It's time for the second-ever Tournament of Champions! Please join us on Sunday, October 14 at the Center on Halsted (3rd Floor), check-in starts at Noon, play at 1pm.

This TOC is a pot-luck, so please bring a dish to pass (there's always Whole Foods downstairs in case you forget).

As with our last TOC, this will be an individual tournament (with a lot more space to keep the games moving along quicker), so you don't need a partner. You will be "seeded" in the tournament based on your average at that date.

To the winners go the spoils of victory, and more news on the fantastic prizes next week!

Please don't forget to turn in your table score sheets to the directors at the conclusion of game five. In the event of a tie for first place, the directors will use these score sheets to determine the night's winner (the jack- off is now a thing of the past).

How does it work? Frankly, it's a lot of math. Not only will directors be looking at the top score, but they'll be using the table sheets to determine how many points the contenders gave up during their five games. The person who gave up the fewest points to their opponents is the night's winner.

It's easier to see rather than explain, so the next time there's a tie, stick around and watch the director. Then if you have questions, buy them a drink and be prepared to take some notes.

Your weather for the week, provided by the meteorologists at WFLD-TV Fox Chicago.

TUESDAY - 72 / 53 Partly Cloudy
WEDNESDAY - 74 / 50 Sunny
THURSDAY - 78 / 56 Sunny
FRIDAY - 68 / 56 Drizzle
SATURDAY - 65 / 49 Sunny
SUNDAY - 68 / 42 Sunny

A reminder for Wednesday night players. If you find yoruself playing in Tweet due to overcrowding, enjoy the peace and quiet -- but PLEASE be sure to pick up after yourselves. This includes staying at the designated play tables (not wandering around Tweet), and keeping your beverages and glasses off of the other tables. Most important, please take your glassware and food items out when you leave. If we trash Tweet while we're using it, we won't be able to use it anymore, and the overflow will end up in the general bar area -- which we can safely say "sucks" if you've ever had to do it. So keep it clean!

Sunday, September 23 - Next Board Meeting, 4:30pm @ Charlie's

October 27 - Halloween Party

Congratulations to the following recent winners!

Tuesday, Aug 28 - Ken Cook with a 54!
Wednesday, Aug 29 - Gregory Ward with a 51!
Saturday, Sep 1 - David Rothen with a 53!
Sunday, Sep 2 - Marv Leach with a 51!
Tuesday, Sep 4 - Ken Cook with a 52!
Wednesday, Sep 5 - Dan Miracle with a 52!
Saturday, Sep 8 - Steve Rosemurgy with a 49.
Sunday, Sep 9 - Ken Cook with a 52!

"Here's a ten for you, Ed."

- ECC member Gregory Ward to Ed Hulsey. Not sure if they were playing cards at the time...

Dear Hoyle,

There are some people who consistently deal while holding the cards high or at an angle. Depending on where you're sitting, you may see the bottom card or color of some of the cards dealt. There are also people who occasionally hold their playing hand out so far that you can see their cards. When you mention that they should hold their hand closer, the general response seems to be "stop looking." Given that a player's dealing posture is probably not going to change at this point in life, and I don't like being accused of leering into my opponent's hand when I see their cards, what is my "good sportsman" obligation in these situations? I try not to use my insider knowledge, but I also don't want to delay the game with a lot of redeals by constantly mentioning it. -Peripherally Inline Seats Suck. Euchre Doesn't.

Dear Pissed:
You ask two good questions, so let's tackle them separately. First: what to do about the dealer who shows everyone else at the table (or just his/her partner) the bottom card of the deck while dealing. This is an unfair advantage to anyone who sees this bottom card, and if it's called, it should be considered a misdeal -- thus the dealer would lose his/her deal. Being the friendly Euchre Club that we are, however, in regular, non-tournament play, feel free to say something to the dealer so he/she will be more aware of which way the cards are facing. If it's a chronic problem, then tell a director, who can deal with the offender individually.

As for sneaking a peek into an opponent's hand, you're right, the good-sportmanship thing to do is not to look, and to ask the flasher to keep his/her cards a little closer to the vest (we could all take a lesson from David Rothen, who has some screwed up way of holding his cards that no one, not even people standing behind him, can see what's in his hand. If you've made a good effort to keep from seeing an opponent's cards, and they still insist in flashing their wares to you, then it's their own damn fault. But seriously, please be a good sport about it and try to avert your eyes. Just imagine your opponent sitting there in his underwear -- that usually does the trick.

If you have a question about Euchre strategy, ECC club rules, relationships or just life in general, send an e-mail to resident expert Hoyle at euchrechicago@yahoo.com. We promise all e- mails are anonymous, and the answers may just