I've been playing Dip on-line for a few months. Definitely I am still a novice. But I had the opportunity to meet some real people and play in a live tournament. At Bartdogg's suggestion, I am sharing some details:

1. About 25 - 30 people played. They were all different ages, mostly men, a few women, came from different states and some were real PROs like the National champ from Austrailia, who stopped in on his way to the International Tournament next week in Columbus.
2. Game play was very speedy, there were only 15 minutes to read the orders, negotiate, and write your next orders. It was very exciting and a challenge for a novice like me, to say the least.
3. It was a priviledge to meet some of these PROs and watch them in action. The best ones were low key, upbeat, understated, modest, charming, you never saw the stab coming!
4. I got clobbered in my 1st 2 games and was finally doing pretty well in the last game when one of these charming pros convinced me to leave my home centers undefended and then of course he stabbed me. I felt like an idiot until I saw later that he won the entire tournament, even outgunning the champ from Australia who placed 2nd.
5.There are 2 tournaments a year in Cambridge, MA, one in Long Island next month, one in Vermont in November, an annual national championship,etc. Highly recommended for any Dip addicts