May 2005

Prophy's Introduction

Hello everyone, and welcome to May Smiling

Every time I begin writing my introduction, it occurs to me just how this year is flying by! As I have said before (and will probably say again), it seems only 5 minutes ago that I was frantically putting issue #1 of this newsletter together, and now on issue #5, we are nearly half way towards 2006, and I really have to wonder where all the time is going! Anyone who knows, please message me the answer, with much appreciation Smiling

As far as the newsletter itself is concerned, it is still going from strength to strength, with comments and support coming in thick and fast! As it is impossible to respond to everyone individually we wish to take this opportunity to express our appreciation of your support and encouragement! Keep sending the great comments and material in!

You may notice that Chess Corner has been renamed for this month, due to a remarkable submission on Reversi strategy by Smaughster. If you are interested in writing a similar guide for your favorite game, feel free to submit it so we can have a greater variety of help guidelines for all the great games offered on Goldtoken!



In this month's newsletter, we have:

  • Site News
  • Badger's Monthly Message
  • A few words from our newest staff members
  • Games Corner
  • Kran's Tournament News
  • Games Corner by Smaughster
  • Newsletter Picture Hunt
  • Testamonial Of The Month
  • Wanted

Ok, all that remains for me to do now, as always, is to wish you much pleasure in your reading, and to invite you all to contact Kran with items to be considered for next month's issue (out June 6th) Smiling read on, and enjoy! Items can be submitted for this month by messaging Kran, or by emailing: kran@goldtoken.com

in friendship,
prophy tactics

Site News

-- Someone wants to wish a Happy Birthday to rabbitoid for May 10th
-- Happy Anniversary to Hoosierenvy and her husband on May 17th!
-- congrats to porkpie1 for reaching 1500 Gold Tokens!!!
-- congrats to DragonHeart MIA for reaching 3700 Gold Tokens!!
-- The ombudsmen would like to announce a change to the club name for easier use. You can now find them at The TradeWind Club

any birthdays, anniversaries, etc. coming up for next month, feel free to send Kran a message and let her know so that we can give them a shout in next month's newsletter! Smiling

Monthly Message from Badger

Woohoo, we have had so much fun planning for May that its hard to keep from jumping up and down!! And here it is already! This months treasure hunt logos are the best yet and truly exhibit the spirit of GoldToken. A huge thank you to firefly for another outstanding job well done!!!

  • GoldToken is growing by leaps and bounds! The addition of two new GoldToken assistant managers, Matt and jingham has increased our ability to serve you faster, so you can play more and worry less. Matt will specialize in all vacation and email problems, helping you add or remove vacation days to setting up your personal GoldToken email address. jingham will be the one to help you with membership and account problems, payment options and trial memberships. And both are readily available anytime Kran or I can’t be here to assist. Be sure to send them a merry welcome to the management team! Remember, anytime you have a question who to contact for what, you can find us listed in the Contact Us information page that can be found at the bottom of your game sheet under Info.

  • Its guest week in the Discussion Game Boards again!! Be sure to also check out the latest of the new game boards at { Board: Word Power }. Our game boards have been hugely popular and the addition of Word Power is no exception. Test your abilities! If you have a suggestion for any new game board ideas, or are interested in helping run one, please contact Kran, jingham or ‘lil ole me, Badger.

  • coan_net won the Black GoldToken Coffee Mug for being the closest to correctly guess the 5 new game names soon to arrive.....though I won't give away the exact names of our newest games. Congrats and send me your mailing address coan_net!! Be on the watch for them to arrive. Because if you are the first player to send a game invite to each new games creator you will win a GoldToken Calculator!! Limit: One calculator per player so everyone has a chance to win.

  • A special note for GoldToken players especially: we have added a few games to the GoldToken Players Group at http://groups.msn.com/Goldtoken-com/ where all players can win GoldToken prizes, guests included! If you wish to join, be sure to add your GoldToken player name to the message box so we can verify your account without delay!

--Badger
A few words from our newest staff members
  • Hello Everyone! My name is Matt and as many of you already know, I have just recently joined the Management Team here in Goldtoken. I will be able to help players with general questions, concerns with site issues such as timeouts in games, vacation day questions, Goldtoken email accounts and so on. If I am unable to help with a question or problem, I will find the answer out for you or be able to direct you to the person you'd need to go to, so feel free to send me a message anytime and I'll do my best to solve any questions or problems that come my way! Smiling I'd like to say thank you to Badger and Kran for allowing me to step up to the plate and give back to the site that I have called my online home now for over 4 years. It's an adventure that I look forward to. I would also like to thank everyone for the support and good wishes I received, I greatly appreciated each and every one of them! Smiling

-- Matt

  • I would like to thank everybody for all their kind words. It is my pleasure to help manage such a great site. I'm really looking forward to being able to help each and every one of GoldTokens members. I would like to let everyone know that you can come to me for any account issues you may have and I would be more than happy to assist you. I would also like to encourage your comments and concerns in order to ensure a great future at GoldToken... So drop me a line and say hi!

--John aka jingham


Tournament News by Kran

  • We'd like to take this time to remind you that new tourneys are starting every Monday! You may have noticed that the Tournament format has changed a bit starting in April. We now offer half of our game types for tournaments each month. They will now have a two month signup period to encourage bigger tournament groups. We will continue to have a few special tourneys thrown in. For instance, each month we will offer a Fast Backgammon or a Fast Nackgammon tournament, with one day timeouts. We also have a Thematic Chess tournament, with a new opening each month. And, we will also offer two of the salvo variations in a fast variety per month, and two varieties of backgammon or nackgammon cube games. These will vary from month to month. For May, the varieties are, Fast Stealth, 7 pt. Back, Fast Back, and 3 pt. Nack.

  • We have also have many sponsorship tournaments, with funds donated by many of our generous members. In these tourneys the highest placing guest wins a membership, or other great prize! If you are interested in sponsoring a guest tourney send a message to Kran to work out the details. This month's featured sponsorship tournaments are: PismoTigress's Wild Go Moku, PismoTigress's Roaring Reversi, PismoTigress's Purrrfect Back, and PismoTigress's Catfight Trax. The highest placing guest in each of these tournaments will receive a six month silver membership courtesy of Po1son. A six month silver membership is also up for grabs for the highest placing guest in the Mististar's Fast Salvo tourney, donated by Mististar!

  • Because May has 5 Mondays, be sure to sign up for the two bonus tournaments that start on the 5th Monday in May, 9 point Backgammon and 9 point Nackgammon!

  • If you are a movie lover, May is the month for you! See our Ocean Salvo tourney for a chance to win the Ocean's Twelve DVD, our Titan Nack to win Remember the Titans on VHS, or Top Gun Fighter Nack to win Top Gun on DVD!

  • Goldtoken would also like to take the time to send a big congratulations out to all April Tournament winners!!! If your name is on this list, please contact Badger for your prize!
Chess Tournament- Carlo OTDP
November Double Trouble 4iar- *J*masher
2nd Mid August Fast Chess- aaronnimzo
Augusts Hot Backgammon- cocopuff
Checkers Tournament June 2004- dama1
2nd Mid August Fast Nack- Dogpile
Chessgi June 2004- rabbitoid
Club vs Club Loop Trax- dgb
February 8x8 Trax- dgb
February Giveaway 4iar- streep
February Giveaway Reversi- Dragon101
Goldtoken Olympic 4iar- grade1teacher
Goldtoken Olympic Chessgi- rabbitoid
Goldtoken Olympic Double Trouble 4iar- grade1teacher, Phil The Hat
January Giveaway 4iar- ISHKA
January Hotspot 4iar- N_a_z
January Small Chess- Sir Face of the GoldTable
January Reversi- eli
Late August Outbreak- Gnahaha
March 8x8 Trax Tournament- dgb
Mid August ZeroG 4iar- Buffy the Backgammon Slayer
October Checkers- Birds of Prey
October Chess- Breaca
October Devious Salvo- Nukkle Dragger
Raving Reversi- Smaughster
Septembers LG Reversi- Smaughster
Trouble Brewing- Arctic Warrior
Truckin 4x4- McStack
March Giveaway Four in a Row- MORRIS



Games Corner by Smaughster
This month's feature: Reversi

A while back, someone asked me whether I would like to write an article about reversi. Seeing the large amount of reversi players on this site, I figured there should be some people at least vaguely interested in the subject, resulting in me sitting in front of a screen thinking of what to say about reversi. The problem is not what to tell, since there is a lot to say about reversi, but what level to start. So my intention with this article is to estalish a basis for future reversi articles by explaining some of the major concepts and terms used in reversi. During this article, I have used links to several of my games to point things out, I can recommend looking at the links (using a second browser for example), since reversi is harder to visualize than other games, like chess, are.



First of all, let's start with the most basic part: the goal of reversi. The rules on Goldtoken clearly state the ultimate goal: to have the most disks when the game is ended. So two important parts: 1) most disks and 2) at the end of the game. This is not the same as having the most disks during the entire game though! Beginning reversi players usually start to get lots of disks as soon at they can, to find out they lose all they have at the end. For example: have a look at http://www.goldtoken.com/reversi/reversi.cgi?g=1987049&v=38 In this position, white has half the disks that black has. However, white has something else, which causes a drastic switch later on in the game. The thing that white has is mobility, the first important concept in reversi. A first definition would be "the amount of possible moves that a player has". In the position mentioned above, white has 10 possible moves to make, whereas black only has two. This enables white to force black to make bad moves (both options that black has aren't good).



So now that we know that having more options than your opponent is good, the following question is of course: how to get into this situation? One way would be to look at each position, then counting your possible moves, counting the opponents possible moves and count how much he/she has left after you make a move. You then make the move that keeps the opponents options as low as possible. If you feel confident, you can even look at the what the opponent does after you make a move, count the resulting options and try to optimize this. This is a solid approach,..... if you are a computer. In fact, this is roughly what each simple reversi program does. However, we humans are less good in this and second of all: it's boring! So let's start with a few tips that will help you in the beginning of a game:

1. Try to have fewer discs than your opponent.

2. Try to occupy the center of the position (the 4 center-squares in the first few moves).

3. Avoid flipping too many frontier discs (those located on the outside boundaries of the position, i.e. avoid building walls).

4. Try to group your discs into one connected cluster rather than having several scattered isolated discs.

5. Avoid taking edges too soon (before the mid-game).



Notice that tip 1 is exactly opposite of trying to get as many disks as you can in the beginning. Now why do the first two tips help you gain possible moves? If you have few disks, then the opponent can only flip a few disks, whereas if you have a lot of disks, then the opponent usually has many choices. So try to stay in the centre of the board, not gaining too many disks. Some players also call this "curling into a ball", a metaphor that speaks for itself I think. There is one danger though: you always have to take care that you will not be wiped away in an early stage. I made this mistake in this game: http://www.goldtoken.com/reversi/large.cgi?g=2157809&v=19. White has to move, and I played g3, because it connected my disks while it didn't create many new good options (I though). The only problem is that after g3, d3, white is completely enclosed and can't escape. A quick end was inevitable. So do try to minimize your disks, but try to keep one disk on the outside of the disks, (i.e. one disk that isn't enclosed).



The same reasoning applies to tip 4: if your disks are scattered around, then you opponent can play in a lot of places. If you are connected, then only the disks on the outside of the cluster provide options, all the interior disks may be flipped as well, but only as a result of a disk that is next to an empty square.

To see how this works in a game, have a look at the following game: http://www.goldtoken.com/games/play?g=1957207. Up until move 24 (i.e. move nr 12 by black, (H5)), each move black makes is focussed on keeping disks together. Another thing you can see in this game (a thing we will discuss later on) is move b7 eventually, where black gives away a corner (usually a strong square since a corner disk can not be flipped anymore) to gain more mobility.



So far for the first tips, hope you liked themI will be writing more articles but would appreciate feedback on what you find most interesting. I would also appreciate questions or interesting games, which I can include for analysis in future articles, so don't hesitate to send interesting material. If you are interested and don't want to wait for the next article, have a look at www.reversi.se, a great site for learning the tips and tricks of reversi.



Cheers, Smaughster


Newsletter Picture Hunt


This months treasure hunt is flowers and maypoles. Be among the first ten to find all 12 GoldToken May Flower Logos not including the one on your gamesheet and win! The first treasure hunt player who hasn’t won before to find all 12 wins a Black GoldToken Coffee Mug!! Everyone can play! Guests included! Once you have found all 12, message Badger and the first 10 correct will win a prize! Good luck!!

April Showers Winners are as follows -- congrats!:
  1. *EAGLE ONE*
  2. Cutie Patootie
  3. Sherry
  4. BrnIdGirl
  5. Pamper Me
  6. Po1son
  7. * Sassy_Angel *
  8. Honeybear
  9. Amanda
  10. mickeymouse

Testamonials Of The Month

I am Pamper Me aka Theresa. I started my addiction here In Dec 2002. I have only been clean off Goldtoken a few times in my stretch here! Once when my pc crashed in 2003, i was gone for about 3 months total. since then i have fallen off the wagon really hard and even injured myself as well in the mean time. I go through withdrawls while i am sleeping. <Why can't i be here in my sleep> you can find me here at least 12 to 15 hours a day depending on my mood! I have since gained a condition to my body that i will not go away. it is cause by staying here where i love to be all the time. ok i will tell you what i have don't laugh ok. I suffer from a case of rigor mortis in my Bottom there..<PHEW> i feel a little bit better now that i said it. I spend most of my time here as i take care of many things around GT. Thats my story and if anyone else tells you different they are spreading lies. :P Thanks for listening to me as well. Glad you could join the group! oh i forgot to mention that since i went platinum i have been to 1000 games stayed there for 2 weeks then i finally decided that i needed to lower my games. due to being president in about 10 clubs that i am very active in as well. and i have finished in the last 4 months about 6,000 games. I can't get enough. I need more. and when i need more i go to the betasite there i have many games as well! I eat, sleep, and dream Goldtoken. I am addicted in many forms of the word. Oh i have been typing too long. got to go play some more games!

I LOVE GT! 

< Waves wildly >

Catch ya later!

--Pamper Me

Oh this is so funny. I was away for the weekend and most of last week at a huge quilt show in Paducah, Kentucky. When I got home, I had a stack of mail awaiting me... my 16-yr-old son, Max, frantically digs through it all and presents me with the package from GT... lolol So I had to open that nearly the second I walked in the door... I DO love the wood tokens, I was dying! They are adorable!!! And thanks so much for the EXTRA pens - I was able to give both sons (Phil was right there watching the action too! lol) and hubby a Goldtoken pen, it was awesome to be able to share my winnings with them all! Provided us with a terrific family experience, too, since ol' Max, at 16, is usually too "cool" to get excited about things.

--Buffy the Backgammon Slayer


Would you like to make your affection for GoldToken known? Please send your testamonials (or any other material submissions) to, Kran or email them to kran@goldtoken.com for possible inclusion in future editions -- thank you!

Wanted

  • Would you like to help out Goldtoken but don't know how you could be of benefit? We are currently taking applications for a newsletter submissions secretary. This person will handle all member requests for inclusion into the newsletter, compiling birthdays and anniversaries, among other things. The player must be responsible and able to handle a few hours of work each month devoted to the newsletter, and should be someone who hasn't volunteered for Goldtoken before. If you think this desribes you and would be interested, send a message to Kran for consideration!
  • We're also looking for an official Goldtoken Pollster! This person would be responsible for coming up with new poll ideas for us to submit each Sunday and Wednesday. The same above requirements apply, message Kran if you are interested!
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