Poison

Poison Tournament Rules and Policies

Definitions: Player Exchange: An exchange of personnel (usually position for position, e.g., SP for SP) initiated by the winning team, which seeks to grow stronger by sending off a player of lesser-quality in exchange for a player of higher-quality.

1. The tournament will have either 2 or 4 poison teams at the start of the tournament. These teams are run by the sim, without owners, and carry a special cross symbol to identify themselves. 2. Poison teams will exchange a player with you if you lose to them. 3. If you beat a poison team no exchange takes place, unless you shut them out, in which case your team initiates an exchange AND steals their poison status. 4. Shutouts always initiate a player exchange. 5. Player quality is determined by player value (PV) for the random season assigned on the basis of performance probability rather than by current sim statistics. 6. Poison teams can initiate player exchanges simply by beating the opposition. Non-poison teams must shut out the opposition to initiate an exchange. 7. The winning team will forego an exchange if they conclude that they cannot improve themselves by an exchange. 8. If your team receives a pitcher from a poison team, that pitcher becomes poison. If subsequently credited with a win, that initiates a player exchange. 9. Teams can become double and triple poison. 10. Tournaments last only 30 games: two division of eight teams each with a 7-game championship between division winners. 11. Games last no more than 11 innings. A tie is declared if teams are still tied after 11 innings. 12. For competitive challenge, rosters are small - usually 14 batters and 13 pitchers. 13. Exchanges carry over into the championship series.

Poison tournaments are a form of "Baseball Darwinism." The strong get stronger and the weak get weaker. Owners must manage a ever-changing rosters.