Jill and Christmas both go 4 of 10 to Advance!

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

Stunner Avoided in Great Game!

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

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

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

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

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

Nertz Veterans Tested; Game Invasion!

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

C Bracket Box Score>>>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13 Round Slugfest; Champ Cruises

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

A Bracket Box Score>>>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summer Classic Game Times Announced!

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!

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

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.