbLimeeGuv5), who moves the pegs from Salisbury, England. (read more...)

September 2005 wrap-up:
Scott Buhrow (MrB_IA218) of Louisville rode a 162 IRPs month to the top spot in the standings, ending Mark Van Dyke's 11-month run. Meanwhile, ACC Internet Cribbage Statistician Don Ellis (+_LoneStar__) explains why ACC Internet Cribbage players are the greatest in the world (read more...)

August 2005 wrap-up:
No sooner had we wrapped up our 2004�5 Internet cribbage season, which saw Michigan peggers Mark Van Dyke and John Schafer taking the top two spots, did we finish the first month of the 2005�6 season with...Michigan peggers Mark Van Dyke and John Schafer taking the top two spots! (read more...)