Third Time's A Charm; Champ Crowned!!

United States - Nertz...It is never over until it's over. The final table match of this year's Summer Classic Online was simply fantastic. Sara Paseka, Nate Nelson, Jill Younker-Sny, and Christmas Wishart all had a piece of the lead at different times during this 12-handed thriller. It was a match that lived up to it's billing, truly making it a "Classic". The level of play was unlike any match to date, and with the title of Summer Classic Champion on the line, everyone was giving it their all.

The match started with Nate calling Nertz but not winning the hand. Christmas actually scored higher than Nate in hand #1, giving her the lead. The next hand, Sara made sure her presence would be known with a quick 10-point Nertz. As a result, this ended up setting Christmas and gave Nate the lead, who was then followed closely by Sara.

Summer Classic Final Box Score>>>
Tournament Bracket and Stat Tracker>>>

In hand #3 it would be Jill who set Sara with a 13-point Nertz call. Christmas also scored 13 points that hand which put Sara at the bottom of the leader board. Nate was also still clinging to the top spot, with Christmas not far behind. Hand #4 belonged solely to Sara as she scored 21 to put her only 3 points behind Nate who remained in the top spot despite Sara's efforts. When the game looked as though it couldn't get any tighter, Christmas called a 22-point Nertz in the 5th. From top to bottom, all players were within twelve points of one another, the highest having 49(Sara) and the lowest with 37(Christmas).

Christmas called another Nertz in the 6th tying Jill's hand score and setting both Nate and Sara. Nate and Sara fell out of the top spots and landed at the bottom of the leader board in one hand.

Jill having the lead, kept the momentum going by calling Nertz in the 7th. She had extended her lead by 20 points. Sara was still behind her in second place. Jill then struck another blow, making a huge set on the 2-time champion, Sara, in hand #8 that corralled Sara back to last place.

Nate called Nertz in hand #9 and barely prevented Jill from winning it all. After nine, Jill only needed 2 points to close it out. Jill had victory on her mind but the other Nertz players also had plans of their own. Christmas was 18 points back from Jill at that moment and was hoping for a set. Well, a set then came from Sara in the tenth, but Christmas couldn't make the most of it only scoring 1 point. Jill had been set back 10 points.

Sara had seen this before. She needed to make a comeback as she had done earlier in this tournament. She knew just what to do, and did it with a game high 23-point Nertz in the 11th to put herself back in 2nd place. Jill had only scored 5 points giving her 93 at the end of that hand. Sara had 88, only 5 points away from Jill. Christmas was also not far away with 80. Nate had remained stagnant at the bottom of the leader board and no longer in striking distance.

This was it, the comeback story was set in motion and all Sara needed to do was get one more Nertz call. When the 12th hand started, cards flew from both Sara's and Jill's Nertz piles. The top three players were storming their way towards the finish line. When the dust cleared, Sara, had made it to 100 points!... but Jill had made it further. Jill won the Summer Classic Online with 110 points ending Sara's dominate undefeated streak in the process. Jill had faced Sara in two final table matches before playing in this one. The third time was a charm for Jill. She had gotten her revenge.

Breakdown:

It will be disappointing if we don't see these four player's in upcoming NNA tournaments. Every player had a chance in this final and all of them made this game a total delight to watch.

So now, Nertz history has been made yet again, and we might be looking at the beginnings of a bitter rivalry between the 2-time NNA Tournament Champion, Sara Paseka, and the Summer Classic Online Champion, Jill Younker-Sny.

Sara is now 6-1 with 759 total tournament points (both the highest of any tournament player). Despite the loss, she still managed to get to 100 points in this match. 100 points is her lowest score...ever. That is nuts! She will be around setting the bar high for feature online Nertz players. I am sure she will be plotting her revenge as Jill did. Her record may not be perfect anymore, but her 108.43 PPG average is still beyond perfect. Early in the tournament, Sara also had a tournament high 32-point Nertz(tied with Meg Holko).

Nate lost steam in the last couple of hands but did lead for 3 hands in this final. He also called Nertz twice. Nate came close to beating Sara and knocking her out of this Classic in his semifinal match. He knows he has got the skills but for now he will have to wait for his next chance. Nate has a 2-3 game record but all of those losses come at the hands of Sara. We will be looking forward to watching Nate's progress in the next few tournaments.

Christmas Wishart needs to be given a "Rookie of the Tournament" award for her collective tournament performance. She is 1-2 with an 88.33 PPG average and a 9.14 PPH average. She has collected 9 Nertz calls in 29 hands played. Most impressively, in this final match she called Nertz twice, won a hand without Nerting, and tied hands with Jill twice even though Jill made the Nertz calls in those hands. This means in 5 of the twelve hands, she had the highest(or tied for the highest) hand score. Christmas also had the second highest hand of the final with 22 points.

Jill has the most hands played of any tournament player and now has a Tournament Championship title to show for all of her tournament experience. Her perseverance cannot be questioned. She has been to three final tables and now can say she is a Champion. But not just any Champion, the Summer Classic Online title will be coveted by Nertz players everywhere. Jill says she "will be practicing" so that she may be ready for any challengers that come her way, veteran or newcomer.

We say GAME ON!

If you would like to test yourselves against these emerging tournament greats, just go to our Online Tournament Page to register for the next Nertz tournament.

Jill and Christmas both go 4 of 10 to Advance!

United States - Out of ten hands in tonight's Summer Classic semifinal match, Jill Younker-Sny and Christmas Wishart called "Nertz" four times a piece, both advancing to the Summer Classic Finals. Jill and Christmas traded Nertz calls for the first 7 hands as their opponents, Aaron Bartholomew and Meg Holko did a good job of sticking around. Meg and Aaron had excellent 1st round matches in which Meg scored 95 points and Aaron finished with 100 points in his loss to Jill. Though tonight they didn't quite match their 1st round performances as they were eliminated from the Classic.

The game may have had a different outcome if it was not postponed due to an AOL server issue that occurred yesterday. All players showed up for their semifinal Nertz match at 7:30 p.m. CT only to see a malfunctioning Solitaire Race platform. They waited around about a hour to see if they could squeeze the match in but the tournament director finally made the decision to reschedule. The game was then scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT tonight and it ended up being the first full table of the tournament.

BD Bracket Box Score>>>
Tournament Bracket and Stat Tracker>>>

Christmas had a game high 25 point Nertz call, but did not secure the win. Jill finished with 109 points which was a career high for her.

Meg and Aaron also had a Nertz call a piece, but they did not have enough points to advance.

All of these players put on quality performances. You should continue to watch as these particular Nertz online tournament players evolve. They have already shown great potential, but as they gain more experience, they may also gain the title of "Champion" in the process.



Final Match-Up Preview - Newcomer Christmas Wishart, veterans Nate Nelson and Jill Younker-Sny, and 2-time Champion Sara Paseka will all be playing in this year's Summer Classic Online final table match. Jill has played in every final table match that Sara has played in. Jill has never beaten Sara and Nate has never beaten Sara either. In fact, nobody has beaten Sara...ever.

To say Sara is the heavy favorite in this final table would be an understatement. Sara is 5-0 with little signs of slowing down. As this young NNA tournament system develops, Sara is setting the bar high for feature online Nertz players to come. Sara is averaging nearly 110 points a game in games to 100. She has almost a 50% chance of calling Nertz any given hand, and already has 659 career total points in less than 3 online Nertz tournaments. The player closest to her in total points is Jill with 366. If you are a "safe bet" kind of person, your money should be on her in the final.

If revenge has played any part in obtaining victory over the course of history, Jill would definitely have an advantage going into the finals next week. She has been beaten by Sara every time they have played. The question is, is revenge alone enough to fuel Jill to a win over Sara. Jill has the experience, having the most career hands played with 47. She also has been improving. Raising her PPG average every game this tournament. Can she raise it again against Sara next week?

Nate has been a formidable opponent for all of his opponents in every one of his matches throughout his online tournament career. He is 2-2 with an 80.00 PPG average. In his last match, he not only almost beat Sara, but he had the opportunity to eliminate her from the tournament. If anyone has shown that they have a chance to beat the champ, it is Nate. He will need to dig deep in this finals match because Sara, if she can help it, will not likely be in the position she was in last game.

Christmas Wishart may be the most promising newcomer seen in any NNA tournament so far. She pulled off an amazing comeback in her 1st round match and put up a fight in the semi's against Jill. In 17 hands played she has 7 Nertz calls and a 90.50 PPG average. She may be the last player out of this final table that you would expect to beat Sara, but that may work in her favor. I wouldn't write Christmas off in this Classic. Who knows, we might have to do as the Aussie's do and celebrate Christmas in the summer.

As of now the final table of this year's Summer Classic Online is set to be played on Tuesday, July 21th at 7:30 p.m. CT. Nertz pride is on the line and you can be a witness in the NNA Members room or you can catch the game summary here. Stay tuned, Nertz fans!

Stunner Avoided in Great Game!

United States - Nate Nelson nearly became the #1 stunner in today's semifinal match. After hand #8, Nate had 90 points and the 2-time champ, Sara, was in third with 47 points on the verge of elimination. Nate was about to do what nobody else has done in a NNA tournament, which was to not only beat Sara, but eliminate her from the tournament.

AC Bracket Box Score>>>
Tournament Bracket and Stat Tracker>>>

Down 43 points and facing elimination, Sara stormed back. She nerted 2 of the 4 remaining hands and scored 23 points in the last hand. With that hand she secured the victory by one point over Nate who had let the lead slip away over 4 hands. Nate still advances with Sara to the semifinals, but he had the position to eliminate Sara and not have to face her in the finals.

Impressively, Sara remains undefeated. Before this match though, she hadn't had to come back from a large deficit. However, she was tested today, and she passed the test with flying colors. She will now test the rest of the field in the finals.

The top two scorers in tomorrow's BD Bracket Match will go on to face Sara and Nate in the finals of the Summer Classic Online. Veteran Jill Younker-Sny, and newcomers Aaron Bartholomew, Meg Holko, and Christmas Wishart will all be gunning for the opportunity to face Sara. The question is: Will anyone be able to pass Sara's test?

Nertz Veterans Tested; Game Invasion!

United States - For the second night in a row, the first match of a NNA double-header consisted of only two players. Veteran Nate Nelson took on Brock Ellis in a tight 9-hand dual. The score was tied at 73 points a piece at the end of four hands. Each player had alternated calling Nertz' up to that point. Then the game began to be invaded by non-tournament Nertz hoodlums. This was due to the fact that the director instructed that this game was to be played on a public table, where players are free to join a game at any given moment. Shortly after, one of the non-tournament players called Nertz ending the 5th hand. Well, not to be outdone, Nate followed that Nertz call with three more of his own. Brock also made sure he wasn't going to be bested by the non-tournament players and closed the game out with a Nertz in the 9th hand. The final score was: Nate 105, Brock 80, nertz hoodlum #1 44, nertz hoodlum #2 -16. Nate and Brock made sure that their tournament advancements were warranted.

C Bracket Box Score>>>

The second match of the NNA double-header was also similar to the second match played yesterday. Though not as long, it was a close, 3-person, hard fought battle with a surprise ending. Veteran Cathy Anderson, Christmas Wishart, and Meg Holko all showed up ready to play in their 1st Round match.

D Bracket Box Score>>>
Tournament Bracket and Stat Tracker>>>

These three Nertz players, like yesterday, showed real promise throughout the match. Cathy and Meg both had back to back 20+ point hands, and Christmas made a full table set in the 3rd hand. Trailing by 3 points in the sixth hand, Christmas turned the tide on Meg(then leading) and secured the win with quick 18 point Nertz. Christmas had 3 Nertz calls which tied a game high with Meg. Meg also had a game high 32-point Nertz.

Christmas and Meg advance over the veteran and heavy match favorite Cathy Anderson. We hope we will be seeing all of these tough competitors in Nertz tournaments to come as they have all proven to produce great matches.

The Semi Finals of the Summer Classic Online are going to be fast and furious. The players competing in the AC Bracket Semi Final are the 2-time champ, Sara Paseka, Taylor Curtis, Nate Nelson, and Brock Ellis. Their match, as of now, is set to be played Monday, July 13th at 7:30 p.m. CT.

The BD Bracket of the Semi Finals will included Jill Younker-Sny, Aaron Bartholomew, Chistmas Wishart, and Meg Holko. Their match, as of now, is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14th at 7:30 p.m. CT.

If you haven't yet, you should try to catch one of these matches live but if you miss them, just follow this NNA blog to stay updated on the action. 3 online tournament veterans remain. 5 women and 3 men make up the final eight. Only one has an online championship...two championships for that matter...and only one of these eight will become the first ever "Summer Classic Online" Tournament Champion. Who wants it the most?

13 Round Slugfest; Champ Cruises

United States - The National Nertz Association set the stage Monday night for a big Nertz-Night double header that would kick off their annual Summer Classic (Online) Nertz Tournament. This prestigious tournament started off with the two-time online champion cruising into the semifinals. Sara Paseka and Taylor Curtis were the only players to make it to the 1st Round A Bracket match. Steven Wingfield and Hal Hammons confirmed their game times days in advance but reluctantly missed out on a shot at taking down Sara, the champ. Since Hal and Steven did not show, Sara and Taylor had the choice of either accepting the "Byes" and advancing automatically or playing their scheduled match for the glory of victory. Being hardcore Nertz players, they opted to play anyway. This was also a chance for these ladies to improve their stat lines. Sara took full advantage, raising her PPG and PPH averages by the end of the match. The victory took five hands as Sara along with Taylor both cruised into the next round of the tournament unscathed.

A Bracket Box Score>>>

As the second act of the double header approached, one may have guessed that this next match would end up the same way as the first. One would have been wrong. This match, from start to finish, was a total slug fest. Jill Younker-Sny, Lacey Dellinger, and Aaron Bartholomew scrapped it out for thirteen hands. The match lasted a little over 30 minutes, and was a showcase of Nertz talent and heart.

Saowanee Suesat was also scheduled in this 1st Round B Bracket match but never showed. He missed out on an epic game of Nertz. Aaron began the game with a full table set hoping to secure a comfortable lead, but Lacey returned the favor with her own full table set in hand #2. At the end of 2, Each player was then the proud owner of negative score. Aaron swung back with a 18-point Nertz in the 3rd with Jill also gaining some ground. Soon after, Lacey landed two hard blows and took the lead when she made back-to-back Nertz calls in the fourth and fifth hands. About this time, Jill experienced a bit of trouble as she lost her connection for the majority of that fifth hand. Though, she rebounded quickly and banged out a 14-point Nertz in the sixth hand.

Lacey and Aaron exchanged leads with a Nertz call each in the seventh and eighth hands. At the end of eight, the score was 52 - Aaron, 41 - Lacey, and 21 - Jill... they were only half way the 100 point victory line... AFTER EIGHT! This was going to be a gritty fight to the finish and they all knew it. It was time to let the fists fly and Jill made the first swing with a 19-point Nertz to get herself back in the pack. Lacey landed another solid cut with a game high 24-point Nertz call in the tenth.

B Bracket Box Score>>>
Tournament Bracket and Stat Tracker>>>

With Lacey only 4 points off his lead, Aaron made a statement in the eleventh and called a quick Nertz. At this moment, Aaron had 89 points and was a hand away from winning it. Then Aaron and Lacey both were totally blindsided in hand 12 when Jill made a timely and unbelievable full table set! Amazingly, with that Nertz call, Jill had taken the lead. The thirteenth and final hand went down to the wire when Aaron called Nertz but ended up only 2 points shy of Jill. The only online tournament veteran in this match, Jill, had done it, and finished with 102 points.

Jill proved that timing and perseverance are everything in Nertz by calling Nertz only three times out of 13 hands. Lacey had the most Nertz calls with 5 and Aaron was just behind her with 4. It was an amazing game with a great ending. These three players will be fun to watch in NNA matches to come.

Both Jill and Aaron will go on to the face the 1st and 2nd place finishers of tomorrow's D Bracket match between Christmas Wishart, Meg Holko, Cathy Anderson, and Amanda Crosby.

Taylor and Sara will be facing the 1st and 2nd place finishers of tomorrow's C Bracket match between Katie Sheridan, Nate Nelson, Natasha Rene Stafford, and Brock Ellis.

The action in this Summer Classic may be boiling hot by next week's match ups. Stay tuned...