Cannes WSOB Championship "Final Table 16" Semi Finals

The World Series of Backgammon 2007-8, has been a splendid festival of tumblin' dice on the Palm Beach Casino. Players sought to be in the WSOB's last 16 'final table' to ultimately win the €160,000 shoot-out and take home the WSOB Championship.

The first semi-final match was between Andrieu and Trabolt:

A 60,000 euro swing on these semi-finals, as the loser gets 10,000, and the winner is guaranteed 40,000 with a shot at a 100. There won't be a hedge in sight from Trabbi. "Split not available," as he likes to say.
Trabbi drops a big take in the first, perhaps afraid of losing the gammon to the weaker player. "Trabbi wants this match to last as long as possible and show the TV cameras his artistry," suggests John Clark in the commentary box. In the next, Andrieu has the bar point, and Trabbi does not have a point in board, and it's an even race.

Trabbi soon has a checker caught and is up in the air. He hurls in a 11 to enter and 'put bite into his board.' Trabbi requires a 52 or 53 to snake through the 5 prime and hit a checker. Trabolt goes quietly and the local hero is into the final. He outplayed the world champ with an error rate of 5 to Trab's 5.9. But most surprisingly of all, the Trabolt premature cube is CORRECT. Behind in the match, activating gammons, it was ok after all. Way too complicated for most to understand but all credit to Trabbi for having a grasp on the concept. 3-0 Andrieu.

The second Semi Final was played between Falafel and Koca:

The only match of the championship that was over in a single game. Falafel blitzed angrily with one man back and his ace and four points made. The blitz gathers steam when he fills in his three-point. Koca fans on the four point board with the 5-point slotted. A covering three from the 8-point. FALAFEL CUBES at 58.5% with 31.3% gammons!

KOCA TAKES! A brilliant find, the result of countless hours of study, and surely the best take of his career. Falafel MISSES the cover with a very awkward 54 and calls in the cavalry for his next shake, leaving FIVE blots scattered about the place. Koca FANS again and Falafel covers.

Falafel misses a key shot from the roof and has no say in the subsequent race thereafter as Koca slowly but surely rolls it home. Koca played the match of his life here, and his cube action was spot on. Error rates: 4.7 Koca, 6.7 Falafel. 4-0 Koca.

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