Power Predicaments Promote Poker
All was well at the party, with games of Counterstrike: Source, Unreal Tournament 2004 and even the venerable Quake 3 Arena cropping up left and right. Then, unexpectedly, the dreaded power monster bit. Monitors went blank across the room and switches went kaput. The main breaker of the Event Center's three-phase power source tripped and power to several whole tables went dead.
Taking advantage of the lack of power, the hosts announced the opening of sign ups for the no limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament while the staff of the EEC busied themselves with restoring power to the event. Although a thoroughly analog pleasure, this tournament nonetheless attracted dozens of attendees as they lined up behind staff member SirChaos to register.
Darkness crept over the land, and lo did the gamers quail.
This break in the action also allowed the gamers to check out some of the sponsor booths that were scattered about the room. At the PC Club booth, they displayed some of the nicest machines available as well as showing various movies throughout the night. The Frag Dolls booth played host to the Halo tournaments throughout the night with both Halo titles being represented. At the 'Tobacco Smokes You' booth, they showed off the glories of a cancer-ridden lung. Yes, you read that last one correctly and it was not an 'In Soviet Russia...' joke. The booth was set up to show attendees the dangers of smoking, and had such human artifacts as a real blackened lung if words alone did not convince them.
This is your lung on cigarettes. Any questions?
The vending machines, lifeblood of the party, were having some difficulties of their own. They took the form of a networking issue which prevented them from accessing gamers' food accounts. To solve this and ensure that each of the attendees kept their accounts, the LPNW staff made an agreement with the food stand close to the main room. They allowed the partygoers to buy up to $5 worth of food items at the stand. This stand was open all night to serve the party populace, and the staff of the EEC deserves some serious thanks for doing that for us. Nothing like a shot of hot espresso at 1 AM to keep you sane and loving life.
The vending machines may have been down, but even that could not keep the crowd from their Bawls.
