Final splashes: The Pool Party playoffs

HyuN vs MC

By this time, MC is done fooling around. He's tried every piece of fun at Take's appartment and is now ready to take what he came for - the HomeStory prize pool and a bottle of vodka.

To his bad luck, against him stands the ZvP bully HyuN, who looks to be in super form. HyuN is the only player to have not dropped a single map in the entire tournament and is 4-0 in ZvPs against MaNa and HasuObs and those boys do know their Zerg killing.

Although particularly strong in the match-up, HyuN's tournament history shows the funny tendency to not go beyond the round of eight while abroad. Both his DreamHack runs this year ended at the quarter finals, while his GSL results are downright disappointing. MC might be getting old and lazy around all the cocktails but he's more than capable of chasing away the insolent Zerg bully.

Overall prediction: 

(i.e. f*** if I know, but let's say 3-2 MC)

Snute vs Stephano

As it becomes every reigning champion, Snute is looking magnificent so far in HomeStory Cup VII. Along with Taeja, he's the only player to pin a 8-1 maps and is tied for the second most successful player in this tournament. Snute is serious, determined, confident. His ZvZ might not be as good as it was in Wings of Liberty but it has improved a lot since the early HotS days. And, last but not least, Snute still has the 9-2 in mirrors from last HomeStory including the one-sided 4-0 stomping over Azubu ace Symbol in the grand final to give him the strength to carry on.

Stephano? Well, Stephano, as Reddit would like to put it, likes to do his own thing. Furthermore, his record against foreigners in this tournament is flawless, he's the runner-up of WCS Europe and he competes in the perfect atmosphere for his happy-go-lucky attitude. 

Overall prediction: 

Snute 3-1 Hangover

Taeja vs Seed

This is where it gets all very serious. While there's fun and carelessness to be found in every other quarter final, here is where professionals will test their might in the good traditions of Korean fight to the death.

Seed started with a convincing performance in group stage one by 4-0'ing his group but a loss to Snute made him fight for the second place in the Ro16 so he's not as immaculate as Taeja's 8-1 in maps. However, Seed's PvT has historically been among his stronger match-ups both in WoL and in HotS and he hasn't dropped a single map to Terrans in HSC VII so Taeja has all the reasons to be worried, despite proudly bearing the title of "best TvP-er in the world" in days now past.

On top of it all, however, this is an IPTL revenge match and both players clearly recall the events of that night. Seed will remember how the Terran in blue sliced all his team-mates to pieces and Taeja remembers how it was Seed who made it so that Liquid do not get their championship. And isn't that a story to look forward to?

Overall prediction:

That guy with the glasses 3-2 that guy that broke that guy's glasses last time

TLO vs Violet  

Not only Violet was not supposed to be here and is attending because of XlorD's cancellation but the Azubu captain is now ruining the party for everyone (mostly the Europeans). He eliminated BabyKnight and helped for the ousting of Ret in Ro32 and he singlehandedly defeated home-turf competitor HasuObs and EG's ThorZain in the Ro16, both with 2-0. His next order of business is now the Zerg in blue Liquid`TLO. 

While there still aren't many televised ZvZ matches to Violet's account, he's always been an extraordinary mirror match player, handling every stage of the game meticulously and with stunning precision. TLO is on a hot streak since the launch of HotS and making playoffs might be his thing now, but Violet looks like too thick an obstacle plus there's always that thing about not him being able to make semi finals... ever.

Overall prediction:

Quarter-finals curse 3-1 TLO