Hi guys.

So thesacred, reseddit and I went out sarging last night. TokyoSeddit needs to represent, you know!

I just want to comment on one particularly unique set.

The reason this set was unique was because it was HUMONGOUS and the total life of the party.

reseddit and I are in a local Japanese pub (izakaya), having beers. Across the room from us are two tables packed to the brim with party people like sardines. The main table looks to be maybe a 10 or 12-set, half of which are cute girls.

Needless to say, we want to find out who they are. From across the room it sounds like they are speaking English too, which means they're probably cool.

Behind that huge set is another huge set (maybe 6 or 7 people, 2 or 3 of which are girls).

reseddit says to me, "We have to open that set." We've got our eyes on the prize (the 10 or 12-set).

Before he charges in blindly, I say to him... "Look, this is an advanced maneuver here. These people are obviously celebrating something and they're not looking particularly open to newcomers. In addition they're all Japanese and you know how Japanese men love to shut foreigners out from their women. We need to come up with a game plan."

At first I suggest we go talk up one or two of the girls whenever they go to the bathroom. That way we can isolate them and build some rapport.

reseddit shuts me down. He's right, what good is getting to know ONE PERSON in a 12-set gonna do?

I think to myself, "What would Mystery do?"

Why? Not because he's TEH GREATEST PUA OF ALL TIME!@1!!12, but because he's the guy who originally wrote up Advanced Group Theory.

EUREKA! I've got it! Looking at the 6 or 7-set behind the 12-set. If we can win those guys over, we can merge sets and we're in!

reseddit charges in like a boss. I think he opened with something situational "Hey, can I borrow a lighter for my cigarette? Oh hey, what kind of wine is that you're drinking?" or something.

Whatever it is, it stuck long enough for him to sit down. One of the set says something about "leaving your friend alone" (e.g. me). I dunno if this was a hint to GTFO, but reseddit interpreted it as, "Hey TofuTofu! Get over here!"

So I come over and sit down like a boss.

And you know what, seddit? For all our anxiousness about this set...

...

...

...

Everything went better than expected.

They were really cool, high-status musicians who just finished a huge show that night, hence why they were so in state. A few of them came from NYC, like me, so we bonded over that. It turned out both tables were actually together so we didn't even really need to merge sets.

I got a solid phone number and an invite to their show directly from the main star (a famous vocalist, I guess).

So the moral of the story, seddit? DON'T JUST SIT THERE! GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN YOU OPEN SETS!

Try to remember this FR next time you see an intimidating set you want to open. If the two of us can open a TWENTY-SET, I'm sure you can open whatever you're facing. JUST DO IT!