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SHOLLY'S ROYAL CUP SURVIVAL GUIDE 7/25/10 8:23 PM
With an amazing four Royal Cups open as of this writing (Domino Lineup, Football Star, Keyword, and the brand-new Letter Swap) and another one due to start tomorrow (Hens' Defense), I think it's a great time to say a few words about King.com's extra-large knockout tournaments. The following is just a bit of advice to help you get the most out of the few entries you get.
Royal Cups are just like regular cup tournaments, except for three things:
1. They're much larger
2. You usually get several entries for each one, instead of just one
3. There are no ranking restrictions whatsoever
1. They're much larger
Regular cup tournaments typically are 3-6 rounds in size, though a few games have 8-round cups. However, Royal Cups can be anywhere from 8-16 rounds, with 12-14 the norm.
All cups consist of only head to head tournaments. If you win, you receive some cash and a free entry into the next round. If you lose, you're done. In regular cups, you have to win two rounds to win back your entry fee; if you got it all back with your first win, there wouldn't be enough prize money left for later rounds. In Royal Cups, it takes three wins to fully recoup your entry fees.
2. You usually get several entries for each one, instead of just one
You can only enter a regular cup once - so there is no danger of playing against yourself - but they're always open, so you're always able to play a new entry (except for the 8-rounders, which are usually only available one at a time, so if you lose, you have to wait until the current one closes before you can enter again). Royal Cups, however, are a different story--each player receives a set number of entries, and that's it! Once you lose them, you're out. Most Royal Cups give you 3-7 chances to win, though smaller ones have been known to have only two, or even just one entry. Unfortunately, King seldom tells you ahead of time how many entries you'll have when a new Royal Cup opens, so you either have to play through them yourself, or find out from someone who has.
There are no restrictions on when you can play your entries--you can even have two or more entries active at the same time, which means if you start them too close together, you could end up matched against yourself! This does guarantee that you'll make it to the next round, but at the expense of losing an entry.
3. There are no ranking restrictions whatsoever
Regular cups are divided into ranking intervals, just as all other cash games are. The divisions typically go like this: Rank 2999 and below, 3000-3999, then by title (now indicated only by the design of the crown--4000-5999, 6000-7999, 8000-9999, 10000-14999, 15000-19999, 20000 and up). This is why players who quickly rise up the ranks of a new game may find themselves without any cups available--because there aren't enough players in that division yet. You will only play against a player who was in your ranking division when (s)he entered the cup, though they may appear to be ranked higher by the time you face them.
This is not the case in Royal Cups. Your first opponent could be anyone from a simple Peasant to an almighty Tyrant, so you always have to bring your "A" game. In subsequent rounds, players are matched up in a first come-first served format, so again, you could be facing anyone, though the further you get into the Cup, the more likely you'll find yourself facing higher-ranked opponents, as the players with the greatest skill almost always triumph in the end.
So now that we know the differences between Royal Cups and regular cups, how best to take on the big ones? Here are a few ideas you may want to keep in mind:
-Because you only get a few entries, you don't want to waste any of them. For this reason, make sure you're as free of distractions as you possibly can be, and your computer and Internet connection are stable. One of the most heartbreaking ways to lose in a Royal Cup is because your connection went bad or you were interrupted in the middle of a game.
-When you're preparing to play a Royal Cup game, whether it's starting a new entry or continuing an existing one, make sure it's not the first tournament you enter in that game for that session. Every game on King requires you to think slightly differently, so be sure to play at least one or two warm-ups in that game before diving into the Royal Cup in order to get your mind working the right way.
-Speaking of your mind, make sure you're fully awake and in the right frame of mind before starting a Royal Cup game. It sucks to lose because you weren't fully concentrating, and believe me, if you're not focused, you WILL lose. This also means knowing when to quit. If you lose and realize you're "just not feeling it", or if you start feeling tired, then STOP PLAYING and pick it up later, even if you just won and have an active entry. Resist the temptation to burn through your entries when your mind is out of synch, and remember that you have several days to continue if you win, so don't push yourself.
-Don't expect to win the whole thing. The overwhelming majority of players on King will never win a Royal Cup (I haven't yet myself), so don't put that kind of pressure on yourself. Just focus on the current game. One at a time, step by step, and if you lose, brush it off and start anew when you're ready. This doesn't mean you shouldn't bother entering, of course--even getting halfway through will land you a decent payout, and you only need to win three times to get back your entry fee and then some.
-Be sure to space your entries out, if you insist on having more than one open at once. I hardly ever start a new entry while I have another one active (used to the way the "other" site does it, I guess), but if you do it, make sure that you never play both entries up to the same round, or else you'll likely face yourself, with consequences as I mentioned before.
-Don't jump right into a new Royal Cup as soon as it opens, especially if it's a game that's been around a while. It's better to wait a day or so if you can muster the patience (which I seldom can). The only exception to this is if you believe that King made this particular Royal Cup too small, which I'll get into in a bit.
Here's why you shouldn't dive right in immediately:
When a player reaches the highest rankings in a game, his opportunities to win serious cash in that game all but disappear. There is seldom much money in the upper-level progressives, and Top Winner games often exclude the highest ranks. Therefore, the only remaining way to win big is through the Royal Cup. For this reason, the elite players will often dive in right away, so if you enter too soon, you'll likely end up facing one of these titans in the first or second round. To give you an example, I jumped into the last Luxor Royal Cup as soon as it opened, and managed to survive up to round 6 in my first entry. My opponents' rankings for that entry, in order, were: Warrior King, Despot, Conqueror, Conqueror, Despot, then yet another Despot.
I mentioned the possibility of a Royal Cup being too small. This does happen sometimes, when King underestimates the popularity of that particular game or cup. If the Royal Cup is too small (I've never seen this become an issue with a cup that was 14 or more rounds), forget about waiting out the elites and jump right in. It's better to get all your entries in and lose - unless your gaming budget is very tight - than to miss out on some of your chances.
-Most importantly, relax and have fun! After all is said and done, it IS only a game.
I hope this helps you enjoy and do well in King's Royal Cups. Let me know what you think, or share your own Royal Cup experiences below. Take care and good luck!
Royal Cups are just like regular cup tournaments, except for three things:
1. They're much larger
2. You usually get several entries for each one, instead of just one
3. There are no ranking restrictions whatsoever
1. They're much larger
Regular cup tournaments typically are 3-6 rounds in size, though a few games have 8-round cups. However, Royal Cups can be anywhere from 8-16 rounds, with 12-14 the norm.
All cups consist of only head to head tournaments. If you win, you receive some cash and a free entry into the next round. If you lose, you're done. In regular cups, you have to win two rounds to win back your entry fee; if you got it all back with your first win, there wouldn't be enough prize money left for later rounds. In Royal Cups, it takes three wins to fully recoup your entry fees.
2. You usually get several entries for each one, instead of just one
You can only enter a regular cup once - so there is no danger of playing against yourself - but they're always open, so you're always able to play a new entry (except for the 8-rounders, which are usually only available one at a time, so if you lose, you have to wait until the current one closes before you can enter again). Royal Cups, however, are a different story--each player receives a set number of entries, and that's it! Once you lose them, you're out. Most Royal Cups give you 3-7 chances to win, though smaller ones have been known to have only two, or even just one entry. Unfortunately, King seldom tells you ahead of time how many entries you'll have when a new Royal Cup opens, so you either have to play through them yourself, or find out from someone who has.
There are no restrictions on when you can play your entries--you can even have two or more entries active at the same time, which means if you start them too close together, you could end up matched against yourself! This does guarantee that you'll make it to the next round, but at the expense of losing an entry.
3. There are no ranking restrictions whatsoever
Regular cups are divided into ranking intervals, just as all other cash games are. The divisions typically go like this: Rank 2999 and below, 3000-3999, then by title (now indicated only by the design of the crown--4000-5999, 6000-7999, 8000-9999, 10000-14999, 15000-19999, 20000 and up). This is why players who quickly rise up the ranks of a new game may find themselves without any cups available--because there aren't enough players in that division yet. You will only play against a player who was in your ranking division when (s)he entered the cup, though they may appear to be ranked higher by the time you face them.
This is not the case in Royal Cups. Your first opponent could be anyone from a simple Peasant to an almighty Tyrant, so you always have to bring your "A" game. In subsequent rounds, players are matched up in a first come-first served format, so again, you could be facing anyone, though the further you get into the Cup, the more likely you'll find yourself facing higher-ranked opponents, as the players with the greatest skill almost always triumph in the end.
So now that we know the differences between Royal Cups and regular cups, how best to take on the big ones? Here are a few ideas you may want to keep in mind:
-Because you only get a few entries, you don't want to waste any of them. For this reason, make sure you're as free of distractions as you possibly can be, and your computer and Internet connection are stable. One of the most heartbreaking ways to lose in a Royal Cup is because your connection went bad or you were interrupted in the middle of a game.
-When you're preparing to play a Royal Cup game, whether it's starting a new entry or continuing an existing one, make sure it's not the first tournament you enter in that game for that session. Every game on King requires you to think slightly differently, so be sure to play at least one or two warm-ups in that game before diving into the Royal Cup in order to get your mind working the right way.
-Speaking of your mind, make sure you're fully awake and in the right frame of mind before starting a Royal Cup game. It sucks to lose because you weren't fully concentrating, and believe me, if you're not focused, you WILL lose. This also means knowing when to quit. If you lose and realize you're "just not feeling it", or if you start feeling tired, then STOP PLAYING and pick it up later, even if you just won and have an active entry. Resist the temptation to burn through your entries when your mind is out of synch, and remember that you have several days to continue if you win, so don't push yourself.
-Don't expect to win the whole thing. The overwhelming majority of players on King will never win a Royal Cup (I haven't yet myself), so don't put that kind of pressure on yourself. Just focus on the current game. One at a time, step by step, and if you lose, brush it off and start anew when you're ready. This doesn't mean you shouldn't bother entering, of course--even getting halfway through will land you a decent payout, and you only need to win three times to get back your entry fee and then some.
-Be sure to space your entries out, if you insist on having more than one open at once. I hardly ever start a new entry while I have another one active (used to the way the "other" site does it, I guess), but if you do it, make sure that you never play both entries up to the same round, or else you'll likely face yourself, with consequences as I mentioned before.
-Don't jump right into a new Royal Cup as soon as it opens, especially if it's a game that's been around a while. It's better to wait a day or so if you can muster the patience (which I seldom can). The only exception to this is if you believe that King made this particular Royal Cup too small, which I'll get into in a bit.
Here's why you shouldn't dive right in immediately:
When a player reaches the highest rankings in a game, his opportunities to win serious cash in that game all but disappear. There is seldom much money in the upper-level progressives, and Top Winner games often exclude the highest ranks. Therefore, the only remaining way to win big is through the Royal Cup. For this reason, the elite players will often dive in right away, so if you enter too soon, you'll likely end up facing one of these titans in the first or second round. To give you an example, I jumped into the last Luxor Royal Cup as soon as it opened, and managed to survive up to round 6 in my first entry. My opponents' rankings for that entry, in order, were: Warrior King, Despot, Conqueror, Conqueror, Despot, then yet another Despot.
I mentioned the possibility of a Royal Cup being too small. This does happen sometimes, when King underestimates the popularity of that particular game or cup. If the Royal Cup is too small (I've never seen this become an issue with a cup that was 14 or more rounds), forget about waiting out the elites and jump right in. It's better to get all your entries in and lose - unless your gaming budget is very tight - than to miss out on some of your chances.
-Most importantly, relax and have fun! After all is said and done, it IS only a game.
I hope this helps you enjoy and do well in King's Royal Cups. Let me know what you think, or share your own Royal Cup experiences below. Take care and good luck!
Thanks...i think i get it...wait, but not too long..Good luck to you too!!
ok~Freecell RC,got 4 of 7 entries in~lost the 3 to much higher ranks! Now,all are matched already to play,so there is no point in waiting,right? if not matched, then i would want to wait for better,eagers to move on up & past me....ok, & man o man, u r cranky 'bout those silly challies!! haha
It's my understanding that if you have an active entry, you will be matched with the next entry played in that round. This keeps the cup flowing best. I don't think it matters that the Freecell cup is not a RC. So waiting might be better, but pay attention to your walk-over time.
I noticed u honored me with a visit. Thnx 2 u Sholly, i've been able 2 complete several diploma pieces that i had given up on. I definitely appreciate ur generosity & hard work. Don't ever stop, we need u. angel_1996
Good job! And I won't be stopping any time soon, because I enjoy it. It's my way of giving back to the skill gaming community :) Take care and good luck!
Good job Sholly. I thought that i would have to get to the top 10 or something to even win my entry cost back, so i never even bothered to played a RC. Will try my luck sometime in the future thanks to you.
Glad I could help :) Best of luck in the RCs!
Bravo Sholly As usual another great blog with a ton of info! thanks a million! julie
You're welcome...Now go out there and kick some Royal booty! :)
> straight away before an opponent knocks you out. That way you'll guarantee 2 of the 3 will now be in Round 5 and you repeat the process. The hard part is scoring a par score like 25-27K in Hens' Defence and then having to guess whether it will be enough to win, or whether you should beat yourself.
This idea definitely has merit, especially if you know you played poorly in a particular round. I based my writing on seeing people complain about being matched up against themselves, but you make a good case for doing it on purpose. Thanks for your input!