National Nertz Association News

Your Very Own Nertz Deck!

2011-09-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

The National Nertz Association is now helping Nertz players design their own Nertz playing cards decks with YourPlayingCards.com!

YourPlayingCards.com lets you customize playing cards with you own images or designs while offering great customer service. They are fast, friendly, and will help you with whatever you need. They have a simple online design tool in which you upload your own images or designs onto a ready-to-order template. It's easy and fun!

- Choose from casino-quality paper or plastic.
- Standard, jumbo, multi-color playing card face options available.
- Mini decks available.
- Discounts for large orders.
- Official Poker Size - 2.5 x 3.5 inches on all orders unless otherwise requested.

YourPlayingCards.com is perfect for Nertz players who are looking for unique decks for their Nertz games. Now you can play Nertz in style with your own custom Nertz decks. Custom Nertz decks also make great gifts and prizes for those Nertz champions in your life. Make your next Nertz experience a memorable one with YourPlayingCards.com. They have way more options than we can list here so, what are you waiting for? Click the banner above to get started and learn more!

Nertz Store Updates!

2011-08-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it has been a while since the last Nertz update. I just wanted to let you guys know that The Nertz Store has been updated. It has a new look, layout, and some fresh new products. There is now a minimum of 24 designs on over 1500 products, so we hope you can find something you like there. The Nertz Store is also committed to unveiling new products and designs on a regular basis. At the same time, playnertz.com has just updated its "Nertz Online" gaming area to be more accommodating to its body of members and online players. The National Nertz Association hopes you utilize all of the links and services provided at playnertz.com, so don't forget to check out the fresh updates. While you are visiting, keep an eye out for the "Like" facebook buttons on certain pages.

I know many of you have been asking for a Nertz Android app. Well, I believe we have found one named "Pounce" in the Android Market. Also, there will be an app for Windows 7 phone called "Nerts Card Game" which should be coming out this month(August) sometime. Keep checking the playnertz.com home page for any new information.

Lastly, the NNA has been excited by the surge in visitors to playnertz.com in the months of July and August and, as a result, they have received extra motivation in their effort to continually improve their site and services. On behalf of the NNA, I would like to thank you for reading and for your support!

The Nertz Census

2010-12-18T00:24:00.000-08:00

(The following is a re-post from October 06 2009 at Xanga)

Breakdown:

Out of 853 NNA facebook group members that we sent the Location Survey to, exactly 103 people responded. That is almost 12% of the group and was more than we expected to respond. By the way, we would like to thank everyone that represented their respective Nertz territories.

Of the 103 that responded, there were approximately 74 females and 29 males, give or take a few names that are common for both sexes. But the gals definitely represented harder than the guys.

The multiple territories that a few members listed in addition to their initial locations were not tallied but they were noted. Only the initial locations were counted. Of the 103 replies only one came from beyond the U.S., though not far. That reply stated that Nertz was being played in Mexico.

In this survey, 32 states were represented, which means 18 were not. Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia had no NNA members represent them.

The state that had the most players represent was none other than TEXAS. They had 13 of the 103 members that responded. Coming closely in second was California with 11 members. Minnesota came in third with 6 members. Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Carolina tied for fourth each having 5 members.

It should be noted that of the 18 states not represented in this survey, we now know by looking at the listed networks on our NNA facebook member list, that at least 12 of those states have NNA members currently residing and playing Nertz in them.

The states still in question in our NNA member facebook group are West Virginia, Vermont, Alaska, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Maine.

In the past, the NNA has received emails from various Nertz players that play in all of these states, but our NNA facebook group members have yet to represent them. To prove that the NNA has blanketed the U.S. we still need to verify that there are members in the remaining 6 states.

The NNA and the game of Nertz have become international. We have found members and players from all over the world. Here are a few countries that have been reported to have some hardcore Nertz players in them. Ukraine, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Australia, Mexico, England, Denmark, Canada, Russia, Swaziland, Germany, France, Turkey, Botswana , China, Poland, New Zealand, Greenland, Switzerland, Kenya, Israel, Ghana, Czech Republic, and Brazil to name a few.

If all of our members would have replied, by our estimates, California, Tennessee, Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Minnesota, Georgia, and Utah would have the states with the highest NNA member counts. Also, the Ukraine would have a high percentage within the NNA member base as well. Feel free to continue to represent, if you think your state or country didn’t get enough love. You can continue to represent by posting on our wall, posting comments below, or by sending the NNA messages.

Here are the location tallies from this census:

ALABAMA

ALASKA

ARIZONA 1

ARKANSAS 2

CALIFORNIA 11

COLORADO

CONNECTICUT

DELAWARE

FLORIDA 3

GEORGIA 4

HAWAII

IDAHO 1

ILLINOIS 3

INDIANA 2

IOWA 1

KANSAS 5

KENTUCKY 5

LOUISIANA 1

MAINE

MARYLAND 4

MASSACHUSETTS 2

MICHIGAN 1

MINNESOTA 6

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI 3

MONTANA

NEBRASKA 5

NEVADA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW JERSEY

NEW MEXICO

NEW YORK 1

NORTH CAROLINA 2

NORTH DAKOTA

OHIO 5

OKLAHOMA 2

OREGON 1

PENNSYLVANIA

RHODE ISLAND 1

SOUTH CAROLINA 5

SOUTH DAKOTA

TENNESSEE 4

TEXAS 13

UTAH 1

VERMONT

VIRGINIA 3

WASHINGTON 2

WEST VIRGINIA

WISCONSIN 1

WYOMING 1

The following were the replies recorded:

1. Kentucky
2. Massachusetts
3. South Carolina
4. Kansas – Gardner
5. Virginia – Richmond
6. California - San Diego
7. Florida
8. Maryland
9. Texas – Lubbock
10. North Carolina
11. Georgia - Atlanta, Lawrenceville, and Rome
12. Florida
13. Illinois – Chicago
14. Massachusetts
15. Minnesota
16. Rhode Island
17. Wisconsin
18. Texas – Frisco
19. Kansas
20. Tennessee
21. Minnesota
22. California - San Diego
23. Texas
24. Kentucky
25. California – Concord
26. Texas
27. Oklahoma
28. Minnesota
29. Tennessee - Johnson City
30. Maryland ---- also Pennsylvania
31. Nebraska
32. Texas
33. Michigan - Paw Paw and Kalamazoo
34. Minnesota – Cloquet
35. Kentucky
36. South Carolina – Clemson
37. Nebraska
38. Oklahoma – Norman
39. Nebraska
40. Texas
41. Ohio
42. Idaho
43. Indiana ---- also Texas
44. Maryland ---- also Virginia
45. New York
46. Nebraska – Fremont
47. Missouri – Florissant
48. Tennessee
49. Florida
50. Ohio – Cortland
51. Texas – Tyler
52. Oregon ---- also, now, France and Ghana
53. Texas
54. California – Lodi
55. Maryland - Silver Spring
56. Indiana
57. California – Yucaipa
58. Washington
59. Arizona
60. Georgia – Snellville
61. Minnesota ---- also Wisconsin
62. Ohio
63. Georgia – Snellville
64. South Carolina ---- also Ohio and Indiana
65. Kentucky
66. Missouri ---- also Ohio
67. Iowa
68. South Carolina – Columbia
69. Kentucky
70. Ohio
71. California
72. Kansas
73. Utah
74. Georgia – Kennesaw
75. Arkansas ---- also Missouri
76. Texas – Houston
77. Nebraska – Lincoln
78. Kansas
79. Tennessee – Memphis
80. South Carolina
81. California
82. California
83. Ohio
84. Kansas – Wichita
85. Arkansas
86. Illinois
87. Texas ---- also Massachusetts, Illinois, Czech Republic
88. Louisiana
89. Virginia
90. Missouri
91. Minnesota
92. Texas
93. Wyoming
94. North Carolina
95. California
96. Texas – Austin
97. Virginia ---- also Ukraine
98. Washington
99. California – San Diego
100. Texas – Houston
101. California – San Francisco
102. Mexico
103. Illinois ---- also Missouri

First Male Nertz Champ Crowned!

2010-02-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

United States - Last week the Nertz community witnessed the crowning of the first male online Nertz player in history. Since the NNA began its online tournament system the field of players have been dominated by female champions. Aaron Whitcomb became the first male champion after his final table victory last Monday night.

NNA006 - Final Table Scores

Aaron W. went heads up against back-to-back champ Sara Paseka. Aaron was in control of the match the entire time after starting the match with consecutive full-table sets. He finished Sara off in 7 hands ending up with 101 points. Sara will be eagerly awaiting to play Aaron in the upcoming Tournament of Champions. Sara and Aaron W. will also be taking on Katie McClain, Meg Holko, and Jill Younker-Sny in a point-emphasized tournament.

With Aaron's win, he grabbed the 2nd place in the 2009 rankings. However, the 2009 rankings list is not completely set yet. The Tournament of Champions will be included in the 2009 stat category and rankings, as the champions that were invited, won or began a road to victory in 2009.

The "Rookie of the Tournament" award was given to Brody Smith for his efforts against the 2-time champ Sara.

The first official tournament of 2010 (NNA008) has been announced and registration for it will be open soon. The NNA would like to thank everyone for a great 2009 tournament year!

Largest Nertz Group In the World!

2009-11-30T10:05:00.000-08:00

United States - The following is a statement from the NNA:

"The National Nertz Association is now the largest Nertz group in the world. 900 members may not be saying much but, in this case, it counts for a lot considering the game's obscure conception.

Most Nertz players find playnertz.com but do not join. It is almost impossible to determine recruitment statistics but if we were to estimate it we would say 1 out of 20 Nertz players join the NNA after finding out about them. One thing we know is that Nertz players are out there and the game is spreading.

Nertz players tend to welcome as many people as they can fit into a Nertz game and that is the same mentality the NNA has taken with its membership. The more members we have, the more possibility of excitement and greater level of fun may be had.

Here is a link to some stats on the NNA: http://nertzfan.xanga.com/

It is still our goal to host national in-person Nertz tournaments in cities across the U.S. That goal is solely dependent upon what direction this game's popularity goes.

If you have an idea for the NNA, just let us know. Post a comment below.

Simple Way To Keep Nertz Alive!

Join our main group on Facebook. Invite all of your friends, because you may not even know that they play Nertz. Join the followers list on this blog. Take pictures and videos the next time you play Nertz and post them in our group. Get some Nertz merchandise and display the merchandise with pride. Play in NNA online tournaments. Host you own in-person tournaments and post information about them in our group. Post some of your Nertz stories and experiences on our group's wall or in our forums. Let your friends and family know about Nertz and the National Nertz Association."

Rookie, Katie, Wins Big and Cleans Up!

2009-10-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

United States - Aaron Whitcomb, Natasha Rene Stafford, Katie McClain, and champion, Meg Holko, sat down for a title match on Sunday night that lasted nine hands. The list of finalists consisted of three veterans and one rookie and it was the rookie that would earn the title of MEGA-Nertz Open Champion.

NNA005 Final Table Scores>>>
Full Tournament Bracket>>>

To start, the champ, Meg, quickly got down to business winning the first two hands on back-to-back Nertz calls. However, her lead dwindled when she was set in the 3rd hand by a Nertz call from Natasha. Natasha didn't just set Meg, but she also set Aaron and Katie making a full table set.

Katie, currently tied in second place at the start of hand #4, took the lead with a 20-point Nertz call after claiming the 4th. Katie followed that call with another Nertz call, this time acquiring 27 points(a game high) in the 5th . Katie was quickly set in the 6th by the champ, Meg. Then, 13 points off of the leader, Katie, made another Nertz call completing her second back-to-back, which had pulled her 1 point away from the lead.

Katie, sensing the champs pressure, asserted herself in the 8th with a 19-point Nertz. She now had a total of 92 points and only needed 8 points for the victory. Well, in the 9th, Katie more than closed things out with a 19-point full table set that secured her place in Nertz history.

The NNA crowned Katie "The MEGA-Nertz Open Online Champion". But the accolades don't stop there. Katie also received the "Rookie of the Tournament" award. And she also had the hand high for the tournament(37) in which she will receive an "Official Nertz Scoring Pad". Aside from the 2nd and 3rd place prizes, which would be impossible to obtain by winning the tournament, Katie won every prize available in this tournament. Her prize pouch will include an invitation to the "2009 Tournament of Champions", a "Nertz Champion" T-Shirt, and a free copy of the "Nerts High Speed Card Game" software. But that is just for winning the this tournament, there's more! As mentioned before, Katie receives the "Official Nertz Scoring Pad" from her tournament hand high, as well as, an "I Love Nertz" bumper sticker for winning the "Rookie of the Tournament" award. Her goal may have been to win all the prizes possible in this tournament, but all of the prideful tournament players that played in this tournament really only wanted one thing... : To go down in Nertz history as the first MEGA-Nertz Open Online Champion in history.

Meg placed 2nd in this tournament while Natasha placed 3rd. They both will be receiving copies of the "Nerts High Speed Card Game" as well.

New Rankings:

Out of the 9 rookies that played, 6 of them busted into the top 20 in the NNA Player Rankings. Katie went from being un-ranked to being ranked 2nd only having two-time champ, Sara Paseka in front of her. Meg only fell one spot but raised her player ranking with her outstanding play in this tournament. Brock Ellis moved down 6 places but Mallory Holko moved up three into 11th on the list. Natasha also made a leap moving from 10th to 7th, which landed her just behind her arch-nemesis, Aaron Whitcomb who is now 6th on the list.

The NNA wants to thank all of the tournament participants from every online tournament this year. The inception of the NNA Online Nertz Tournament System has been very successful. Everyone is looking forward to future NNA tournaments whether they are live/in-person tournaments or online tournaments.

2-Time Champ Battles In Thriller!

2009-10-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

United States - Three of the four veterans made it to play in the ACEG MEGA semifinal match. 2-time champ Sara Paseka and veterans Aaron Whitcomb and Natasha Rene Stafford went at one another for 9 hands. Brock Ellis wasn't available for tonight's hardcore exhibition of talent.

ACEG Semifinal Bracket Scores>>>
Full Tournament Bracket>>>

Sara started the match with a 20-point Nertz that put her out in front. Aaron countered in the second with a 27-point Nertz. This only moved him into second place as Sara remained in first with 20 points of her own in the 2nd. Natasha stuck a blow in the 3rd with a 22-point Nertz, which resulted a place swap with Aaron, while Sara, still in 1st place, inched closer the 100-point mark.

In the 4th, Aaron then traded places again with Natasha moving himself back into second place after a 28-point Nertz, while Sara continued her march to the finish after yet another 20-point tally. At that point the scores read as follows: Sara 74, Aaron 63, and Natasha 55.

Sara was within striking distance, but the feud between Natasha and Aaron was starting to heat up. Aaron was bested by Natasha in the second round by only two points. This time Aaron was determined not to let Natasha beat him. However, Natasha, currently in 3rd place, wasn't about to let Aaron get the best of her this time either.

Sara continued the match unaware that the magnitude of her opponent's rivalry would have such an impact on her tournament life. Natasha quickly made back-to-back Nertz calls pulling herself back into second place just 1 point away from the leader, Sara.

Aaron didn't waste anytime in the 7th hand calling Nertz and making a full table set which put him in the lead. In a volley-like fashion, Natasha returned Aarons Nertz call with her own full table set in the 8th.

The ninth hand would prove to be the last of the match. All three vets had a chance to take it. But who wanted it the most? It just so happened that 2 of them did take it. Aaron's and Natasha's rivalry fueled them both to play any and every card they could in the 9th hand up until a Nertz call was made. It was Aaron who ended up calling Nertz but much to everyone's surprise, he did not solely posses the highest match score. Natasha tied with Aaron at 101 points to end the match as both players further solidified their places as arch nemeses.

The 2-time champ, Sara, fell just short of advancing to her 4th final appearance. She had a dominating second round match in which she won in only 4 hands. Sara will be plotting her revenge having already preregistered for the next NNA tournament. It is unlikely that Sara will fall from the #1 spot in the tournament ranking due to both her quality performances in this tournament and her previous ones...especially the ones in which she captured 2 titles.

Final Preview:

Aaron and Natasha will face Katie and Meg in the Finals of the MEGA-Nertz Open. Meg Holko, the only champion remaining in this tournament, has the lowest PPG average of all the finalist. That may not be a factor, due to Meg's experience in the finals.

Meg beat Aaron Whitcomb in the finals of the NNA004 tournament. However, rookie Katie McClain just put a beat down on Meg along with another tournament champion in the same match.

In addtion, Natasha Rene Stafford beat Aaron W. in her second round match after advancing on a "bye", so we know she can beat a champ-beater.

Aaron is looking to be the first male ever to win a NNA online tournament. He has taken down the 2-time champ twice in his tournament life.

Katie isn't perfect in her 1st tournament appearance despite her impressive stats. She did lose to rookie Josh Consalvo in her second round match. Katie still currently holds the tournament hand high in which she will be awarded a prize for if it stands. She is also a strong favorite in the "Rookie of the Tournament" running. If her record holds, a victory in the final would likely earn all four tournament prizes. A truly magnanimous feat. However, the veterans in this final will do everything they can to prevent this from happening.

The final match-ups look to be extremely close in talent. All of the finalists have the skill, but it will be about who executes when it counts. We will see next week who can execute!

Katie Owns In Semifinal!

2009-10-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

United States - Simply put, Katie McClain put a beat down on two Nertz champions and one promising rookie. It was over in 5 hands. Katie took on champions Jill Younker-Sny and Meg Holko, as well as, rookie Josh Consalvo.

BDFH Semifinal Bracket Scores>>>
Full Tournament Bracket>>>

Katie started with a 30-point Nertz. Meg followed the next hand with a 29-point Nertz to take the lead. Then it was all over. Katie called a quick Nertz in the 3rd, made a big full table set in the 4th, and closed out the match in the fifth with a 33-point Nertz, which was the hand high of the match. Katie finished with 112 points and made two other players finish in the negative. Meg wasn't too far behind finishing with 76 points.

Meg and Katie have advanced to the Final in this MEGA-Nertz Open online tournament. Meg the most recent tournament champ has her work cut out for her if she plans on becoming the MEGE-Nertz Open champ. Katie still holds the tournament hand high record with 37 points. If she keeps up her outstanding level of play she could clean up in the prize department. If she wins the tournament and her hand high stands, she would win the 1st place prizes, the "Rookie of the Tournament" prize, and the tournament hand high prize! 4 prizes total. She has all but secured two of them, pending the official announcements from the NNA when this tournament is completed.

Though Katie shouldn't count her chickens before her eggs hatch as she still has four other veterans eagerly awaiting to face her, one of which is a 2-time champion. Aaron Whitcomb, Brock Ellis, Natasha Rene Stafford, and Sara Paseka will play their semifinal match this Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. CST. Both Katie and Meg will have their hands full with any of the players that advance from that match.

Katie may be taking an extra bit of confidence going into the Final. It isn't easy to knock off two champions in such dominating and quick fashion....but she did make it look easy. We will see what happens in the Final of the biggest online Nertz tournament ever. Keep an eye out for the results.

Monday Night Packed Full of Nertz!

2009-09-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

United States - Tonight the electronic cards were flying. 12 of 12 Nertz players showed for their 2nd round matches and a total of 34 hands were recorded in the 3 tournament games played.

BD Bracket Scores>>>
EG Bracket Scores>>>
FH Bracket Scores>>>
Full Tournament Bracket>>>

The first match of the night was the shortest match played. It also had two NNA champions slugging it out. Not only was the last tournament champion, Meg, facing another champion in the early rounds, but she was also facing her talented Nertz-playing sister, Mallory. However, Meg maintained her poise and led the the entire match, winning it by acquiring 114 points. Mallory hoped to advance with her sister and was one her way to when Jill, the other Online Champion, fell to last place just after the 5th hand. Jill then went on a tear, nerting 3 consecutive times to pull herself into 2nd place as Meg was crossing the finish line. Jill finished with 87 points beating out Mallory and winning a trip to the semifinals.

The winners of the second match that was played tonight had to dig deep in the midst of their unusually long 16-hand match. Rookies Katie McClain and Josh Consalvo advanced despite early setbacks caused by veteran Aaron Bartholomew. At one point, Katie was at -37 while Aaron was in first place, and yet she still managed to advance by finishing with 94 points when the match came to an end. Josh also made an impressive comeback to knock the seasoned veteran (Aaron B.) out of the tournament with his 105-point victory.

Katie and Josh now have the daunting task of facing, not just one, but two online champions (Jill and Meg) in their semifinal match.

The last match of the night had a photo finish between two skilled veterans. Natasha Rene Stafford and Aaron Whitcomb went ten rounds. Natasha claimed the victory with 110 points, just 2 points more than Aaron's final game score. Rookie Kathy Nelon Michael put up a fight but didn't finish with enough points to advance.

Aaron and Natasha will face one another again in the semis along with the winners of the AC bracket which will be played tomorrow night.

Things to Note:

Natasha and Katie both had 6 Nertz calls a piece tonight. Jill had 5 Nertz calls in her 8 hand match. Katie's 37 point Nertz in the first round still stands as the tournament hand high. Jill reclaimed her record for the career total number of Nertz calls which now stands at 33.

Of the 32 players that entered the tournament it seems we are seeing more familiar faces endure as this tournament progresses. However, we are also witnessing some talented rookies emerge as well.

2 males have advanced to the semis so far out of a field predominately comprised of females. Another two males still have a chance to advance, so it is possible that this could be the first tournament won by a male. However, both statistics and history indicate otherwise. In addition, with three female champions still in the race, it would be hard to bet against them.

Finally, due to the impressive skill displayed so far, no matter who wins the MEGA-Nertz Open, they will most definitely be worthy of the title.

Nertz Match of the Week!

2009-09-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

United States - For the first time in this tournament a rookie was eliminated after playing in a 1st round match. However, if this rookie would have played in just about any other 1st round bracket match, she may have advanced. The skill level in this first round game was top notch. Veterans Mallory Holko and Christmas Wishart along with rookies April Allbritton and Teresa Rust battled it out in Sunday night's B bracket match.

B Bracket Scores>>>
Full Tournament Bracket>>>

April called Nertz twice in this match but didn't win a single hand. Christmas didn't call Nertz any hand but still managed to win two hands. Teresa won three hands and called Nertz three hands but didn't necessarily win all of the hands she called Nertz in. Mallory had four Nertz calls and 2 full table sets and ended up safely securing the win with 102 points.

The impressive play by Mallory and both rookies led to an upset...possibly the biggest of the tournament. Teresa, knocked Christmas (ranked 4th in the NNA Tounrnament System) out of the tournament with her second place finish.

Mallory seems to be on a mission since she witnessed her sister Meg win the last NNA tournament. However, she must face her sister and Jill, another tournament champion, in the next round. The intensity will be turned up a notch for that second round match-up.

Though this game was not as close as some of the others in the 1st round, it received the honor of "Game of the Week" because of the collective skill displayed throughout the match.

8 rookies and 8 veterans have made it into the second round. Nertz fans should look forward to the next couple of rounds as new talent and old favorites rise to the challenge and go for the title of "Nertz Champion".

MEGA-Nertz Open Update

2009-09-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

United States - With one match left to be played in the 1st round of the MEGA-Nertz Open, a better picture is emerging from the field of 32 players of which players want the biggest title of the year. One might have guessed that the three tournament champions that entered this tournament would advance to the second round. That guess would have been correct as Sara, Meg, and Jill are now awaiting their second round matches. Surprisingly, all of the rookies that played in their 1st round matches have advanced to the second round as well.

Out of the 11 males that registered for this tournament, only 5 have made it to the second round. The chances of having the 1st male online Nertz champion crowned in this tournament have been cut in half.

2-time champ and accolade giant, Sara Paseka, has gobbled up another tournament record. Sara surpassed Jill in the amount of career Nertz calls made with her 29th Nertz call in her first round match-up. Jill still has a chance to take that record back in this tournament as she, like Sara, has advanced to play another match.

The current tournament hand high is 37 points received by rookie, Katie McClain. If this hand high holds, she will receive a Nertz Scoring Pad from The Nertz Store at the tournament's end. We will see if this record will hold up as the rest of players continue to gun for prizes. Katie is also among the top rookies in the running for the "Rookie of the Tournament" award and the "I love Nertz" bumper sticker that comes with that title.

The chances of a champion winning this tournament have increased. However, the rookies are impressive both in the amount of them that have advanced and their individual stats. Still, it is hard to rule out players with experience. It may come down to who wants the MEGA-Nertz Open title the most...

Bigger and Better ! - Did I Mention Bigger?!

2009-08-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

United States - So far 30 players from all across the country have registered for The National Nertz Association's biggest online Nertz tournament yet. The MEGA-Nertz Open(NNA005) is the fifth tournament that the NNA has hosted this year and not only is it bigger, but it is offering more rewards to the tournament players as well. There are 32 spots in this MEGA event which is twice as many spots than the last 3 tournaments have had. In this tournament, the NNA is offering 2nd and 3rd place prizes, a "Rookie of the Tournament" prize, and a prize for the player that receives the best hand score of the tournament.

13 online tournament veterans have returned for this grand online event. 2 of those 13 are champions. 12 of the 30 registrants are males. So far online Nertz tournament championships have been owned by females. However, half of the top ten ranked NNA players are males.

The rookies out number the veterans in this tournament, but that doesn't seem to bother the vets. They are hoping to improve their stats by taking on the less experienced rookies in the early rounds. But as history has taught us, the veterans should not take the rookies too lightly. After all, it was a rookie who knocked the 2-Time Champion, Sara Paseka, out of the last tournament in the first round.

On a more surprising note, one of the past tournament champions has yet to register for this tournament. Jill Younker-Sny won the Summer Classic Online but so far has opted not to play in the biggest online tournament to date. Although, she still has a chance to register being that there are two spots still available.

MEGA-Nertz Open Tournament Bracket

The NNA has recently finished the Tournament Stat and Rankings Page. There you can check more in-depth player stats and see player rankings.

All twenty veterans received personalized invites to this tournament, but only 13 of them are attending as of now.

Meg Holko the last NNA members to win a championship is included in the list of veterans attending. Her sister Mallory is back again as well, hoping to start a family dynasty with a championship of her own.

Veterans Nate Nelson and Christmas Wishart, each having made two final table appearances a piece, are always within striking distance.

With a broader field, it is more difficult to predict a final table match-up. However, if you have a prediction just post it in a comment below. We would love to see who you think will be at the final table.

Most Thrilling Final Table Yet!

2009-08-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

United States - The fourth NNA online Nertz tournament this year attracted a wide array of Nertz talent to the tables. The final table was particularly talented having withstood the better part of the tournament field of players thus far. It was said going into tonight's final table that the players were pretty evenly matched, but we didn't realize how tight of a match it was going to be.

Final Table Box Score>>>
Tournament Bracket and Stat Tracker>>>

Christmas Wishart, Aaron Whitcomb, Meg Holko, and the Summer Classic Champion Jill Younker-Sny were all primed and ready just before the start of the match. Nertz is a crazy game. And sometimes you can't explain everything that leads up to one's victory. But I will attempt to give you the best details I can to describe this incredible game.

The first hand was quick and Meg called Nertz and received 16 points. She then led the others by at least 10 points. The champ, Jill, called Nertz in hand #2 but did not end up winning the hand as Meg scored 1 point more than her. Christmas also tied Jill's hand score receiving 18 points for that hand. Aaron had drifted quietly to the bottom of the leader board but quickly pulled himself out with a quick 17-point Nertz in the 3rd. Everyone was back within at least 11 points of one another as Meg still had the lead. Jill then made a quick 14-point Nertz to take the lead in the 4th hand. Aaron also had moved up into second as both Meg and Christmas were set.

Christmas made a charge in the 5th calling Nertz and moving up a spot to 3rd place. She also had set the leader, which was still Jill at the moment. Christmas went right back down to last place despite receiving 19 points in hand #6. Aaron had moved into first place but it was Meg that called Nertz and won that hand moving her into second place. The scores at the end of 6 hands were as follows: Aaron with 56, Meg with 54, Jill with 50, and Christmas with 48. It appeared that we were going to have to get a camera out for a photo finish if this game got any tighter.

In hand #7 Aaron went from first place to last place while Christmas went from last to first. Christmas had called a 20-point Nertz and set Aaron back 10 points. Aaron returned the favor in the 8th setting Christmas 11 points. Meg had indirectly taken the lead when Aaron called Nertz. Christmas took the lead right back in the 9th with a 19-point Nertz. Aaron gained some ground and moved into second place with a Nertz call in the 10th. He was the only 6 points from the leader, Christmas who had 88 points.

Christmas was 12 points away from a championship. But at 76 points, Meg wasn't going to let Christmas walk away with it. Meg made a huge 23 point Nertz ending up at 99 points at the end of 11 hands. But neither Christmas or Aaron scored enough to close it out either. Meg had 99, Aaron had 97, and Christmas had 95. Jill had slipped too far from the pack to catch up. However, it would be Jill that would decide who would win the championship in the 12th hand.

Jill was furiously trying to make a full table set, to possibly put her back in this game but when she Nerted, only one other player had a positive hand score. It was the player that needed only one point for the victory. Meg had scored 4 which was just enough due to the fact that Jill had set both Christmas and Aaron to end the game.

It was a fantastic game to watch. Every player had the lead at one point during the match. Meg had the least amount of Nertz calls (which was 2) of any player in this match but still ended up winning. Christmas had the most Nertz calls with 4 and finished in 2nd place. There were no full table sets, further indicating that the level of competition was extremely even.

The NNA would like to congratulate Meg Holko on her well-deserved victory. Everyone is looking forward to seeing all of these Nertz players in The Mega-Nertz Open starting in the near future. So far the tradition of beating a champion in the finals to become a champion has yet to be broken. Thus, if you are looking to become a champion, you should be looking for Meg in the finals of the next tournament.

Meg receives the title of "Online Nertz Champion", a "Nertz Champion" Hoodie, a copy of Nerts High Speed Card Game compliments of Ronnander Games, and an invitation to the Tournament of Champions at the year's end. Do you want what she has? Just register for the next online Nertz tournament and follow this blog to stay updated.

Nertz Elite On Display, Final Table is Set!

2009-08-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

United States - Both NNA004 Nertz semifinal matches were played tonight. The BD bracket match began at 7:30 and the AC bracket started the late game at 9:30 p.m. With the 2-time champ already eliminated from the tournament, Jill was the only other online champion that still remained in the tournament coming into tonight's match. Jill may have breathed a sigh of relief after the news that her arch rival had been knocked out last week. Though, she still could not overlook her opponents in her semifinal match.

Jill Younker-Sny, Aaron Bartholomew, and Christmas Wishart, went at it for 14 hard-fought hands. Natasha Rene Stafford, who did confirm her match time, ended up not making it. Aaron started the game off with a Nertz call only to tie with Christmas for the lead. Jill followed in the second with a Nertz call to set Christmas big and put herself in second place and 2 points behind Aaron.

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

Christmas was set again in the 3rd when Nate called Nertz again. This put Christmas at -6 and 36 points behind the leader, Aaron. Apparently, this is right where Christmas wanted to be. She made back-to-back full table sets with Nertz calls in the 4th and 5th to take the lead by 11 points.

Christmas was not done yet, she called another one in the 6th hand to further pull away from the pack. Aaron had a 19-point Nertz in hand #7 to jump from third to second place. After another Nertz call from Christmas, the scores at the end of hand #8 were Christmas with 65, Aaron with 38, and Jill with 33.

Jill made a full table set in the ninth to put herself back in second and only 18 points behind Christmas. Christmas then made back-to-back Nertz call again to give her 92 points at the end of the 11th. She was well in front of both Jill and Aaron at that point. But for Jill and Aaron it was now a fight for second place and a seat in the Finals. Knowing this motivated both players to exchange Nertz calls in hands numbers 12 and 13. Aaron was still in third but only trailed Jill by 6 points at the start of the 14th hand. Christmas scored 20 points in the 14th to secure the victory but it was Jill won the hand by calling the Nertz beating out Aaron B. for the second spot in the finals.

The Late Game Summary

Jill should now be more worried about the players that advanced over Sara in the AC bracket than if Sara were still in it. These Nertz players are "no joke". Tough, determined, fast, and alert and they certainly showed it tonight. Nate Nelson, Lacey Donaho, Meg Holko, and Aaron Whitcomb all made it to play this semifinal match.

Aaron, running a little late, arrived at the end of the first hand but managed to stay with the pack. Meg, however was determined to leave the pack, Nerting 4 of the first 5 hands, and ending up with 83 points before the 6th. At that moment, the closest person to her was Nate in second with 25 points. Aaron then went back-to-back to pull himself into 2nd place by the start of the 8th. In the 8th Lacey made a full table set with a quick 11-point Nertz, but it wasn't enough for her to advance after a Nert by Aaron in the 9th, and Meg's full table set in the 10th. With that Nertz call in the 10th, Meg secured her victory advancing to the Finals. The second place finisher, despite his late start, was Aaron W.. Meg's combined margin of victory was 270 points. It was a truly dominate performance.

AC Bracket Box Score>>>

A Look at the Finals

Aaron and Meg join Jill and Christmas at the Final Table. The NNA will announce the Final Table Game Time later this week. Aaron is the only newcomer to advance to the final table in this tournament. Jill is the only online champion at the final table. However, Christmas has already shown that she can beat Jill, but moreover, Aaron has shown that he can beat a 2-time champ. Lastly, Meg has just proven that she can beat a 2-time champ slayer. So the field looks pretty evenly matched. All of these players average over 8.00 PPH. Christmas is emerging as the favorite leading in PPG at 97.60. But how can one say she is the favorite with an online champion still in the mix. The champ, Jill has the most experience in NNA online Nertz tournament history with 80 hands played. She has play in every round that the NNA tournament system has every had. However, there is another stat to factor in here. Aaron and Jill are the only ones to ever beat the 2-time champ Sara who still averages over 100 PPG. To counterpoint, Meg leads the finalists in the Nertz Calls/Hands Played ratio with 3.6. Christmas is the only finalist with a winning game record at 3-2.
Jill beat both Meg and Christmas in the semis of the Summer Classic.

It seems anyway you slice it, a case can be made for each of these finalists. The Nertz world looks forward to the Final match and the players look forward to their chance to obtain the title of "Online Nertz Champion". There are also additional spoils for the victor as if these players need extra incentive. The winner of this match will receive a "Nertz Champion" Hoodie from The Nertz Store and a copy of Nerts High Speed Card Game, compliments of Ronnander Games.

Get ready Nertz fans.... it is about to be ON.

Amazing 1st Round Stunner; 2 -Time Champ Eliminated!

2009-08-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

United States - The speed of tonight's NNA first round tournament was truly a site to be witnessed. A bracket players Sara Paseka, Meg Holko, Aaron Whitcomb, and Shanan Westover Osinski all arrived on time and quickly got down to business. A crowd of NNA members followed them as they took a seat at the Nertz table. Among the crowd was the two players that were to play the winners of tonight's match, Nate Nelson and Lacey Donaho. Also, in attendance was Meg's sister, Mallory Holko, who was there to cheer Meg on. Mallory had also played in the first round D bracket match in this tournament.

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

The game didn't disappoint the crowd either. The 2-time champ started the game off with a 20 point Nertz but was followed by Aaron who received 12. Meg and Shanan were set and started out in the negatives.

In Hand #2, it was Aaron who called Nertz taking the lead but it was Meg who actually won the hand with 21 points. Sara had been set this hand and drop back down 10 points. Fighting from the bottom spot, Shanan made a full table set with a Nertz call in hand #3, totally leveling the playing field. Hand #4 solely belonged to Sara when she called a 22 point Nertz. This put her back in 2nd place for the moment.

Aaron started making a move in the 5th hand with a Nertz giving him 51 points total. He had separated himself from the pack, leading all players by at least 26 points. He did more of the same in hand #6 with a Nertz call and then led by 43.

It seemed that Aaron had this game locked up, but 2-time champ, Sara, had been in situation before and knew that the game was not over until it is over. After gaining very little ground in the seventh due to a big 20-point Nertz from Meg, Sara then struck back with a 25-point Nertz of her own in hand #8. Sara was still in second place with 61. Aaron had endured a couple of opponent Nertz calls and made it to 91. Sara was now focused on simply advancing, being 30 points away. If Sara did advance with a second place finish she could try for revenge in the next round.

The problem with that was that Meg, also, at this point, was looking to advance and with a 18 point hand in the 9th, she narrowly surpassed the 2-time champ by a three point margin to secure her spot in the semifinals. Aaron called Nertz in the 9th and his 19 points secured his victory while impressing the spectators.

Aaron is the first newcomer to upset a champion. Furthermore, he is the first to eliminate the 2-time champion in any round of a tournament, excluding the finals.
His play was truly impressive, while Meg also was well deserving of her advancement.

This was another fantastic game to watch and if we an of these players in future tournaments it will be a treat. We hope that they all play in another one.

Sara Paseka's amazing run was stopped in the last tournament final by Jill. Despite that loss, Sara still managed 100 points in that match and has never scored below 100 in any of her online tournament matches until tonight. Though, now she is on a 2 game skid, her dominance may not be lost. We have seen what she is capable of and wouldn't doubt if she snagged another tournament victory in the near future. Sara did mention that she had just got off of work and ran straight to the game, so fatigue may have been a factor in her loss.

However, give credit where credit is due, Aaron and Meg played a great game. As for now, we will see Aaron Whitcomb and Meg Holko go on the face Nate Nelson and Lacey Donaho in the AC semifinal.

A Look at the Semis

6 tournament veterans have made it to the Semis. Out of the 2 newcomers, only one has beaten, not just one, but two veterans in the first round. 3 of the eight semifinalists are males and no male to date has won an online Nertz tournament. Incidentally, two of the 3 males are named "Aaron"..Go figure.

As of now, here is a look at the current semi final game times:

AC Bracket Match: Monday, August 10th at 7:30 p.m. CST
BD Bracket Match: Tuesday, August 11th at 7:30 .p.m. CST

Get ready for some quality Nertz action!

2 Tough 10-Hand Matches, Destination: Semi's

2009-08-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

United States - Tournament veterans Nate and Lacey and newcomer Kara Leigh Bartkus went 10 rounds in tonight's first NNA match. Kara was a last minute replacement for Cylan Shaffer who was not able to make the 6:30 game time. Kara fought hard against the vets but ran into some minor computer problems throughout the match. She did manage to call Nertz twice but fell short of advancing, placing 3rd. The fourth designated player Carlos Adam Miner Jr. had confirmed his game time but failed to arrive, so a computer played in his sted.

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

Lacey led the number of Nertz calls this game with 5. But Nate showed his resilience and came away with the victory finishing with 110 points. Lacey was not far behind with 96. She led for the first 5 hands of the match and Nerted 3 of those first 5. Nate had a big full table set in the 5th and then immediately followed it with a 21 point Nertz in the 6th to take the lead. Lacey took the lead right back in the 7th, but Nate's large 28-point Nertz call in the 8th all but sealed the deal. Nate was only set once the entire game. It was in the 1st hand and only for -5 points. Lacey was set only twice but for only -1 point each time.

Nate and Lacey advance to the AC Semifinals match. They await the winners of the A bracket which will be played Wednesday the 5th at 7:30 p.m. CST. The 2-time champ Sara Paseka is in the A bracket group, along with veteran Meg Holko, and newcomers Aaron Whitcomb and Shanan Westover Osinski. They all have confirmed this match so it should be a full table.

Match #2 of the Night All four players in this 1st round match were chompin' at the bit to start playing. They had all confirmed this match quickly as it was the first of the four brackets to do so collectively. Christmas Wishart, Natasha Rene Stafford, Mallory Holko, and Ben Bowman fought it out for 10 hands like the players in the first match of the night.

D Bracket Box Score>>>

This game started rather oddly. The first hand was almost an Idled game. This is where all four players have no plays to make. Usually in live games you would "burn a card"(change the order of your stream) so that the order of cards becomes different which would spawn new plays. Well in Solitaire Race, when there is an Idled Game, a short timer is displayed and when it runs out, the game ends even if nobody has Nerted. If you make a play when the timer is displayed, then it goes away. So, in the very first hand of this match, the timer appeared when the hand was almost at a stand still. Mallory saved the hand from ending without a Nertz call by making a play thus making the timer disappear. She also called Nertz a few moments later, though she did not win the hand. Christmas won it with a 27-point non-Nertz.

If that weren't weird enough, the very next hand actually did end without anyone calling a Nertz. Natasha won the hand with a -4 hand score when the entire table was set. Christmas received a -24 point hand score erasing her big first hand, but still maintained the lead after 2 hands. It gets weirder, so bare with me because it is hard to explain.

Natasha took the lead in the 3rd with a 17 point Nertz. Then in the 4th, Natasha again called Nertz but Christmas actually won the hand with 18 points. This happened again in the 5th, with Natasha calling Nertz, and Christmas scoring more points than her. Only this time the top hand score was shared by both Ben and Christmas at 18 points.

Mallory surprised her competition with a 19-point Nertz in the 6th. It may not have been a large Nertz but the differential was substantial. The combined difference between her hand score and her opponent's hand scores was 49 points.

The next hand, Christmas separated herself from the pack calling Nertz and obtaining a game score of 72. At that moment, the closest player to her was Natasha with 41. Natasha then called Nertz in the 8th hand scoring 27 points, but Christmas scored 26 points that hand. This brought Christmas's game total to 98. The only thing that could stop her was a set. The set did come in the 9th hand when Mallory called her third Nertz. Though this only set Christmas back 3 points, and in the 10th she closed it out with a 23-point Nertz. Christmas finished with 118 points and advanced to the BD semifinal match. Natasha also advanced finishing in second place with 68.

So far the all of the tournament veterans have advanced. Only one semifinalist so far is a newcomer. It seems experience breeds excellence and the current field of semifinalist has 217 hands played between them. The BD semifinal looks almost the same as the last BD semi, only replacing Meg with Natasha. However, Meg is still in the tournament and is awaiting her 1st round match in the A bracket.

The NNA wanted to send out a special thanks to everyone who has contributed to this year's NNA online tournament system...especially the participants. It would benefit the Nertz playing community if we continue to see these players in these NNA online Nertz tournaments.

Cakewalk for the Summer Classic Champ

2009-08-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

United States - After postponing the A Bracket 1st Round Monday night, the NNA had held its B Bracket 1st round match-up as scheduled. Veterans Jill Younker-Sny and Aaron Bartholomew both advanced easily as they were the only human players to sit at the table. The two other computer opponents did not go out without a fight though. One of them managed to call a Nertz against the humans. Jamie Deibel and Sue Daugherty were supposed to play in this match but did not make it. They also were the only two out of 16 players not to reply to their game time messages.

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

It is a shame that they didn't, because they had a shot at the champ in the first round. Though, who is to say that the scores would have been different? Jill finished with 106 points as she closed out her 7-handed first round match with a victory. Aaron wasn't far behind with 73 points.

With this victory Jill raised her PPG average. She has continued to raise it over the last 3 to 4 matches.

More Flexibility?

To help with game time confirmations, the NNA has put a chat room at the bottom of the "Online Tournament" page. They would like players to use it to inform their opponents if they can or can't make a match time. It is also a good place to meet before a match...in the case that a different room destination will be given.

Something New...

2009-08-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

At almost 1500 NNA associates, stories of Nertz players and epic Nertz games are presented to the NNA board from time to time. To show appreciation to our members, fans, and followers, we thought it might be fun to post some of your stories or special player acknowledgments in our NNA News blog.

We are thinking that every month or so, we could write an article about a Nertz event or Nertz player with the information you submit to us. You can write an article and send it in for consideration as well. However, if you don't feel you would be able to write a Nertz article but still would like to submit some information, we would be happy to write about it for you and post it here.

A "Nertz Game of the Month" or "Nertz Player of the Month" article would be written featuring information on specific Nertz event or player. All one would have to do to submit an article idea would be to email support@playnertz.com and tell us a little about the event or player that you would like to see get recognition.

We love hearing all kinds of Nertz stories. Even if you don't think you have a Nertz story with enough content for an article, send it anyway. We love feedback.

Third Time's A Charm; Champ Crowned!!

2009-07-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-13T18:47:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-07-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

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...

Summer Classic Game Times Announced!

2009-06-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

Currently, there are 16 players awaiting their first round matches in this year's Summer Classic Online. There is also a NNA member in reserve just in case a player has to drop out of the tournament. New faces will be tested as they take on a few tournament veterans in this premier summer battle that is sure to heat up.

Here are the game times for the first round:

A Bracket: Monday, July 6th at 6:30 p.m. CT
Sara Paseka
Steven Wingfield
Taylor Curtis
Hal Hammons

B Bracket: Monday, July 6th at 7:30 p.m. CT
Jill Younker-Sny
Lacey Donaho
Aaron Bartholomew
Saowanee Suesat

C Bracket: Tuesday, July 7th at 6:30 p.m. CT
Nate Nelson
Brock Ellis
Natasha Rene Stafford
Katie Sheridan

D Bracket: Tuesday, July 7th at 7:30 p.m. CT
Cathy Anderson
Meg Holko
Amanda Crosby
Christmas Wishart

Some of these players you know and some of them may make a name for themselves in the feature. In order to do that, they must take down the 2-time online tournament champ and a few other established veterans.

To stay informed with this tournament, just follow this blog. You won't regret it.

Nertz Summer Classic Online!

2009-06-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

United States - Katie Sheridan was the last NNA member to register in the 3rd online Nertz tournament of the year. The NNA just announced that this tournament will be played annually, and any tournament played annually should have a name. In honor of the live in-person tournaments hosted by the NNA in the past, they have dubbed this tournament the "Summer Classic" Online.

As the NNA grows, they would like to bring the live and in-person Summer Classic to the national stage, opening this large scale event to the public and inviting Nertz players from all over the country. This event would include multiple tournaments, food, and family-style festivities for all the attendees. Prizes would be given out to players in drawings and finalists wouldn't be left out either. To top it off, the title of Nertz Champion and a large cash prize would be offered to the winner and/or winners of the Classic.
If you think you are a good Nertz player, this would be the event that makes you a Pro. Leave a comment if you would like to attend an event like this someday. Also, help generate a buzz by posting comments or opinions about it in the NNA Facebook group.

For now, generating interest and memberships by online promotional events such as the current Summer Classic Online is the NNA's immediate priority. The demand for such an event is not here yet, but maybe(with your help) the demand will be here sooner than expected.

So be on the look out for news about the current online tournament. You can follow this blog or follow us on Twitter. Most importantly, if you play Nertz, join the National Nertz Association. It is the best way to stay in touch with the card game you love the most.

As for now, we are all looking forward to the 2-time online champion being back in action in this Classic! Will she dominate or will there be an upset? Check on her tournament status right here.

Nertz Statistics

2009-06-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

United States - 15 of 16 players are already registered for the 3rd online NNA tournament of the year. Only five of those players have NNA tournament experience. Experienced players are automatically entered into the NNA Stat Tracker on the "Online Tournaments" page at playnertz.com. Within 24 hours after a player plays a tournament match, their individual statistics are updated and may be seen by holding a mouse cursor over their name in the current tournament bracket.

See the New Bracket>>>

As of now, a player's lifetime Points per Game(PPG) average, Points per Hand(PPH) average, Game Record of Wins and Losses, Number of Hands Played, and Number of "Nertz" Calls, are all shown in that player's stat box along with a current avatar photo.

More stats might be added as the NNA Stat Tracker evolves, such as "Sets" and/or "Full Table Sets", "Hands Won Count"(despite who Nerted), "Margin of Hand/Game Victories", "Hand Highs" , and "Game Highs".

If you want to see how you match up against the field, all you have to do is register for the next tournament for free! Anyone can play. You, as well as the entire Nertz playing community, will be able to see your stat box after you play your first match, thanks to the NNA Stat Tracker.

By viewing your opponents and your stat boxes, you will know exactly what to do in your quest to be the best.

Repeat Achieved!

2009-06-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

United States - The timing was right. The players shuffled into the NNA Members lobby, a lobby that was to host the Final Table of the second NNA Online Tournament. They had been anxiously awaiting this game as it had been postponed until tonight.

The Champion Sara Paseka, veteran Jill Younker-Sny, and new challengers Steven Wingfield and Cathy Anderson were not going to miss this opportunity. The title of "Champion" was up for grabs and they all wanted it. One would prove to want it more than the others.

The game started with a full table set by Steven giving him 23 point lead from his nearest opponent. Sara quickly followed with a 26 point Nertz of her own in Hand #2 closing her margin to 17 points from the point leader Steven.

Box Score>>>
Register for the Next Tournament>>>

Then, Sara went on a rampage to win four more hands(Nerting 3 of those 4) to secure her second title of "Online Nertz Champion". Steven finished with 72 points saving the game from being a total blowout. The game was over in just 13 minutes. It was an impressive victory to say the least.

Sara's dominance is worth noting. She remains undefeated in her online tournament play and now seems to want all the Nertz prizes she can get her hands on. As of now she has earned the only invitations to the "Tournament of Champions" at the year's end. Will she have to beat herself in that tournament? Follow this blog to find out more and/or register for the next online tournament and see if you can beat the two-time Champ.

Final Table Match Up Breakdown

2009-05-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

United States - It is summer, and the sweet scent of Nertz is bit easier to smell for most players. However, four players in particular are making sure they get a heavy whiff. Sara Paseka, Steven Wingfield, Cathy Anderson, and Jill Younker-Sny are awaiting their final table match in the NNA's current Online Nertz Tournament. The match, as of now, will be held on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. CT in the NNA Members Room on the AOL Solitaire Race page.

The Breakdown - This is expected to be the tightest match ever played in a NNA online tournament. For the most part, match winners have easily won by a sizable margin, but this final table has brought a higher level of competition.

Sara Paseka the 1st ever Online Nertz Tournament champion remains undefeated in her NNA online Nertz tournament span. She is averaging 16.05 pph(points per hand) and has called "Nertz" 10 hands and won 12 hands out of her 20 lifetime tournament hands
played. Her undefeated match record is 3-0 giving her a 107 ppg(points per game) average.

Cathy Anderson has only played 5 tournament hands lifetime but has nerted and won 4 out of those 5. She is averaging 21.40 pph. Cathy also had a Quick Nertz that resulted a Full Table Set which was only one of two had in the current tournament. A Full Table Set (or Set-back) is when all of your opponents at the table receive a negative score for that hand.

Steven Wingfield, the only male left in the competition, has played 7 tournament hands lifetime. He has nerted twice but only won one of those hands in his first tournament match in which one of his opponents was Sara Paseka. Steven finished that game closer to Sara than any other opponent of hers, only losing by a margin of 35, which gave him 81 points total. After just one tournament match Steven is averaging 11.57 pph.

Jill Younker-Sny has faced Sara Paseka more than any other opponent to date, which is not a lot(twice). In both matches Jill finished second to Sara. Jill has nerted 4 times against Sara and has 6 lifetime tournament "Nertz" calls. Jill is averaging 9.11 pph and 54.67 ppg in 18 tournament hands played.

What to watch for - Jill will be wanting revenge. Watch for a better performance from her.

Newcomers Steven and Cathy may have an effect on Sara. If Steven has a good hand and then Cathy follows, it may result in less points for Sara, making it a tighter match.

There will be quicker hand times. Quick Nertz' are key. Getting Sets and making opponents receive negative scores is the best way to build a bigger margin. These players will be taking advantage of any easy-flowing hands that they might receive.

Damage control. We will see lesser point margins between players. Players may not always get the best hands, so it will be up to the players to try to limit the damage when the hands are not flowing as well as they would like. These players have shown to be better at this than most and that is why they are in the final.

What is on the Line? The winner of this final table will receive the title of Online Nertz Champion, an Official Nertz Scoring Pad, an entry into the "Tournament of Champions" at the 2009 year's end, and finally (just announced) a free copy of the Nerts High Speed Card Game compliments of Ronnander Games.

It seems that these final four players just seem to do it for the pride and trill of victory and not for the spoils. Although, the extra incentives shouldn't hinder their competitive spirits.

The anticipation is mounting. Who will rise and who will fall? Who will bask in the sweet scent of Nertz victory?

Return of the Champ

2009-05-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

United States - The A bracket 2nd round match was played today at 7:30 p.m. CT and the previous tournament champion, Sara Paseka (avatar shown on right), extended her perfect tournament match steak with a victory over Laura Robertson Bratton, Steven Wingfield, and the absent Taylor Curtis. Steven also will advance to the final as he came in second place with 81 points.

Box Score>>>
NNA Tournament Bracket>>>

Sara nerted 5 times out of seven hands to secure her spot in the final. She also had a game and tournament high with a 30-point Nertz. However, Steven was on her heals the entire match and had a 28-point Nertz of his own. Laura got it going a little late with a 19-point Nertz in the six hand. Sara and Steven tied in points on hand 3 each scoring 21 points, though Sara was awarded the hand victory as she called "Nertz".

Shortly before the match, the tournament director received a message from Taylor that said she miscalculated the start time due to time zones, and thus she was not able to play.

The game also had an interesting start. No player called "Nertz" to finish the first hand. Instead, the game timer ended the hand when everybody was "stuck". This usually doesn't end live games but in Solitaire Race it happens on occasion. Sara was awarded the Nertz since she had the highest score at that moment.

Sara is back in the finals and looks to be a heavy favorite. Newcomers Steven and Cathy have shown they are formidable opponents. Lastly, Jill is seeking revenge after finishing second to Sara in their last final table match.

Will we witness a repeat or will someone dethrone the champ? No matter the outcome it looks like this final will be a great game to watch.

Cathy Wins in 5 hands!

2009-05-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

United States - The B bracket 2nd round match was played today at 6:30 p.m. CT and Cathy Anderson (avatar shown on right) ended up taking this match in 5 hands. This puts her in the final of this NNA a online tournament. Also advancing to the final from this match for the second straight time was veteran Jill Younker-Sny. Jill called "Nertz" twice in five hands and had match high 28-point Nertz, putting some pressure on Cathy, but it was not enough as Cathy finished with 107 points. Cathy set the table in hand three to break away from the pack and didn't look back.

Box Score>>>
NNA Tournament Bracket>>>

Cathy and Jill await the winners of tomorrow's A bracket semi final match. This match includes Sara Paseka, the winner of the last NNA Online Tournament, and newcomers Taylor Curtis, Steven Wingfield, and Laura Robertson Bratton. The Final Table game time will be announced after this next match.

Tournament Update for NNA002!

2009-05-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

United States - The game times are set for the first week of play, though half of the playing field has been eliminated without even playing a match. It can be hard to coordinate online tournaments for just two players in one match, let alone 4 matches with 4 players per match. Some of the players couldn't make their game times and some never sent a reply to the tournament director to confirm tournament times.

The other eight players will play their 2nd round matches in this first week of tournament play.

Still amongst the field of players, is Sara fresh of her last tournament victory. Jill and Nate, now online tournament veterans, also have advanced on a "Bye" and are looking for revenge. Newcomers Talyor, Luke, Cathy, Laura, and Steven also advanced from the first round "Bye" and await their game times as well as a shot to advance to the final.

The A bracket round 2 Match will be played Tuesday, May 26th at 7:30 CT.
The B bracket round 2 match will be played Monday, May 25th at 6:30 CT.

Bigger and Better!

2009-05-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

United States - The field is bigger and the players are more seasoned, making this online Nertz tournament much more formidable than the last. There are 7 men and 9 women awaiting their 1st round match-ups. 4 of those players are the finalists from the 1st ever Online Nertz Tournament. The Champion, Sara Paseka, from that very tournament already seems to eager to take on the competition which she indicated by her quick response to the the Tournament Information messages that were sent out recently. Can she do it again? Last time she survived two rounds and was the best of eight players in the tournament. This time she faces a field of 16 players and has to withstand 3 rounds to repeat.

All of the Nertz Online Tournament Information messages have been sent out to the current tournament players, despite a slight snag in the process. Apparently, Facebook mistook the repeat messages to the players as SPAM and temporarily disabled the tournament director's Facebook account. However, the NNA tournament director still managed later to get all of the messages sent. It seems in the future the NNA will be using Facebook's "Event Pages" to make it easier to coordinate Online Nertz Tournaments without being suspect for Spamming.

It looks as though the first round matches will start Sunday, May 24 of next week. 4 of 16 players have already replied confirming their game time availabilities. This tournament will last three weeks with each player only playing one match a week. All matches will be played between at times between Sunday and Tuesday of each week.

To watch the matches from your own computer just check the Online Tournaments page at playnertz.com for match times and locations.

Setting the Nertz Table

2009-03-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

United States - The NNA has recently opened their second tournament for registration to the public. As of now, out of 16 spots only four remain. The NNA says that they will announce game times as soon as the last spots are filled. The players in this tournament will not just be motivated to win for the glory of victory and respect of the Nertz playing community, but they will be eying a guaranteed spot in the 2009 Nertz Online Tournament of Champions and a Nertz scoring pad that both will be going to the winner. Already entered are three players from this year's first NNA tournament, Nate Nelson, Carol Phillips, and the first Tournament Champion Sara Paseka. So keep you eye on the playnertz.com Online Tournament page for the latest on this prideful battle of Nertz players from all over the world
NNA Online Tournament Page

Nertz History Made!

2009-02-15T18:39:00.000-08:00

United States - The table was full for the first time in this Nertz tournament. No computers were going to get a chance to play this time. The players were ready to make history. On the line... the title of "First Ever Nertz Online Champion" and the coveted "Nertz Champion" T-Shirt.

The game started right at 7:30 and lasted only 15 minutes. Jill Sny started off calling "Nertz" the first hand even though Sara Paseka (featured in the online caricature picture above) finished the same hand 1 point better than her. Sara followed the first hand with a gigantic 38-point "Nertz" in the second hand, but Jill still kept the game close scoring 32 points of her own that hand.

NNA Tournament Page
Box Scores

After the third hand Sara managed to pull away and put the pressure on the rest of the table. Nate Nelson responded the next 2 hands with back to back "Nertz" calls. However, this was not enough to take the lead position from Sara. Sara finished out the game, claiming the victory, with a 20-point "Nertz" on the sixth hand. Her 102-point victory will go down in Nertz history and will hopefully help give the game of Nertz the recognition it deserves.

Register for the Next Online Nertz Tournament>>>

Game Time!

2009-02-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

United States - The much anticipated 1st Online Nertz Tournament Final Table Game Time is set:

Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009 - 7:30 p.m. CST in the "NNA Members" room.

NNA members Jill, Carol, Nate, and Sara will compete for the 1st Online Nertz Tournament title.

The favorite to win is either Nate or Sara (both winners of their respective brackets). However, in Nertz you should expect the unexpected. It is really anyone's game. So don't count out Jill and Carol as they are Nertz veterans themselves. It should prove to be a good match.

All are welcome to watch as these players make Nertz history. After 70 years of live Nertz games, it is safe to bet that nobody back then could have predicted the arrival of the electronic age of Nertz. But like or not, it has now begun and the online version of Nertz looks forward to co-existing with the live version of Nertz that we all love. Get ready, Nertz players! As the NNA grows, it plans to host both live and online Nertz tournaments across the U.S with the help of its members. Will you be a part of Nertz history?

Another 1st Round Route

2009-02-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

United States - The B bracket played its first round match of the NNA's Nertz tournament this evening at 6:41 p.m. CST and again one player dominated the table. NNA member and officer Nate Nelson breezed through this game winning by a substantial margin. Two players missed out of action as computer opponent's played for them. While the fourth player, Carol Phillips, experienced connection problems and still finished in second place.

On that same note, the tournament director who recorded the game ran into a problem when his video recording software experienced an error during the compression the game's video file. Thus, all of the scores and screen shots were lost. The result of this happening is now there will not be a box score to show Nate's victory.

But now the final table of this Nertz tournament is set. 1st round winners, Sara Paseka and Nate Nelson, and 1st round runner-ups, Carol Phillips and Jill Sny will each have their chance to make Nertz history as they try to win the 1st online Nertz tournament in history. Who be will it be?

The time and date will be announced by Wednesday, Feb. 11th.

Something Else To Look Forward To - The NNA officially announced that it will host an online "Tournament of Champions" sometime at this year's end. It will feature all of the online NNA tournament players that win NNA tournaments during the course of this year. The prize promises to be the biggest seen all year. Will you be there? Sign up in one of the NNA's online tournaments for your chance to become a Nertz legend in the "Tournament of Champions".

NNA Nertz Tournament Success

2009-02-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

Feb. 8, 2009
United States - The National Nertz Association held the first game of it's first Online Nertz Tournament Sunday, February 8 2009. Three of four players showed up for their 7:30 p.m. CST 1st round game time. A last minute withdraw by one NNA member meant that the others would not only be competing against each other but one computer player as well. No pressure, but these prideful Nertz players were not going to be bested by a computer. The game was underway by 7:40 p.m. and lasted just just over 20 minutes. I know what you are thinking..."Wow, that is fast."... but that is the power of computers. Without the shuffling, counting, or arguing that occurs in live games, Nertz game can be over in the blink of an eye.

NNA Tournament Page
Box Score>>>

This NNA tournament, a tournament that filled up in 4 hours after the announcement, is awarding the winner with a coveted "Nertz Champion" T-Shirt. A prize any Nertz player would be proud to wear. Players like Jill Sny and Sara Paseka are already on their way to winning one, by advancing in this 1st round game of this NNA tournament.

Sara started the game out with a Nertz, and didn't give up her lead the entire game. Sara was quoted as saying she forgot she "had a meeting at 8:00 p.m.". Apparently, it must have been a motivating factor in her speedy victory. Although she only called Nertz twice, her consistency is what gave her the edge over seven hands. Jill called Nertz three times but it wasn't enough to overcome her slow start. However, it was enough for her to advance to the final table, a game that will be announced upon the results of tomorrow's other 1st round game. Deanna Johnson had a 22-point Nertz, the highest points earned in a hand all game, during hand #6 but Sara, the leader, only needed 2 points to win by the start of the seventh hand. Deanna is not a new face to NNA events. She was the winner of the last NNA prize drawing in which she received a Nertz scoring pad.

Overall, all of the players seemed to have a good time and were excited to play another tournament game. Nertz players everywhere are welcomed to join the NNA for free to play in live or online Nertz Tournaments. All you have to do is go to PlayNertz.com and join up.