Okay then chaps, Iskender and Myself have completed our first round match. The results were:
Selrahc: 54
Iskender: 36
(You can check the final table out by clicking on the Realms Beyond Invitational match on the Somnium
page)
Complete Illian victory!

Hooray. Or boo, depending on if your loyalties lie more with mercenaries or icemen. I'll be waiting in the final ready to trounce whoever manages to make it there.
I have to admit, it wasn't exactly a close run thing. I started with some good luck, and Iskender had a truly appalling run of the cards. At the mid point the score was 61-0, so Iskender did well to rally as much as he did. Even with a last minute super aggressive play that netted him 2 fool cards he couldn't pull it back, and I rode my lead into the end. I'd like to throw in some constructive criticism, but honestly I think I just had the better luck here.
Anyway, the Somnium system was pretty easy to work out and it didn't take terribly long to play out the game, around 20 minutes or so. I hope Bob and PB get a chance to play their match soon so I can [strike]rake in my inevitable winnings[/strike] engage in another battle of cards.
May Nemelex Xobeh watch over you.