Details on my blog.
This truly does look like the best chess tournament in the country, hands down! People play for love of the game, there is a convivial atmosphere, some great chess personalities (and, I know, great venders as well!). I am making plans for next year!!!
What is meant by “teams” at tournaments? What is the point of teams? Isn’t everyone playing individually? Sorry to be ignant but at least I won’t stay that way! 
The point of the four “U.S. Amateur Team Championships” is that they are four-player team tournaments with a rating cap. All teams must have an average rating below 2200, so you have to balance things out. Each round your team plays a match against another team, top-rated against top-rated, second against second, and so forth. Of course, the games played individually, but the results depend on the score of your team.
Most of the time, yes, but there are two types of team tournaments. First there is the combined individual/team tournament. That looks just like a regular tournament, except that you and the top n (usually four, total) of your teammates get to combine your score, and the team with the highest score wins. This is very common in scholastic tournaments. The second, and what we’re discussing here, is a fixed roster team tournament. That means that you and your teammates are ordered by rating, and then your team plays another team. That is your board one plays White against their board one. Your board two plays Black against their board two. Etc. Sometimes alternates are allowed, and if one is used, he is placed wherever he falls in rating order, and then one (or more, depending on the number of alternates used) player sits out, and the rest move up. In theory, you could have a player play White in all rounds by judicious use of the alternate. Hope that helps.
Alex Relyea
Is one’s own rating influenced by the team, or is that determined strictly on an individual basis?
All the games are rated individually, just like any other tournament, but the prizes are awarded by team score.
(That’s supposed to be an ‘aha’ face)
I see. The team groupings make the event interesting, but one’s rating is premised on individual outcomes. I understand now.
What if you want to enter an event but know nobody and are not part of any team?
Hang around in the lobby and find a team that needs a 4th. Or, if your rating looks more like a BCF rating (three digits instead of four), you could get your parents to pay a GM and two experts to play on your boards 1-3 
Thanks for filling me in on the details!
Varies by tournament. In the West we let players enter individually and form them into teams. I also put up a BBS where people can look for players/teams, and a speadsheet of CA and AZ players with December ratings. You can also show up on Saturday morning and often find a team looking for a player. Not sure what the others (especially The Big One in the East) do. Basically, however, you’re supposed to find four friends and enter as a team.
In the East often players show up Saturday morning and they are found a team looking a for a 4th player. In 1989 I played on a team with Art Bisguier, and Don Maddux. Our original board 2 bailed out at the last second and we picked up a new second board the morning of the event. It worked out pretty well for us. We won 3 matches and drew the other 3, and won the under 2000 prize.
People can email the organizer and let him know they’re available to play. Often teams are looking for somebody to play that has a rating that falls within a certain range. I’ve played on a few pickup teams where the organizer was able to put me in touch with some other individuals looking for a team. Personally I think it’s more fun to hook up with players you know, but the thrown together teams can be fun also. Sometimes some new chess friendships are formed when thrown onto a team with a bunch of starnger.
Say, what about those big events, like the “Moscow Open”. Can literally anyone just sign up and then play? Are tournaments either by invitation, or open to absolutely anyone who wants to register?
Depends on the tournament. There is no universal rule. In the case of the Moscow Open, the “Open A” section was advertised as open to all players regardless of rating as long as they pay the entry fee. Don’t expect any of the perks they give top GMs, though.