Group A
Well there is really not too very much to talk about in this group yet. The favourites going in were Jordy and Ben and at the point in the competition Jordy is 2-1 with his two toughest sets yet to play and Ben has actually been replaced by Stu because of lack of activity. So the big news in this group is that we have a new favourite in Stu who is known to be a top contender in any competition he plays. Stu and Jordy look like pretty safe bets to advance in this group while Mike is off to a good start at 1-0 with a set win over Jordy. Dan still has all his sets to play so it'll be interesting to see where he finishes while Shane and Chad still have a chance with one loss a piece.
Two key sets to watch:
xlx_skill_xlx vs zl_stu_lz - This set might not be overly important in determining who gets a playoff spot but it should definitely be a good one to watch. I'm pretty sure Jordy is the only player in this group who has the kind of quality game that can test Stu. Both players are great runners and the spectators won't have to sit through many missed shots here.
dwaechte vs lx_mike_xl - There's still a lot to go down in this group and we might see another contender emerge but I'm picking Dan and Mike to be the two players fighting over 3rd place in this group. Dan has all his sets left to play so he'll have to take care of other business to make this one important but he's done so in the past. Both of these players have proven themselves to be contenders both here and in other competitions... should be a close one.
Group B
Here we have another fairly inactive group to write about. The two top contenders Matt and Craig have already played each other so not much drama left at the top there. If both of those players take care of their remaining sets they should be advancing pretty easily. There should be about 3 other players fighting for a playoff spot here along with new reserve Bryan. Scott hasn't played a set here yet but he always manages to squeak into the playoffs. JD's only loss so far has come to Craig and Gary's only loss came to Matt so really there's a lot left to be determined.
Two key sets to watch:
br0nz3 vs _matt15_ - Well this might look like a bit of a mismatch but it should definitely be an important set for both players. Matt usually breezes through the group stages but at this point his 1-1 record definitely doesn't guarantee anything. Scott has a good opportunity here to start his own campaign for the playoffs with an upset win. Matt will need to take care of business here in order to keep his hopes alive for a high seed.
boston.bruins2011 vs _Cue - Here we have a matchup between two players who started with a loss but both still hopeful to be able to make the playoffs. Two SS interlg players who should know a little bit about each other if they pay attention. Both of these players did pretty well last season and will be looking to build on that. Unfortunately one player is going to earn their second loss here and make the road that much tougher.
Group C (by Trav)
OK so looks to me like there's a few ppl in the running for that playoffs spot. Andy's had some close sets thusfar, but pulled through and is now the leader of this group. 3-0 is pretty well clinch imo with the closest behind him being Dante at 2-2. Jon's only played two sets thusfar at 1-1, but I'm positive he'll finish and I predict atleast a 3-2. Although I am leaning more towards 4-1. If it does go 3-2 him and Dante will be possibly be tied, having it come down to % points. The other key for this group is Adam at 1-0, he's got quite a few sets left so it's hard to judge how he does or if he even finishes his sets. That's what it's going to come down to in this group, who has will to win those following sets & who actually does finish. Definitely a group to watch as there are good players who haven't played, but a few sets and can break playoff opportunities for the rest.
Two key sets to watch:
siccster vs adambuddy - I consider this a set to watch mainly for Dante who's currently 2-2 in this group w/ adam at 1-0. So mainly this will determine whether or not Dante has a shot at playoffs. A victory here will put him with 10 points. If Adam wins he'll be 2-0 w/ 3 more sets to play. I think Dante realizes he needs this to have a real shot at playoffs, losing means he'll have to rely on others not finishing their sets.
leafed_leafs vs m4tt_th3_p0ol_pl4y3r - Jon winning here is the only real outcome that can make a difference in this group. Jon will have a shot at playoffs at 2-1, he can build up his points with the remaining sets. Matt on the otherhand will have one less set than Jon to play, and he's less likely to win against Adam. I think Jon takes this set anyways.
Group D
Here we have a group where there is a bunch to recap as most of the sets have already been played. No big surprise here as Brent and Chris (mr_camtasia) have raced out to fast starts each with 4 wins. Looks like Chris (mr_camtasia) has the inside track on first place in the group with his last set coming against the other Chris (l2ack.em_up). Right now Scott is the only other player in the group with a win but he also has two losses to go along with that so really 3rd place is up for grabs. Nish is definitely a long shot with an 0-3 start and same goes for Tino at 0-2. Probably the fight for 3rd place will go down between Chris and Scott.
Two key sets to watch:
Sc0t vs l2ack.em_up - This is clearly the most important set left to be played in this group. Chris only has one loss so far and he's looking to duplicate his performance from last season where he earned a high playoff seed after a good group stage. Scott needs this win pretty badly as he already has two losses in this group. I think Scott is the better player but he's definitely shown he's capable of playing bad sets. Winner of this one should have the inside track on 3rd place in the group.
nish_is_my_name_choke_is_my_game vs TlNO_NICA - Here we have one of the most important sets of ALL TIME! You only get written about if you're extremely good or extremely bad. This set may be to determine who goes 0-5 in the group and I'm sure neither player wants that distinction. Nish already seems resigned to his fate as he's referenced the 0-5 mark a few times already. Tino doesn't win much in div A either but I think his quiet confidence should be the difference here to make Nish 0-5!
Group E
Ok so far the theme for half these groups has been that not many sets has been played. Luckily we've come across another group with a replacement here to hopefully stimulate some set play. In this group the favourites were Trav and Derrick and so far Trav is 2-0 while Derrick has been replaced by "Ruffer". I honestly can't say that I've seen this Ruffer fellow play but he seems to know some good people which is always a good sign (haha). Ruffer is actually off to a 1-0 start with a win vs JT so that puts him in the undefeated group along with Trav and Stephen. Those 3 players should be favoured to advance to playoffs while John and JT still have a chance to get some wins and challenge.
Two key sets to watch:
trav_the_king vs l1_stephen_1 - Both of these players are really solid. Trav of course has been on a tear of late making it all the way to the sscam prize trny finals. Stephen has been a little low key in competitions lately so that means he's probably overdue for a strong showing. This shouldn't affect the playoff race too much but Stephen definitely will need the win a lot more than Trav. Definite upset alert here.
complete vs R_ook - One of these players is in bad need of a win to get back into contention here. John had a pretty bad previous season where he didn't get any wins but he has proven in the past that he's a strong player. JT on the other hand is off to his worst start in the competition and will not only need this win but wins against Trav and Stephen to have a chance. Either way after this set one of these two guys hopes will be extinguished.
Group F
Here we have another group where a lot has happened already. Pita, Kenny and Stephen have all jumped out to great starts with 3 wins apiece. Pretty much they'll all be moving on either automatically or as a wildcard. None of the other players have been officially eliminated but there's definitely work to be done and no margin for error. Jack and David are both sitting with 1 win and probably looking to outduel each other to maybe get back for a wildcard spot. Sergio is still alive too but he doesn't have a win yet so he's a little further behind.
Two key sets to watch:
dx.hype vs l3_lvl_x - Ok so these guys have a little bit of a history in sscam. This is like the 3rd or 4th meeting in the last couple seasons and both players think they're better than the other. David is going to need to take care of business in this set and beat Sergio to keep his playoff hopes alive. Jack on the other hand needs this win and another one against Stephen to keep his own hopes alive. Going to have to say I like David's chances a little better.
AzN_PrIdE_LuVa vs o0_GoKu_0o - Well this might not look like the greatest matchup to watch but it might prove to be important in the end. Pita has pretty much wrapped up a playoff spot but his last set was a 1-8 loss against Kenny and he could really use one more win to help out his point total. Sergio on the other hand is looking to play spoiler and could still have an outside chance at the playoffs if he manages to upset Pita here.
NEW GROUP
GROUP G
hp_king22 - Ok so we have Don back in the competition for a second time. Good to see him back playing a little pool these days. Don was a semi-finalist in his only effort in SScam and he looks like he's showing that sort of form again which recent performances in MCC and 8brcam. Don never seems to get rusty so he's a lock to dominate this group and advance to playoffs
PlayTheGame - Justin is back playing pool again and has thrown himself into the mix of SScam for the first time. Seems hard to predict how Justin will do in sets because in all the time I've known him I don't think I've seen any set results. He's doing really well in the lg and seems to be playing at a pretty high level so you should see him be pretty competitive in this group as well.
ll_eskimo_ownage_ll - This dude just can't get put in div B much to his chagrin. Last season Petey was in the div A playoffs and benefitted from a dq round that saw him all the way into the quarter finals. This time around this group shouldn't be too challenging for him again and I could see him grabbing enough wins for top 3 or a wildcard spot.
haters - Ryan is a player who I really don't know a ton about. Right now he's playing in Sp cam which isn't really the best competition but he's doing pretty well and beating good players there. This should be a much better test to see how good he really is. All the players in this group know what they're doing and aren't going to be bullied by anyone really so definitely come ready to play.
pool.k1ng - Tyson is a guy who almost tricked me into putting him into div B haha. Luckily there was an easy trade off available and he's stuck right in here among some good players. While tournament stats don't always tell the tale his right now are pretty impressive sitting at 75% of his games being wins. Not a player that I've ever seen perform in cam sets and this group will definitely be a tough one. I've got him on the outside of the playoff hunt but with my lack of knowledge there's definitely a surprise possibility.
jmunoz3rd - Here is a name we've all seen before. I wasn't really aware that Jesse had div A quality game until last 8brcam season where he almost grabbed a playoff spot. This is a pretty tough group but among these players Jesse probably has a more solid and proven reputation that most. This group is filled with wildcards though and it'll be important to take every set seriously. Should be hovering around the playoff line it should be close again.
Pecking Order - 1.Don 2.Ryan 3.Petey 4.Tyson 5.Jesse 6.Justin
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