Buzztime

Tonight — and every Wednesday in March — at 7p.m. local time, players will be competing in a Freeze-Out Tournament on the Buzztime Cards Network as part of our March MashUp promotion.  A Freeze-Out Tournament means that every player starts with the exact same number of chips, and once they’ve lost all their chips they are eliminated from the tournament.  It’s exactly how they do it on the World Series of Poker on ESPN… well… except for the fame, fortune and festive crowds.

Here’s how it works.  The first ten players to log in for the tournament competition will get a seat at the table and will receive 10,000 game chips.  Players who lose all their chips are eliminated from the competition.  However, they are able to come back the following week for another chance at glory. 

At the end of each weekly game, the top three finishers will receive points based on their order of finish multiplied by the number of players that started the game.  So, if there are only 4 players that log in, first place will receive 10 points.  However, if there are ten players at your table, and you finish first, you’ll receive 20 points.  We had the weight the competition this way in order to be fair.  It’s obviously more difficult to win with more people at the table.

The player with the highest number of points at the end of the tournament will get a gold bracelet, $20 million in Monopoly money, and their picture on the cover of Wired Magazine.  Actually, none of that is true.  The winner will get the glory and honor of knowing that they are the best tournament poker player on the Buzztime Network, however.  And, hey, that might be better than trying to win down at the local casino.  Plus, you can practice your skills without losing your kid’s college fund.

TAGS: Cards, Competition, poker, texas hold 'em.

It’s finally happened, after almost eight months of messaging, a ba-jillion e-mails to players and sites, and testing and restesting of software, we’ve officially closed the door on our traditional (read: ancient) PIN/Handle log-in process.  Adios, PIN/Handle!

For players who opened their accounts with us after July 8, 2009, this blog will sound like gibberish to you. Your account is already upgraded… you’ve never seen a PIN/Handle… you’re already dialed in and ready to play. We’ll just end up confusing you! Seriously. Nothing to see here!

However, we know that there are still quite a few legacy players (people who registered before 7/8/09) who need to upgrade their accounts and we’ve got all of the resources in place to get you taken care of. We’ll guide you through it and have you playing in no time!

But first… read this: If you have a Username/Password that you use to access your player information on Buzztime.com, you’re already upgraded. Simply use that same Username and Password when you log in on the Playmaker and voila… you’re ready to play!  If you try to upgrade and a Username account already exists with your e-mail address, your Playmaker will let you know. The Playmaker will tell you the Username associated with your e-mail address, and if you cannot remember the Password you can reset it on Buzztime.com. Pretty simple, huh?

If you read the above paragraph and it doesn’t apply to you, it probably means you still use your PIN/Handle to log in to our system. We’ve got two options to upgrade your account and get you back in the game:

1. Click here to upgrade your account online (recommended)
2. You can also upgrade your account via the Playmaker. Select “Upgrade Old Account” from the main menu on the Playmaker screen and then follow the steps to upgrade. Download instructions for upgrading via the Playmaker. 

Have no fear! You will not lose your exisitng PlayersPlus points or medals. This upgrade will simply change the method by which you access that information.

Still need more information? We’ve prepared several online resources for you, covering everything from troubleshooting and frequently-asked questions, to tips for making the log-in process seamless, even for our loyal “legacy” players!

• Legacy (PIN/Handle) account FAQ
• Tips for setting up Username/Password account

As always, we’re here if you need us, so don’t hesitate to let us kbnow what your questions are. We’re happy to help you out…. it’s what we’re here for, after all!

TAGS: Help, PIN/Handle, PlayersPlus, Upgrade, Username/Password.

Guys like us, who live and breathe sports, can use any motivation from spitting sunflower seeds or beer pong on a lazy Saturday afternoon watching sports, to tossing paper balls into the recycling bin at work into an event of incomprehensible magnitude, complete with spreadsheets and rankings containing unprecedented importance in the spirit of competition for mere bragging rights, or lunch, all the way up to humiliating consequences in front others.

Or maybe I just won something for writing the longest sentence (454 characters) … you’ll never know, but you see what I mean.

The sights and sounds of Opening Day in baseball is a beautiful thing to witness in person. There’s no greater sports spectacle than the two weeks of pageantry and hype surrounding the Super Bowl. The World Cup and Olympics darken the doorway every four years with individuals who become household names for a few weeks and ultimately remind us that no matter what path we’re walking, we’re all the same ground trying to get to the same place. The colors and sounds of the Daytona 500 awaken winter, while the most exciting two minutes in sports get your heart racing as 80 hooves thunder atop the dirt for a quarter mile to crown a king. However, for my money, the best of all sporting events among them all is March Madness.

 The NCAA Basketball tournament is like 64 little Super Bowls mixed with the optimism of opening day baseball that your 12^th-seeded team can be Cinderella that makes them the nation’s darlings for three weeks. Even when the clock strikes midnight, there’s still likely to be a compelling Olympic-esque story or two which will engulf you back into the fold with numerous racing-like photo finish endings.

Overlooked in the greatness of the middle of March is a week that I find nearly as exciting as The Madness: Conference Tournament Week. It’s like going to a great restaurant and before you dig into that amazing main course you’ve had time-and-again, you’re presented with a nearly equally fantastic appetizer for starters. While the stakes may not be as high, it’s the same premise as the tournament itself … put together a little win streak and your playing in the spotlight where schools like Drexel and Hampton get mentioned on ESPN in the same breath as Kansas and Kentucky for a couple days.

Seven of the last 10 years I’ve found myself in Las Vegas, not only to support my alma mater in person at their conference tournament, but to be in the middle of all the other conference action across the nation. Sure, going a week later has exponentially more drama and excitement, but also patrons and lines as well. Plus, in the “real” tournament, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are off days. What other time of the year can you and your buddies be perched in a leather chair at Caesars with a tall glass of some liquid libation, a breakfast burrito and a pocketful of tickets at 10:00am Monday morning with the likes of Rutgers +6 and Old Dominion -4 setting the tone for the remainder of the day … or week?

So, whether you’re rooting for your team to get included in The Dance, or using the week as research for the following week, I find it difficult to not give this week its rightful dues. While you’re busy filling out your bracket on March 15^th (for entertainment purposes only, of course) make sure you’ve also got some time penciled in to watch some of the games at your local bar to play along in Buzztime’s new interactive sports game, The Pulse. I’ll be out there on a leader board near you and I betcha the next plate of wings that my name’s ahead of yours thanks to the “research” I did in Vegas the week before. Cheers to us and cheers to March Madness!

TAGS: College Basketball, March Madness, The pulse.

Not too long ago, a few of us were sitting around discussing our Twilight obsess… er, our interest in the literary merits of the Twilight book series and its impact on cultural trends and…

Okay, I’m totally lying. We were discussing our Obsession (note the capital O) with all things Twilight, which segued into a conversation about ways to inject it into our programming lineup. Surely we weren’t the only over-30, welled-educated professionals whose guilty pleasure du jour involved the undead and a pack of teenagers of the canine persuasion (oh yeah and that really insecure girl they’re obsessed with).  We came up with a plan to hijack the half-hour Countdown game after Spotlight on Friday nights in November to see how many of our players were Twi-hards like us. 

Fast forward four weeks and we found that game play, registrations and interactions with our social media pages increased quite a bit. Why? It wasn’t about catering to a demographic or even bowing down to pop culture per se. It was about relevance – pure and simple.

Fast forward once again to three months later and we are very, very pleased to announce the debut of our brand-spanking-new game: Trendalicious Trivia – the product of what we now affectionately term The Twilight Test.  

Airing Friday nights after Spotlight, Trendalicious will focus on one topic per month — sometimes broad (think the debut month’s 90’s topic) and sometimes specific (ala Twilight).  The objective here is to test players about the things that are being talked about out in the world, at the moment, whether it’s vampires or vacation spots.

As we evolve the game, we envision themes and content that are culturally relevant, challenging and most-importantly fun.  And while the pop-culture aspect will be evident, we’re confident that even the most hard-core Buzztime player will find something appealing within the collection of topics we have planned.

For some, playing Trendalicious Trivia will be a chance to prove that they have their finger on the pulse of the world around them…  and for others (including a few obsess.., er very hip and “in-the-know” Buzztime employees) it will be a chance to, from time to time, indulge in some guilty pleasures of their own.

TAGS: buzztime, Games, Pop Culture, Trendalicious Trivia.

Yesterday was a particularly bad day at the office.  In the morning, I spilled coffee on myself, closed an Excel spreadsheet without saving it, and listened to a particularly chatty co-worker ramble on about 2012 doomsday scenarios.  In the afternoon, I had a mediocre performance review with my boss, stepped in some gum while taking a smoke break, and got chastised by a coworker who takes his job way too seriously.  But, as Bertrand Russell famously said, “One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.”

So, when the five o’clock bell rang I was ready to drive with a full head of steam down the nearest watering hole.  I ended up at a splendid establishment called First Street Bar & Grill.  Thinking I could unwind with a pint of beer tucked in my hand and a relaxing game of Hold’em, I sat calmly on my stool and awaited the peace and tranquility of the night to transform my mood from negativity to enlightenment.

Then, the madness set in.  Some yahoos decided that they would go “All In” before the flop on every hand of Hold’em. 

Seven, two offsuit… All In.  Jack, four of hearts… All In.  Pocket Aces… All In. 

The cards didn’t matter.  These guys were like monkeys who were taught to press the button and get a result.  The object of the result… my rage.  “Hey, look, we’re getting a reaction from that guy.  If we keep doing it, we’ll keep getting a reaction.”

But, my cooler head prevailed.  I decided that it wasn’t worth getting angry about.  After all, I was there for fun and relaxation.  So, I sipped my beer and kept folding hand after hand.  I lost a few blinds, but I wasn’t going to get sucked into the “All In” game these guys were playing. 

I was just about to order my second beer when it happened:  I got pocket aces.  “Brilliant!” I thought.  “Now it’s time for payback.”

Like clockwork, these two guys went All In before the flop, and this time I obliged them with a call.  I ended up winning the hand and tripling up.  Ah… sweet justice. 

You see, poker is a game of skill and luck.  However, it is also a game of patience.  Get all your money in the pot with the best hand.  That is all you can ask for… and then let the chips fall where they may.  All good things to those who wait.

As the night progressed, I fleeced these two players for all their chips.  Their silly “All In” game was a fool’s errand (assuming they even cared at all).  But, it felt good to be the chip leader at the end of the night.  I had finally turned my day around… good feeling at the end of a bad day can go a long way.

Of course, all good things must come to an end.  When I got my bill, I realized I’d been buying some $10 micro-brew from Portland, I’m still getting screwed by my boss, and to top it off… the Lakers lost.

I decided to sleep on it.  It always looks better in the morning.

TAGS: Cards, poker, texas hold 'em.

Welcome Ladies and Gentleman to Part One (of a Three-part series) of our Sports blog covering NCAA basketball March Madness! The goal of this blog is to help you when it’s time to fill out your bracket and eventually to beat our new product ‘The Pulse” (stay tuned…).

I’m only two years removed from my college playing days, so this topic is very near and dear to my heart. Let’s get started!

This will probably be the most difficult year to fill out a bracket. There’s so much parity in college basketball that trying to assess who the favorites, dark horses and possible upset picks are will almost be an act of futility. However, there are certain constants in the game of college basketball and the NCAA tournament that I’ll use to help you figure out the best teams to pick.

First things first: Why is there so much parity in college basketball? This is the simple answer to this question:  AAU youth basketball has increased the overall talent pool and most of the players that would be dominant upperclassmen are already in the NBA (Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo, etc). Sure, teams like Duke, Kentucky and Kansas will always (usually) be top-level programs, but if you look at the top 15 right now you’ll see Kansas State, New Mexico, Butler, Vanderbilt and BYU are all there. Those programs are NOT college basketball powers by any stretch of the imagination (at least typically), yet they have as good a chance of making the Final Four as any other team. You see what I mean by parity in college basketball now?

So what are the constants that we need to pay attention to when eventually making our bracket picks? (In order of importance)

1. Experience
2. Style of play (Defense and Offense)
3. Guard Play

In Parts Two and Three of the blog, I’ll give my picks based on these criteria, but for now let me explain why these constants are important. (You can do some research in the meantime as well.)

Experience: This is the most obvious constant (or at least it should be). However, because most of the premiere players in college basketball these days are often youngsters (John Wall!) it’s the one that might get ignored. When in doubt ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS pick the team that has the most overall experience, especially at the guard spot (we’ll get there in a second). The NCAA tourney is all about a team focusing on ONE game at a time and not getting caught up in the atmosphere — and this is much easier to do for a 22 year old than an 18 year old.  That’s a simple fact of life.

Style of play: Coaches don’t have much time to scout the teams they’re going to play in the tourney outside of the first weekend. So, if a team has a unique defense (Syracuse) or offense (Princeton) this is a GREAT advantage. It used to be the reason Princeton was always such a great upset pick (before the Princeton offense spread all over the college basketball world). 

Guard Play: I want you to look over the last decade or even two decades and find a Championship team that didn’t have experienced guards. (Syracuse in 2003 was an anomaly because they had Carmelo and McNamara had the game of his LIFE!). Height might be considered the major criteria come NBA draft night, but when it comes to winning games in the NCAA tourney, there is nothing, NOTHING more important than having experienced, good guards. 

So as you watch the last week of the regular season and conference championship week keep these things in mind and take down notes!

Stay tuned for Part Two. (Feel free to leave any questions you might have in the comment section.)

Enjoy the Madness!

TAGS: Brackets, College Basketball, Final Four, March Madness, Sports.

Anyone who has played Buzztime for any length of time has been witness to a lot of changes that have affected our programming, products and game content. We’ve been moving at lightning speed to keep up with the demands of our customers and our players, which sometimes makes things confusing for the people who are trying to simply enjoy the game! We’ve started looking at our most frequently asked questions (received via e-mail, and on Facebook and Twitter) and will be taking the time to blog about each of them in an effort to get all the important information right into your hands.

This week’s topic: How the heck do I change networks to play insert desired game here  (cards/trivia/sports) instead of insert unwanted game here  (cards/trivia/sports), which is currently playing? 

We’ve received quite a few e-mails from players asking why they aren’t able to play certain games within their location because other Buzztime offerings are showing. The easy answer is, we have three networks, but locations can only run two at a time. So, the logical assumption would be that you simply “change the channel”… but how? Well, it’s not as easy as picking up the remote, but it can be done very quickly… just in time to play that game you came in for!

Before you get started, you need to find someone at the location, be it a manager or staff member, and ask that the network be changed.  Once you’ve got your accomplice (said staff member) walk them through the following steps for Buzztime ”channel-changing”:

1. Grab a Playmaker game controller.
2. Select “Member Log In” to log into your account or “Play as Guest” if you do not want to log in.
3. Scroll down to “Manager Functions” on the Playmaker screen. (Press “enter”).
4. You will need to end the game that is playing on the network you are currently on in order to change the channel. Find the game you would like to end on the Playmaker screen and choose “End [game]”. (Press “enter”)
5. Choose “On-Screen Manager Functions” from the Playmaker screen options. (Press “enter”)
6. The On-Screen Menu will appear on your TV monitor.
7. Choose “Select Network” from the on-screen menu (using the Playmaker controls to make your selection.) (Press “enter”).
   NOTE** The networks that are currently running will appear in gray and cannot be selected again.
8. Choose the network you wish to change to (Press “enter”).

We are lucky to have avid fans for all of our programming… and we’re avid fans of our fans! Keep playing and we’ll keep giving you the tools and information to have it all… all you’ve got to do is change the channel!

TAGS: buzztime, How-To, Networks.

A little over a month ago, we threw out a challenge to our players: Gather your trivia team to compete in the 2010 Winter Showdown Throwdown competetition. Well, our players delivered and the comeptition was fierce… and we mean fierce.

Each week saw teams from across the country putting up very impressive scores.  Some of our old favorites came out swinging, while a few of our newer sites proved that they could run with the big dogs, earning places in the top 3 in several of the leagues. Overall, it was fun for us to see some healthy — and goodnatured —  rivalries surface. It’s what makes these competitions so much fun.

Last night’s Showdown game concluded the month-long battle of the brains, so it’s only fitting that we take the time to tip our hats to the teams that rose to the top:

Premiere Leage: Hyatt Grand Slam, Washington, D.C

Platinum League: Zack’s Place, Little Rock, Arkansas

Gold League: Buffalo Wild Wings Rhodes Ranch, Las Vegas, Nevada

Silver League: Middletown Tavern and Grill, Steven’s Point, Wisconsin

Bronze League: Damon’s Grill, Twinsburg, Ohio

Open League: Houlihan’s Bricktown, Brick, NJ

Each of the winning teams (along with their 2nd and 3rd place teams) will be featured in a Buzztime ad in the month of March and will receive a plaque and Buzztime prize pack celebrating their win. (Not to mention bragging rights and their own little place in the Buzztime history books!) 

To all of the teams, we say “Congratulations!” You put up a good fight.

And to our winners we say “Well played, trivia masters… well played!”

TAGS: congratulations, Showdown, Showdown Throwdown, winners.

Two races into Danica Patrick’s stock car career and, predictably, she has yet to make much of an impact on the racetrack. While a couple races will certainly never make or break a driver’s career, Patrick is effectively accomplishing one thing. My question is, ‘Is that the only thing she was brought into NASCAR to do?’

Early last decade, NASCAR experienced a ratings boon as it went from a primarily Southern pastime into something more familiar to the average sports fan. Since then, the ratings game has been like a roller coaster ,where marketing decisions have dictated the peaks and valleys of viewership.

In 2004, Nextel/Sprint overtook sponsorship from Winston/RJ Reynolds Tobacco. This “cleaning-up” of the sport took drivers who previously endorsed alcohol and tobacco and turned them into more wholesome characters and pitchmen for products ranging from Hamburger Helper to Home Depot.

In 2005, ESPN joined the television contract fold and their additional coverage on their family of networks only added more exposure. However, like any roller coaster ride, all the ups eventually lead to some downs. This sudden over-exposure started to rub traditional fans the wrong way. They believed NASCAR leadership was making moves that lessened its appeal and trampled on tradition. Long-time regional tracks were replaced by larger venues, in not-so-established markets, in the quest for money. The season-long championship format was replaced with a more gimmicky 10-race “playoff.” A new car style was introduced to level the playing field for all racing teams in hopes of keeping more owners involved and races more competitive. This car design focused on safety over performance and that detracted from the infamous “Rubbin’ is Racin’,” Days of Thunder chaos that appealed to so many fans. The final straw for many was the introduction of Toyota-owned cars into their All-American pastime.

 NASCAR’s master plan of parity was foiled as races in the COT (Car-of-Tomorrow) became boring log-jams of in-line racing. They did get a Southerner to win four-straight championships … the problem is this guy was Jimmie Johnson and he was from Southern California and not South Carolina. Many fans are having a hard time accepting that he rates up with their all-time greats like: Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Cale Yarbrough. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has shown that though he shares the same name with his famous father, he didn’t quite inherit his driving skill. There are plenty of young and talented drivers out there, but some guys, like Kyle Busch, are immature hot-heads whose popularity doesn’t sit well, with many old-school fans. There are few rivalries anymore. There are even fewer intriguing or outlandish characters.

So with 2009’s ratings down another 10% from the previous year, NASCAR again needed to try something to turn the tide. Enter, Danica Patrick. The name alone immediately garnered the expected buzz. Throw in the fact that she’s visually appealing and the Go Daddy Girl has become the Peyton Manning of NASCAR, who will pitch any product if it pays well. Patrick is that established household name and marketing commodity that many of the current NASCAR stars are not.

In her first race, TV ratings were up 60% over the same race the previous year. According to Sports Business Journal, Patrick’s second race drew a cable-TV record 4.27 million viewers and a large chunk of race coverage was dedicated to following her … and likely will remain that way. In that respect, the experiment is working. In her first Nationwide Series race, this past Saturday, she raced to mixed reviews. While expectations were realistic to start the race, finishing in the top 15-20, not too long into the 300-mile high-speed carousel it appeared pretty clear that it was only part of the marketing ploy to get viewers. Shortly into the race, the announcers conceded that Patrick’s crew chief had indicated that if she was uncomfortable racing in Daytona’s patented packs, that she would back off and drop back out of the commotion. While I have no problem with someone looking out of their own safety, and the safety of their fellow racers, it seems a bit of bait-and-switch to the fans who were expecting a full-throttle run on their full-price ticket purchase.

Patrick eventually got mixed-up in a crash and was knocked out of the race, but I guess it was a successful afternoon. Myself and 4.27 million others tuned in. Many will likely continue to keep an eye on her progress. As long as Patrick keeps her image clean, her mark on the racing world will likely keep her (and racing) near the lead of sportscasts and the media’s attention, even if her car is racing closer to the back of the pack … just as planned.

TAGS: Danica Patrick, media, NASCAR, raceday.

Last night I decided to play a little online poker.  So, I’m laying on my couch, completely focused on my laptop, oblivious to anything else that’s going on around me.  Needless to say, my girlfriend hates it when I do this.  But, even when you know that you’re holding the best hand in life, and you get your chips in with that hand, things don’t always work out.

 Case in point… on two separate occasions last night, I was dealt pocket aces.  Naturally, I felt good about my chances to win each hand.  But, poker is just as unpredictable as life.  In hand #1, I raised pre-flop and got one other player to call.  The flop was Jack, seven, four with two diamonds on the board.  I was first to act, so I made a bet that was the same size as the pot.  My opponent went all-in behind me, which made me nervous.  I was thinking he might’ve hit three-of-a-kind.  I had him covered, so I called him, and he showed 8, 3 off-suit.  A stone cold bluff attempt.  I collected his chips and continued with the tournament.

After about an hour, and down to about 12 players, I found myself with pocket aces again.  I went all-in pre-flop because I was getting low on chips, and got one other player to call.  He called and showed an ace, jack.  I had him completely dominated.  I was sure I would win this hand.  I was so confident.  Then the flop came… ten, jack, three with two hearts on the board.  Ok, so he had a pair of jacks now.  I still had him beat with my pair of aces.  The turn was an 8 of spades.  No harm done.  But, the river… Oh the river… was another jack.  My heart was ripped out of my chest.  It felt like the girlfriend who I had been ignoring all night had left me.  I was in shambles.  From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.  Out of the tournament.

I felt like quitting.  I thought I was no good.  Even when you’re holding the best of it, the worst could be right around the corner.  I started questioning myself.  What’s the point?  Why even try? 

Then, I stumbled upon a little clarity.

As they say, you can’t lose what you don’t put into the pot.  But you can’t win much either.  So I’ll ante up again, and maybe one day I’ll win it all.

TAGS: Cards, poker, strategy, texas hold 'em.