Hightimes TD Guide

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HIGHTIMES TD GUIDE
Step-by-Step Instructions

Click here for HighTimes Tourney Rules

TOURNEY PREPARATION

Spams

Learn to use spams through any macro program. We recommend ShortKeys Lite, because it is free and LEGAL. Please do not use illegal software
(Yahoo! is booting people for using illegal software now to spam):

Set up the program:

Click here to download ShortKeys Lite. You may download either the exe or zip format.
You will need the HTD that is training you to send you the spams for the league. Once they are sent to you, you can proceed with importing them into shortkeys as described in the next section.

Import the Macros:

Click on file, Import Text File. A message will appear that says "The import of a text file requires the text file to be in a specific format........".
Click OK to continue.
Then next message will say "What should be done with duplicate ShortKeys?" If this is your first time setting up the program, click "Replace existing ShortKey". If it is not your first time, choose what you want.
A dialogue box will appear for you to select the file to import. You want to find and select the SPAMS.TXT file that you saved previously and click open. This will bring in all of the text files.
On the left it has the spam name, i.e. HTbabble. Any time you type that phrase, the spam will pop up. You can edit the spam names or texts as you wish.
DONE!

Keep the spams small and simple. Remember, they annoy people and you don't want to over use them.

Advertising

Use spams to advertise tournaments and the league. Advertise the league spams when asked about the league by newcomers in the lobby. Good idea to have league info included in all tourney spams, so that those who are interested can join the league before the tourney begins. This will help delay the process if new members have trouble signing up. Here is an example of a spam you may use for tourney announcement:

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bank the 8 S/E
Jump #1221086
Starts at 3pm EST
Read Tourney Rules on Hightimes page

www.myleague.com/hightimes
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

HOW TO MAKE A TOURNEY (step by step)

Go to the TD Administration Center, http://tourneys.igl.net/tk
Click on "Create Tournament"
Select tourney type and click on "Submit"

- Single Elim (person is out after one loss)
- Double Elim (person must lose twice to be out)
- Swiss (read the instructions for detailed info, run similar to single elim)

Pick the date for the tourney by clicking on the number of the day the tourney will be
Pick a time to start the tourney, 15 minutes to a half hour ahead is usually good, but you can always change the times later if it starts late.
Tournament set up center

- make up a name for the tournament
- location is always AT (Amsterdam Travelers)
- # rounds, make as many as you can, and readjust later
- minutes between round start times - 3
- leave the rest alone until you get to "Ladderbux settings"
- Ladderbux settings are up to you after you have completed the minimum amount of tourneys which is 10 . Until then you can only have "No entry fee; No price or Ladderbux rewards"
- click on "Create Tournament"

It will either say "error" or "tournament created successfully". if it says error, follow the instructions. if it is sucessful, click on "Return to Administer Tourney #_________<---tourney number there
Leave this page open for the remainder of the tournament as it has all of your information right there for you. In the blue box is your next action step, click on "Open Check-In"
Type tourney number, entry fee, start time, and tourney type into a spam and advertise it about every 5 minutes or so until the tourney begins.

HOW TO ADMINISTER A TOURNEY

Getting the tournament started

When it is time to begin the tourney, go back to your tourney administration page and hit reload. Check to make sure that there are enough people signed up, then count the number of people so that you can adjust the number of rounds.

- make one round for every two people. Click on "Edit Tournament Info" and change the round numbers there. In this box you can also make a TD donation (comes from your own personal ladderbux stash), you can adjust the number of rounds, and the round start times. Make sure to adjust all this information before beginning the tourney.

Click on "Close Check In" it will give you one of two screens:

- error - if there is an error, return to the page, and edit tournament info again according to the error message
- check in closed: click return to administer tourney

Click on "report match" then you will see the pairings for the next round - use this to announce rounds as it is easier than looking at the chart on the main page during double elimination tournaments.
Announce the pairings in the lobby, and go to each table to watch the games. If you are at every table during the matches then it will cut down drama for you.

Reporting matches

NOTE: you can always fix any mistakes you make as long as you have not begun reporting matches to the ladder. So if you screw up, don't panic, it is fixable.

Single Elimination: On the main administration page is a link to "Adjust Round X results" Click on this link and then click on the name in yellow for the winner of the round. Once that is done you can either "return to administer tournament" or "adjust round X results" again. If you have more to report, or have made a mistake, click on "adjust round X results". Otherwise go back to administer tournament.

Double Elimination: On the main administration page is a link to "Report Matches" If you click on this page it will give you the pairings with a selection bubble and at the bottom it says "Report Loss". Although it says "report loss", select the name of the winner and then click on "report loss" and it will report the person you selected as the winner. I recommend that you use this page to announce rounds as double elimination can get very confusing if you are trying to look at the charts, especially if you aren't too bright.

Closing out the tournament

Once all the games have been played, you have a winner, and you are VERY SURE that you have reported all the matches correctly, you may begin to close out the tournament. In your little blue administration box on the tourney administration page it tells you the next step in closing the tourney, such as "report matches to ladder", "update player records", etc. One of the links says "award ladder bux" which you can use to announce the winnings in the lobby. Be sure to follow all instructions and close the tourney properly.

MISCELLANEOUS INFO

Alternative way of handling tournaments

If you desire, you can make a table in Amsterdam to administer tourneys from if the lobby is too hectic. Tell all leaguers what table to report to, and you can make them look at the tourney standings pages for the next round or do all the announcing for them at this table.

Cancelled Tournaments

If you need to cancel a tournament, click "delete tournament" from the main administration page. DO NOT leave old tournies open if you do not complete them.

Rules for special problems
Timer
For no shows/absent opponents, 10 minute timers go on the missing player and is to be managed by the TD. Once time is up, missing player forfeits game. Under "Edit tournament info" you can put a formal timer on them by following the instructions. Or just keep track by yourself.Any player that gets 3 timers put on them in a single tourney will forfeit the tourney.

Winning
If yahoo says you won, you won. Even if it is by a glitch.

Mistakes
The TD link has a "Tourney Support" link where you can fix any mistakes that you have made after the tourney is already closed. USE IT!!! We ALL make mistakes.

Force Forfeit
No force forfeits allowed EVER

"Do-Overs"
8 ball in on break is rematch.That is the ONLY time a do over is allowed.It doesnt not matter if the players or td agree to a rematch- if Yahoo! games records the match then so does High Times. If a player is booted or his/her game freezes, they will be placed on a timer.

Attitude
Although we don't force leaguers to speak nicely to one another, as a TD, you must treat everyone with respect and be as patient and considerate as you can WHILE RUNNING TOURNAMENTS. If, as a TD, you receive enough complaints, any admin may remove you as a TD. If we decide you are not a good representative of the league for any reason your TD status will be denied.

Also, if it has been a sufficient amount of time, and you still cannot successfully manage a tournament then we may revoke your TD status. Please pay attention and be careful as you manage these tournies to avoid making your friendly admins have to deal with complaints and drama from the other members.

Caps
We ask the TDs to use caps while running a tourney so that all tourney announcements may be seen as easily as possible.Caps are to be used for announcements only, TDs must lower caps while chatting in the lobby.The ADMIN and HTD staff may give you a reminder at first but if a problem continues your td status may be revoked.

Hope this helps, if you notice anything missing from these instructions let me know and I'll add it in. Happy HIGHTIMING!