Houston Open: Planet Zero Origins 12/17

Video from Quantic Media and Planet Zero (late night show-matches):

A handful of photos from the event--thanks Fei Wu!

Axel and Price

Crowd at start of the tournament

Raffling prizes

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Our finalists, QuasAr and tQorGETSLAMT

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Axel sporting the light of Aiur

Fan-favorites coLTrimaster and HeavOnEarth duking it out

View from afar

Show-matches onsite at Planet Zero after leaving the Marriott

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****UPDATE: LAN Bracket 12/17 (redirect to Challonge!)****

-------------------------------------------------->*NEW* Community Discussion Thread *click here*<--------------------------------------------------

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***IMPORTANT INFORMATION: CHANGE IN VENUE***

We have decided to go with better internet and larger venue space and turn this tournament into a major community event!

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Your new location...

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...complete with lavish amenities...

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...though we're going to lose the fancy get-up and imbue it with a real tournament and party atmosphere!!

The event will now take place at the Marriott Houston Westchase in the Briar Park Ballroom. This new venue has faster internet speeds and will accommodate more spectators! The Marriott is no more than five minutes from Planet Zero, so travel time should be about the same.

Venue Address
Marriott Houston Westchase
2900 Briarpark Dr.
Houston, Texas 77042
Briarpark Ballroom

Format and Casting
The live bracket will be a 16-person double-elimination bracket. Each of the matches will be a best of three. Each round, Axeltoss from Quantic Gaming will cast the most entertaining matchups. Following each set of games, Axeltoss will conduct interviews with the players followed by Q&As. Between rounds we will have showmatches featuring players such as coLTriMaster and vileHawk.

Additional Entertainment
By popular demand, we will now have space for spectators to bring their own computers to set up and play with friends in a LAN-style setting! Space will be limited so be sure to arrive early if you want to set up. We will also have console stations featuring Super Smash Bros. Melee/Brawl, Marvel vs Capcom, Super Street Fighter IV, and other games!

Entry Fee
If you participated in the online qualifiers, you will be admitted into the event for free regardless of if you qualified! Spectators will be able to get into the event at $5 at the door--a fantastic deal for an afternoon of LAN fun and Starcraft 2 excitement! Be sure to invite your friends to come out to root for their favorite players, play a few games, and enjoy the show!

(pssst! Free Red Bull for all who attend!)
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Online Qualifier Bracket OUTCOME:
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Thanks to everyone who came out for the online qualifier! We have a very strong line-up advancing to the LAN this coming Saturday--sure to make for exciting games! We have sent out email containing relevant tournament information. Please plan on coming between 11-11:30 am to set-up your computer so we can begin the tournament immediately!

Also, make sure you practice the Community Map Winner:

[TLMC] Havens Lagoon -- Community Map Winner (LAN only)

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Introducing Planet Zero Origins: Starcraft II Open – Houston’s first ever public tournament!

Tournament website: http://planet-zero.com/origins/overview/
Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/events/203320899747600/?notif_t=event_invite
Community Discussion: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=295060

Planet Zero Anime Center, a leader in Japanese eSports, is partnering with Texas eSports Association (TeSPA) to bring you the best in tournaments, community events, and online streaming. Assisted by Houston-based pro-gaming team Quantic Gaming (QxG/QIM), Planet Zero will host tournaments and invitationals throughout the year. Each season will culminate in a global tournament at Anime Matsuri, hosted at the luxurious Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center.

I. HIGHLIGHTS:

Total Participants: 64 online, 16 LAN
Prize Pool (as of 11/5): $450 (likely to increase) (1st: $300, 2nd: $100 3rd: $50)
Date: 12/11 (online), 12/17 (LAN)
Location: Marriott Houston Westchase, off Westheimer in Houston, TX

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II. CASTERS:

We are thrilled to be joined by Quantic Gaming's Alex "Axeltoss" Rodriguez!

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Houston-based Axeltoss has made a name for himself casting the GCPL 2, Verizon SC2 Open, IeSF Americas Championship, IEM Americas Championship, and NASL Open Tournament. You can see previous casts and live streaming by Axeltoss here.

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Axeltoss, partnered with iNcontroL at the recent TeSPA tournament!

III. SCHEDULE:

We will be conducting this tournament in two distinct phases in an effort to better seed players while including all participants that want to compete. The first phase will be online, a single-elimination, 64-player bracket utilizing best of threes (BO3). The second phase will be a LAN, double-elimination, 16-player bracket.

Phase I: Online Seeding
Date: 12/11 (Sunday) ***NEW***
Start Time: 5 PM CST (23:00 GMT (+00:00))
End Time: 9 PM CST (03:00 GMT (+00:00)) (Estimated)
Players: 64
Format: DOUBLE elimination, best of three
Online Seeding: By rank
Result: The Top 16 players--Top 8 from Winner's Bracket and Top 8 from Loser's Bracket--will advance to the LAN portion of the tournament in Houston, Texas on 12/17. We will suspend the tournament once the final 16 players are determined.

If you do not advance, you receive free entry to the LAN event ($5 value).

***The online qualifier is now double-elimination format, by popular request!***

Phase II: LAN Tournament
Date: 12/17 (Saturday)
Start Time: Noon (12 PM) CST (17:00 GMT (+00:00))
End Time: 6 PM CST (00:00 GMT (+00:00)) (Estimated)
Players: 16
Format: Double elimination, best of three; finals, best of five
Seeding: Determined by Top 16 results from Phase 1
Result: Top 4 invited to future Houston tournament (free entry)
Prize: Top 3 win cash prize

***Please note that format for Phase I/II may be altered at discretion of staff and with due cause. Please provide feedback on whether you like the format or not.***

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If, for some reason, you find yourself needing a break from the Starcraft 2 action, you DO have options...

IV. REGISTRATION:

Spectators may pay at the door of the event! Only $5! (Cash only please. ^^)

Player registration is CLOSED.

[Payments are made through a secure PayPal account registered to tournament host Planet Zero. If you are underage and do not possess a PayPal account, you may register and pay on location at Planet Zero.

Current pricing is as follows:

Players: $15 USD
Spectators: $5 USD

Please note that if you sign-up as a player, you receive free entry to the event regardless of Phase I placement. However, when you register you must signify that you will be attending the event, regardless of placement. If you do not plan on attending if you do not advance to Phase II, we need to know so that we can offer your spot to another spectator; we expect a sold-out venue.

To summarize:

I. If you register to play, you get:

1) Competitor entry into the 64-man online qualifier (Phase I)
2) Competitor entry into the 16-man LAN for the top 16 advancing in qualifer (Phase II)
3) Spectator entry for the 48 who do not make it to the round of 16 in the qualifier; when you initially register, you MUST declare that you will come spectate even if you don't advance to Phase II competitively in order to take advantage of this offer

II. If you register to spectate:

1) You spectate and are treated to an awesome community tournament experience cast by Axeltoss!

You will only pay once, when you first register online. No hidden charges or double-registration fees for those who advance. I want to make that very clear. For example, if you pay $12 at early-bird registration, compete in the online qualifier and place 7th in Phase I, you qualify for the LAN event. All you have to do is show up with your computer ready to play your best on tournament day. Your original registration fee for the online qualifier pays for entry to the LAN as well.]

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V. RULES:

MAP SELECTION:
For each round of the LAN, the first map will be pre-determined by staff. Afterwards, the loser picks next map. The same map cannot be played twice in a series. All matches are best-of-three (BO3), with exception of the finals being best-of-five (BO5).

You have one tournament-map veto. You must declare your veto at the start of each series--if you do not communicate your veto and end up on the map you did not want, you are held responsible and no rematch occurs. You may also choose a "secondary" veto, in the event that the map for a particular round happens to be your veto.

MAP POOL:
MLG Metalopolis
MLG Shakuras Plateau
MLG Shattered Temple
MLG Tal’darim Altar
MLG Xel'Naga Caverns
GSL Antiga Shipyard
GSL Dual Sight
GSL Crossfire SE
GSL Bel`Shir Beach
[TLMC] Havens Lagoon -- Community Map Winner (LAN only)

DROPPED PLAYERS AND RESTARTS:
A game may be restarted by either player with proper cause if the game is within its first 3 minutes and neither player has made significant contact yet. In the case of a dropped game, if the players cannot come to a consensus, an official tournament referee will review the game and decide whether it should be replayed.

**All cash prizes will be presented at the conclusion of the tournament**

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VI. PLAYER AND SPECTATOR INFORMATION:

Competitors in LAN must bring their own:
-PC/gaming laptop
-Mouse
-Keyboard
-Headphones
-Ethernet Cable
-Power strip or extender (if you require more than one electrical outlet)

"BYOC" Bring Your Own Computer Event: You must provide your own equipment for playing Starcraft 2. We will have spare parts and two extra computers on hand in case of equipment failure, but you are otherwise expected to furnish your own set-up. (We will provide equipment at larger super-regional tournaments such as Anime Matsuri.)

We will keep all equipment in a secure location when not in use and have security on-hand to insure the safety and well-being of your equipment. As always with such tournaments, With that said, Planet Zero and staff are not liable for any damages or losses at the event. If you damage another individual’s property (intentionally or accidentally), you will be held responsible.

Parking:
Marriott Houston Westchase possess copious parking spots. No problems here! We recommend circling and parking in back--this is closer to the ballroom area.

Questions:
We encourage questions about the tournament as well as any suggestions that will help raise tournament quality. Please see the teaser post before you ask though, as we have taken the time to explain our thought-process behind our attempt to organize the Houston SC2 scene. Please PM me if you see any blatant errors in this tournament write-up.

Thanks:

Thanks as well to our first sponsor to come forward and offer their support after the teaser announcement: Directron.

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VII. HYPE IT!
As always, we could use your help in this team effort. We are a group of volunteers looking to make Houston a SC2 powerhouse. If you share the dream, contact me personally at jeff.homick@gmail.com

Please let your friends know about this tournament. We will be posting social media links in the near-future to help spread the word.

We look forward to seeing you! GLHF!

Houston Open: Planet Zero Origins 12/17

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Ongoing

Upcoming