Michigan Petanque Tournament June 29th in Royal Oak

PHOTOS

SLIDESHOW

Joe Z. put together a really good event this past Sunday, with six teams playing. Each doublette team played every other team (5 games) for standings for the final.

The only team to be fannied: Jeff/Cheryl by JoeZ. and Denise Yipes!

James and Mike A. played against Danny and Hal in the finals but James & Mike are pretty well on their way, pulling in 13 points to Danny & Hal's 7.

Good Job Joe & Denise. Thanks for putting lots of sun into Sunday.

Monday's Detroit Rankings

Two games played today, and lots of ranking points distributed. Mike (The King Cobra) shot up to the top level (tied with me) - as he had two wins today.

Game 1: Jeff/Mike/Deric vs. Aaron/Kevin/Mark 13/5

Game 2: Mike/Aaron/Kevin vs. Jeff/Deric 13/6

In other news, Aaron's new Match 120's arrive today from Petanque-America.
I'm sure he'll be practicing his pointing and shooting to perfection.

DPC Jeff is On Vacation - But the Boule Still Rolls at Cadillac Square

Despite my taking a little vacation, Kevin Clinton has graciously taken up the boule cart for weekday petanque from 12pm-1pm.

It is my wish that the rankings continue while I'm away (so keep notes on teams and scores) and when I return, I'll crunch the numbers and make a posting.

When I get back, we'll also incorporate a tournament-a-day system where we break up into singles or doubles, and play games whose results will be added up at week's end for a final playoff. We'll have a "Stanley Cup"-esque trophy for winner/team names.

See you on July 9th!

Two Games for the Detroit Rankings Today

The first game Jeff/Mike vs. Pat/Aaron/Mark concluded with a 13/5 victory for Jeff's team. There was time for another game, so we mixed teams and played to 13 points:

Pat/Mike/Kevin vs. Jeff/Aaron/Mark which ended in a 13/3 victory for Pat's team.

The question arose, did the 2nd game count towards the rankings. After careful reflection... Yes... it does. So long as you have 4 players minimum participating, and the score is at least played to 7 points (on games subsequent to the 1st game). The idea is to avoid the situation where only 2 players show (for whatever reasons) and they play a series of six games (because 1 vs 1 are quicker games) - racking up points.

Looking at the results, I see that I still rank highest, but Pat is closing in on the top rank. The player averages are all across the board - with Hatesh (and his 2 games played) ranking in highest at 2.5

By the way, as the highest amount of points a player can collect in a game is 3 (13/0 score) - the highest average you can attain is... yes... 3 and the lowest... 1 (because all of the members of the losing team always get 1 point).

Actually the REAL results from today's Detroit Game...

Actually, we were "taking the piss" out of Pat today, and mocked up a nail-biter of a result. (see previous entry). Thepoint spread has plopped me back on top (but I'm sure not for long). Other changes... include the game average topper is now Hatesh (mind you, this is only his 2nd game).

I propose we run weekday tournaments where we play Tete a Tete (1 vs 1) against different players each day, recording the scores, and having a final playoff at week's end (Friday). This should get us all up to speed for any tournaments we may find ourselves playing in Royal Oak or perhaps down in Chicago.

Detroit's Comeback Kids

It was looking dire for Pat; Aaron; and Kevin - their score... 6 points to Jeff; Mark; Mike; and Hal's 12. But then something changed... Pat, having tossed away his two boules and returning to work, let the young upstarts coordinate a surprising comeback worthy of a triple Huzzah.

Despite very close pointings by Mike, Aaron's stunning shots removed boule after boule - like some kind of automaton. Jeff and Hal were soon out of boules, leaving Kevin and Aaron to sweep up 4 points in the first end, making the balance a more formidable: 12/10...

"We just couldn't get a point in," griped Jeff, "nothing that is, that Aaron and Kevin couldn't outshoot or point."

Then the following end evened up the score 12/12 - the piste was so quiet, you could hear the the wind whistling behind the Cobra.

The Game Point end was a fantastic conclusion, with Jeff; Hal; and Mike holding the close point, at about 10 paces out... and out of boules. Aaron and Kevin had 2 boules left, 1 each... Taking a chance, Aaron fired away, knocking the cochonnet off the field... giving them a 13th and winning point. Congrats to all!

Tournament Day Approaches

Sunday is approaching petanque competitors!

Pin this note to your shirt:
"Royal Oak, this Sunday, be there to register by 12:30! Bring boules and your drinks and maybe a sharable munchie. Games start at 1:00, don't be LATE!"

NOTICE: DPC Players: A specially calculated multiplier will be applied to your weekly rankings if you win against an MPC team.

I'm getting some great reactions from interested players, so it looks like lots of fun is in store for the weekend, can't wait to see you all soon!

Fates Decide: Atropos Snips and Jeff is Toppled

In a upset of spectacular proportions (13/2), the mighty Jeff has been unseated from his top ranked position by the formidable Pat and in so doing, the tide has turned (an evil tide).

"At no time during today's competition did I feel like we had any chance of winning," Jeff remarked, "we were doomed from the start."

Jeff's team, four strong, had but two boules per player, while the opposition, form of three clever, if not scheming boulers, elected to arm their strong two shooters (Pat and Tim) with three boules a piece.

Whatever was pointed close, was solidly shot away by Pat and Tim, and Aaron laid in the death knell points. A masterful combination that laid waste to my team.

Adding that we (James/Jeff) were shooting at 5% - and you have a good idea why we lost 2/13
But as the ranks shuffle - I remain positive that though the field of battle was lost on this fateful day, the war rages on.

Monday's Detroit Game Rolls Despite Rain and Lightning

The skies over Detroit were dark, punctuated by streaks of lightning. Drops of rain pelted across the expanse of the piste but the petanquers remained steadfast in the open area of Cadillac Square, holding their metal boules and concentrating on varied roles as the score ascended.

Pat captained the team of Mark, Hatesh and Jeff while the opposition team of Tim C. directed King Cobra (Mike) and Kevin.

The initial run looked promising for a fanny potential as the score was 6 (Pat) to O (Tim) but Jeff's loose cannon shot spoiled a skunking, giving the opposition 3 points in one end.

Despite some short bouts of rain (players waiting their turn beneath the nearby umbrella) I was delighted to see nobody wanted to leave - and better yet, everyone stayed throughout, ending with a 13/6 conclusion.

Thanks to all who could make it today, special thanks to the Acorn group

Tournament Grounds Ready for Next Weekend!

MPC Players brought out all their secret weapons on Sunday! Mike was especially frustrated at the east side of the courts, as seen here...

But what a great bonding time gardening can really be! We found that out on Sunday as Joe, Dan, Mike, Ian, Kathy, and Hal shoveled and raked and picked and pruned the Royal Oak courts... they are definitely competition quality!

We've set the stage properly for what will surely be a down-in-the-trenches tournament next weekend! The court is ready (more on details below), and the spirits are high, and the weather outlook is perfect!

This next weekend is not for the timid. There will be no fancy flyer's. There will be no fancy wines. There will be you, the competition, some boules and a meticulous plot of land. Who comes out on top is up to YOU.

The Michigan Petanque players invite all who dare to challenge to come to their piste on Sunday, June 29 at 12:30 and bring only their boules and their game (and maybe a munchie). The rest will be decided by the tournament of the day! Bring your $3 entry fee, sign your name and hopefully bring home one of the great prizes. It's entirely up to you!

Inquire if you'd like to joe@michiganpetanque.com for details, call 248-688-5708, or simply arrive promptly on Sunday to compete in this down-and-dirty, winner-takes-all authentic petanque tournament. Looking forward to seeing you all then!

(Insider's Guide to the Courts: The clay is especially hard to read. There are now very undulating hills and valleys that make second looks key to quality play. Knowledgeable players will surely be seen watching the initial cochonette toss and first boule throw to gain valuable insights as to the lie of the end to be played. Landing spots are extremely important--there are sand traps and hard clay which can not be underestimated. Guests to the court are encouraged to come early to acclimate themselves before tournament play starts--this is your fair warning!)

Saturday in Detroit - a Washout

Despite a nice turn out of people (Jeff, Mike, James, Cheryl & Dan) the weather proved to be uncooperative. We squeezed a few games in between the deluges - and even a brief lunch break - but in the end, Mother Nature won 13/5.

The nearby Detroit RiverFest must have really been blasted all to pieces, as the rain came down in heavy sheets, coupled with some mega doses of thunder.

But these things happen - and I'm sure by Monday, we'll be bouling on dry pistes again.

Detroit Rankings - Some Rise, Others Fall - All Have Fun

It must be the weather, because we had an outstanding turnout for a weekday - 10 people. Initially, I would have (if everyone arrived at the same time) broken the players into a doublette and a triplette - but as we were all playing, and had only an hour to do so - so I felt a large group of 5 on 5 would be socially more fun and complex.

When so many boules are in play (20), the teams need a strong captain to assess who has boules left to use, who is up and what their specialty is (shoot/point/both).

Jeff/Aaron/Mark/Mike/Hatesh
against
Wayne/Pat/Tim/Kevin/Hal

My team open up strong, and we took a commanding lead of 5 or 6 points to zip. In games of triplettes (or in this case 5 per team) the scores per "end" are usually low - so to get 6 points ahead of the other team is unusual.

But that lead was not to last, Pat's team quickly caught up, and it was looking like anyone's game. But some very decisive plays kept us afloat:
Aaron had a key pointing when he nudged out the opposing boule which was a front blocker merely 5 inches from the cochonnet - and took the close point. I think he'll make a great shooter too. Hatesh was gold, getting the close point with every boule. Mikey was good in the clinch - making good in his initial throws and keeping the opposition casting for points. Mark was rock solid too on his long pointing and I'm encouraged to have him shoot more. Together we worked as a strong team.

The opposing team needed, in my opinion, some strategy - and more persuasive captaining. There were plenty of times when a close boule (right on the cochonnet!) needed to be shot out immediately - and instead 4-6 boules were wasted in pointing up. When a boule is 3 inches from the cochonnet it needs to be shot. Pointing won't get you to be the closest, and if/when the cochonnet moves from a shot, they'll be badly placed as a defense. When you have plenty of boules left to use, you need to make the shot early before laying blocking boules.

A nice day - thanks ya'll for coming out. I'll see you Saturday (1-5pm) at Campus Martius - or Monday 12-1pm at Cadillac Square.

Detroit Weekday Rankings Update

Initially, the game was looking like a full sweep with the score 6 to 0 for Pat/Tim/Mike/Jeff but then a few lousy throws by Mikey reduced the lead and Kevin/James/Mark were back up to speed - and closing in on a possible win.

But despite some excellent shots by James, the lead was simply too great, and Pat's team held the day.

Detroit Petanque Club Player Analysis by Kevin C.

Kevin C. offered up useful hints and tips about his fellow club members. Perhaps we can expand on this to create a humorous database for exploitation:
----------------------------------------------------
Here's my analysis of a few of our players:

Jeff: Jeff can out point his opponent about 85% percent of the time. He can also consistently shoot out any Boule from approximately 25' and closer. His strength is his versatility in his game and consistent and dominant play. Most opponents are afraid when he's in the orange circle. His weakness tends to be when the cochonnet is greater than 30'. But even if you try for distance to trap him, you're guaranteed nothing.

Andonian: "The Bully" - Not only is PA a pretty good pointer, but he's excellent at shooting out Boules. He is afraid of nothing and that tenacity transcends to his game. If you leave the field open to point, PA will point on your ass, and you might cry later. He's also known to take a great player out of his game by talking shit, therefore making him a strong two-dimensional player. It takes strong skill and a focused brain to beat PA. His weakness is himself. Only PA can beat PA.

Mikey "King Cobra" - Although somewhat challenged, the Cobra has an excellent ability to point. Shooting is completely out of his game. His release is consistent just about every time which allows him to be very accurate when PA is not harassing him. If PA is harassing him, his game is over and he might as well catch the early bus home.

Tim: Strongly resembles Bill Murray from the movie Kingpin when his hair is being wisped away by the wind (click on link). Tim is a multi-tasker. He can typically be seen playing petanque while eating a bologna sandwich that his wife made, a bag of pretzels, and maybe a juice box while simultaneously throwing a Boule. He is also coordinating office moves on his cell phone when it is not his turn to throw. Sounds good for a resume, not so much for petanque. He loves the way the breeze flows through his hair and the smell of the outside more than anything, even petanque.

Aaron: "Inconsistency Personified" When he shows up, you might as well flip a coin to see which game he's brought with him. Some days he can put one boule right on top of another with frightening precision, and others, he just can't get one less than 4 feet from the cochonnet. Also notable for his variable clothing style, which runs from business attire to hippie-styled outfits.

Feel free to add your own opinions

New Point Tally System Works Well

The first day trying out the new ranking point system proved to be fun.

Pat / Jeff / Mark / Kevin opened strong against Tim / Gene / Mike with a nice lead. But then the opposition turned up the heat a little - shooting away our close boules, or going point for point. But in the face of excellent strategy, they eventually ran out of steam.

We positioned our boules defensively, and the opposition never had enough ammo to shoot all of our boules away. Don't get me wrong, Gene was shooting like Annie Oakley, but Mark and Kevin were pointing in very close boules. Too many to be removed.

If I had to give some critiques, it'd be that the opposition's anchor, Mikey, never seemed to be in this game - he seemed somehow... distracted.

By the time 1:00 p.m. approached, Tim's team (at 3/12) knew defeat was inevitable. They basically threw in the towel, giving us 2.9 points each, while the losers each earned their 1 point (for showing up).

Current Standings:

Pat 2.9 points
Mark 2.9 points
Jeff 2.9 points
Kevin 2.9 points
Tim 1 point
Mike 1 point
Gene 1 point

Meetings on Wednesday... so I'll see you guys Thursday.

Point Tally Sheet for Weekday DPC Rankings

I'll post the rankings each week and we can see how players progress (or don't!)

Throwing... Back to the Sixties

Monday was perfect weather (78 degrees) for petanque. And Aaron arrived in his 1960's flared jeans and tie-die spectacular-T to add even more color to the collection of characters assembled including: Tim, Mark, Pat, Jeff, and King Cobra

Two Videos:

VIDEO-1 VIDEO-2

Cadillac Square Thursday Triplette

Today's triplette consisted of Pat/Mike/Wayne verses Tim/Jeff/Mark.

The first victory went to PMW but in the 6-point revenge match, TJM took the win.

We welcome a new player, Mark, to the club.

Come down and play (the weather is nicer in the shade of the surrounding buildings).

Heat deters no MPC Players!

Even though near record heat brings piste temperatures near 93 degrees, our players brought water, sunglasses, sandles, and hats, favored the shady ground and played through our hottest day of the year.


New players found their way out to the courts today as well. Here Sarah takes a few practice shots while Dave and Boudoin study her fine results.













They study the other games in progress with determination as they get ready to mix in with the club's regular players... they played their first few official games and left with some wide smiles! Hope to see you back again next week, great job today!

Best Petanque Fun of the Year!

Midwest Petanquers!

Just a reminder to most of you who probably haven't been to the most talked about petanque event of the year, the Bar Tabac, Bastille Day Tournament!

This year, the tournament day is Sunday, July 13.

Every year this tournament attracts 100+ teams from NY, visiting US state clubs, and even international players!

If you *LOVE* petanque, this is THE weekend to be in New York. In the next 2-3 weeks, travel details will be getting confirmed for a travel contingent from the midwest. The earlier you notify me that you're interested, the more likely we can include you in the cost savings weekend package that works out great for us every year!

If you want some backup info, try these links:

Bar Tabac

YouTube Video of 2007!

Petanque America's Slide Show

If you're interested, or if you're not interested, contact me to find out more, or to get convinced that this is the weekend with the most petanque and the most fun!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Joe
Michigan Petanque

Better Late Than Never!

MPC Starts anew after big Guinness Record event weekend!



Back home in our Royal Oak pistes, our enthusiastic boosters from last weekend's event brought back, Cindy (throwing), Theresa and Claire! Denise (leftmost) directs the students in their initial gameplay lessons. Next week they say that the guys games are open season, and there's no holds barred!



Our favorite long-time, no-see player, Jimmy!, surfaces this weekend and announces he's ready for a long, new 2008 summer. He says his nephew has moved into town from France and is ready to meet the club during the weeks to come. Here he throws his inaugural first point...



...and Gerard confirms that it's about 5 centimeters away, not bad for a season's first throw! We'll see you next week Jimmy!

Midwest Tournament and Chicago Blues Fest

MIDWEST PETANQUE DOUBLETTES OPEN TOURNAMENT.

The 2008 Midwest Petanque Doublettes tournament is just days away. June 7th and 8th on Chicago's beautiful lakefront. Number of team entries is limited to 20. A few openings are still available.

CHICAGO BLUES FEST.
PLUS, after Saturday's 5 preliminary rounds and dinner, tournament participants will enjoy the exciting CHICAGO BLUES FEST.

See www.chicagopetanque.com for more information. Email your reservation now. Fees are paid morning of event.

Email.
dan@chicagopetanque.com