I think what distinguishes a good player from the best player is that the best player can adapt with the game, they can predict outcome and adjust, is experimental enough to try different playing styles, strategic (both socially and playing ability), who can successfully utilize alternate accounts, has charisma, and properly utilizes/builds their own social capital.

"builds their own social capital" = PGA

checking in

I don't think social capital and pga exist in isolation from each other, but in my head they are distinguishable

At least in the old days "social capital" was a way to win. It was about creating trust, and being a favorite candidate for (silent) truces towards others, which yields a higher point gain long term.
Besides people actually being able to read the board.
It wasn't just about winning, it was more about losing less than others.

Nowadays, with the tourneys, fucked up scoring, players blatantly PGA'ing without any issues, while the rest of the table just puts up flags for no reason... meh, it's like winning a contest for most persistent retard.

<3 kam

nice insights kam, although I think the pga was more blatant and more common back then compared to now

Agreed jurg, people have to realize that we're becoming old and the old days will always be viewed with rose tinted glasses. PGA was way worse back then. People still niceplay eachother nowadays without really thinking about it as pga/cheating (which is still cheating). But the im'ing and blatant pgas arent really that rampant any more. I've never had as much fun playing 2ks as now. Then again that's cause i play better now and the competition is weaker. But shit aint really that different. If you're good you're still good. If you blame other factors you're mostly being an old grumpy bastard imo. Get with the program instead of complaining about all the younguns'. It's life.

Here's an old grumpy bastard :-)

Nice to see kam back! I always loved the kitty...

PGA was worse back then. 2k used to be a mostly closed circle in times of no score reset. It took you some months got get in their and sufficient favors to be held there from a group.

Today it is more subtile - the shit happens in tourney mostly from my ofc biased feelings. Many things can well be excused or are acceptable with "tourney-strat" which means you gang up on the big guy with the other small ones (whom you happen to know for a long time at times). And yes, the teaming seems to be reducing on 2k/5k from the few samples I took watching or playing.

Altogether it is just adjusting, as api said. If you don't have the time to do tourneys on a regular base or play 400 games a month, play for fun (should be the reason anyway) and say good bye to further trophies - you can't sell them anyways and I doubt they help in your CV :-))

kam, congrats on you 'most persistent retard' png from May 09.