Technology
VENMO
Venmo is a payment system that works on your smartphone or tablet. You can send or receive money instantly, as easy as sending a text message.
• Download Venmo App here:
For Apple ( iOS )
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/venmo/id351727428
For Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.venmo&hl=en_US
• Open the Venmo app.
• Choose your sign up method and create a secure password (between 8 and 32 characters long).
• Verify your phone number and email address.
• Add and verify your bank account / credit card / debit card.
Pro Tip :
Venmo is social networking app, so it's default setting is to share your transaction history with your followers. If you want your financial transactions to remain private, then follow these steps:
Settings => Privacy => Private
There are 3 ways to send us your entry fee via Venmo:
Venmo Account:
@Steve-Klesker (3838)
Email Account:
Steve.Klesker@gmail.com
Phone Number *
847 280 3838
* Be very careful ! If you make an error when typing the phone number, and that incorrect phone number is valid, and the user of that phone number has Venmo, you just sent your money to a stranger and there is no way to get it back.
In your Venmo payment note, please state:
-
Tournament Date
-
Pool or No Pool
-
Your Name (First, Last)
-
Screen Name
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Mobile Phone (for Venmo)
-
Email Address (for Venmo)
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Playing Platform
You have the choice of playing on either Galaxy or Heroes 3.
If there is a disagreement as to which platform to use,
then Galaxy will be the default platform.
IF players opt to play on Heroes 3, then this is how to find our playing room:
Sign In
• Log onto the Heroes 3 server at Backgammon Studio:
https://heroes3.backgammonstudio.com/
• If you do not already have an account on BackgammonStudio, then set up an account at the address shown above. Simply enter your email address, screen name, and password.
You will be asked for a reference. Use Steve Klesker.
Upon receipt of an acceptance email from the site, you will become a member of BackgammonStudio.
First connect to
the Heroes3 Server,
then seek out our
tournament room.
It can be found in the
players list pull-down menu
by selecting:
External Tournaments
Prime Time Chicago Mondays
• Check out all of the settings to customize your playing experience to suit your own personal tastes. You can customize your board, checkers, cube, direction of play, button sizes and spacing, and many other features.
• You will have the ability to turn-on or turn-off any of the features.
• You will have the ability to pause the clock during the match.
You are now ready to play.
How to Play on Heroes 3
If you are unfamiliar with how Heroes3.BackgammonStudio.com/ works, then we suggest that you play a few matches. Once you are signed in, you then simply click on a player's screen name to Challenge them to a match.
Be sure to set your status flag to "Looking for a match" which is a checkerboard Flag to the right of the player's name.
Once challenged, if that player accepts, then your match starts immediately.
Be sure to pre-set your personal settings to assure a most pleasant match.
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DISCORD (Audio)
Discord will allow you to communicate with everybody.
You will need a microphone on your computer.
Discord has separate audio channels that will allow you to talk with the entire group, or the director, or with any specific player one-on-one.
You will use Discord voice channels to locate your next match opponent, and talk with that person about setting up your next match.
You will also talk with your opponent throughout your match, in a private conversation that only you and your opponent can hear within the Table voice channels.
Discord provides you with the "Live Play" feeling that makes playing online so enjoyable.
You will use Discord text channels to send a text to the directors, or send text messages to individual players, or as a back-up to Challonge to report your match wins.
Text channels:
# tournament
Use this to chat with entire room. Everyone will see it.
# technical
Use to post technical questions
# directors
Use to contact a director
# match-results
Use to report match wins. This is no longer mandatory.
# match links
For players to copy their match url from their browser so that it makes it easy for other players who want to watch their match to find it. It could be posted by the player themselves or the directors.
To set up Discord ...
Download and install Desktop version of Discord for your operating system (Mac or Windows) HERE :
https://discordapp.com/download
Add the Prime Time Chicago Backgammon Server:
Click on the + sign
(left side of your Discord window)
Click: Join Server
Paste this:
Click: Join
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Challonge (Brackets)
Open a Free Challonge account at:
Pro Tip: Upgrade to Challonge Premier to eliminate the pop up ads, and open up advanced features.
Challonge is an online tournament bracketing program that has communities, a message board, stats, registration, and other social features all built in.
Challonge is the software that will manage our player brackets. You will automatically see the brackets when we complete the initial draw, and you log onto our server. The initial (random) draw will be performed by the computer. After that, each match will be updated by you.
Reporting Match Wins
When you finish a match, it is your responsibility to update your bracket on Challonge. Do this immediately upon finishing your match. You may already have an opponent who is waiting for you. If you have already finished your match, but you have not updated your bracket, the director may update it for you, and you will be expected to start your next match promptly.
Note: Who do I play next ?
Upon finishing your match, and updating your bracket, look at your bracket to see if you already have an opponent for your next match. If yes, then contact that player via Discord Tournament voice channel, and ask to start a new match. Decide which Table voice channel you will use for your match. Once in the Table voice channel, decide who is going to set up the new match on Backgammon Galaxy. Make sure you know what screen name you are looking for on Backgammon Galaxy, and when accepting a match, be sure it is your scheduled opponent with whom you are accepting to play. If you accidentally join some other match that is not your scheduled opponent, then you will have to immediately resign that match, and find your proper opponent, and join his/her match. You will lose valuable time if you accidentally accept the wrong match.
Once you join challonge you can join/follow our challonge community at https://challonge.com/communities/PrimeTimeChicagoBG
If you wish to stop following our challonge community, simply click here at https://challonge.com/communities/PrimeTimeChicagoBG then click on the large bright orange button that says UNFOLLOW.
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