MAYBE...The Perfect Pool Tournament with a “A”, “B”, and “C” Handicapped Format

I think you may have stumbled upon the best idea for tournaments ever!

After thinking about it, you are reducing the amount of money an A player can win. The money is already too low as it is.

Very good idea, but I think you'll have the A players not show up because it's not worth it for the money.

CocoboloCowboy said:

Friend and I were talking over the weekend, as he say he keep going out to play Events, and the turn out keeps getting smaller and smaller. Came up with a little idea that might help.

Think before this could happen you would need to establish each player ability as an “A”, “B”, “C” over a period of time to eliminate any SAND BAGGERS, but still nothing is ever perfect because people play Hot & Cold.

Any way we were talking, and came up with this idea, all players would pay the same Entry be it $5.00 or more with a Max. of $10.00 or more because of the Recession is killing everyone and many just do not have the money to go out and play a Pool tournament weekly.

Any way all “C’ Player would start out in one Mini Event with 80% of the “C” Player Entry going to their Prize fund, and the other 20% being marred it to the “A” player Event, and the same with the “B’s”.

Point being there was enough of a pot so that the “C” & “B” got an 80% Return on their Entry FEE, and depending upon number of player up to 25% of the “C” “B” players could be paid out of their MINI FINDS.

The Winner of the “C” Event, or mini tournament, and the Winner of the “B” Event, or mini tournament could be merge into the “A” Event after winning their respective divisions.

Not sure if anyone has a Computer Program to do this but it would give the “C’s”, and “B’s” a return of a lard part of their entries should they merged victorious as their Division Winner, plus it would add 20% of their entree fees to the main event.

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We had something similar within driing distance a number of years ago. It was run every other month.

It used an ABCD format with D paying 30 entry, C 50, B 70 and A 100. $5 of the C and D entry went to the A and there was a small bit of location money added to the A as well. Basically it was set up so everyone wanted to play A but you had to earn your way there.
Usually there was 32 in each field amd the D and C and B paying out top 8and the A top 16.

They moved the top 4 of each event moved to the next level and and the bottom 4 moved down a level. The kept current rankings on some 300 + players. New players played in C or B depending on history.

It ran for a good number of years and then just stopped.

I think this format is great. It motivates you to move to the next level.

It would be interesting if you could make this type of system a national thing and use it as the grassroots for a pro tour.

Leagueguy.

PocketPoint said:

After thinking about it, you are reducing the amount of money an A player can win. The money is already too low as it is.

Very good idea, but I think you'll have the A players not show up because it's not worth it for the money.

Click to expand...

The 'A' players are getting added money..20% of 'B' and 'C' entries.
Things have to be worked out...like the time factor..like different days
for each division.

Interesting idea,CC....worthy of some thought

Or it could just be people aren't showing up to the tournaments because they aren't well run...

Here in Minneapolis we are seeing multiple weekly $15 entry tournaments seeing 25-30 people showing up at each on different nights. We're seeing $1k added tournaments monthly with 3 different brackets broken up by AA/A/B/C (which ones are combined changes from tournament to tournament, lower rank gets one on the wire) with 100 players showing up with entry fees from $30-50.

These all are well run tournaments that get lots of participation.

Brian

Oh, and another factor... A lot of the well attended events tend to be 8-Ball. IMHO you're much more likely to get lower ranked players to enter an 8-Ball tournament than a 9-Ball one, because in most cases, they get to shoot more.

I personally feel like I have a MUCH better chance in an 8-Ball tournament against higher ranks than in a 9-Ball tournament. Why? I think I have a damn good defensive game which in 8 Ball can make up for my poor shot making. And, I think 8 Ball is just a much more enjoyable game.

Personally I think 9 ball is what is killing pool more than anything else...

btoneill said:

Oh, and another factor... A lot of the well attended events tend to be 8-Ball. IMHO you're much more likely to get lower ranked players to enter an 8-Ball tournament than a 9-Ball one, because in most cases, they get to shoot more.

I personally feel like I have a MUCH better chance in an 8-Ball tournament against higher ranks than in a 9-Ball tournament. Why? I think I have a damn good defensive game which in 8 Ball can make up for my poor shot making. And, I think 8 Ball is just a much more enjoyable game.

Personally I think 9 ball is what is killing pool more than anything else...

Click to expand...

I think you're onto something here...

Oh, and for people who may question my theory....

Look at the national tournaments for APA/BCAPL/VNEA/ACS/TAP/etc. Which format has the largest turnout in both singles and team events? You want your local tournament to have larger turnouts, take a look at what has the largest number of players in the national tournaments!

"give the “C’s”, and “B’s” a return of a lard part of their entries"

Like this?

CocoboloCowboy said:

Friend and I were talking over the weekend, as he say he keep going out to play Events, and the turn out keeps getting smaller and smaller. Came up with a little idea that might help.

Think before this could happen you would need to establish each player ability as an “A”, “B”, “C” over a period of time to eliminate any SAND BAGGERS, but still nothing is ever perfect because people play Hot & Cold.

Any way we were talking, and came up with this idea, all players would pay the same Entry be it $5.00 or more with a Max. of $10.00 or more because of the Recession is killing everyone and many just do not have the money to go out and play a Pool tournament weekly.

Any way all “C’ Player would start out in one Mini Event with 80% of the “C” Player Entry going to their Prize fund, and the other 20% being marred it to the “A” player Event, and the same with the “B’s”.

Point being there was enough of a pot so that the “C” & “B” got an 80% Return on their Entry FEE, and depending upon number of player up to 25% of the “C” “B” players could be paid out of their MINI FINDS.

The Winner of the “C” Event, or mini tournament, and the Winner of the “B” Event, or mini tournament could be merge into the “A” Event after winning their respective divisions.

Not sure if anyone has a Computer Program to do this but it would give the “C’s”, and “B’s” a return of a lard part of their entries should they merged victorious as their Division Winner, plus it would add 20% of their entree fees to the main event.

Click to expand...

That is an interesting concept especially since I am in a smaller town and there are only about 150 league players in a 30 mile radius. The weekly/nightlytournaments only draw between 16-20 players on a regular basis because there are 6 A players that usually dominate most tournaments so the B and below players dont show up. It has been that way for years in our area and nobody has tried any type of incentives to draw the B and below players to compete in the weekly tournaments.

Now I did have an idea that was similar to yours but it really wouldnt work for a small entry tournament.

I was thinking of having monthly tournaments with a $35 entry fee and $10 of the entry from every player (with a maximum of $250) would go into a second chance tournament for all B and below players that did not finish in the money. The second chance tournament is a gaurenteed entry with no additional charges to the B player.

Example would be 32 entries,,,26 B and below, 6 A's. main prize fund would be $870 and second chance would be $250.

Main tourny would pay 6 spots of field and the second chance would be the top 4 so that is %30 pay out of total entries.


pay outs: main 1st 300, 2nd 200, 3rd, 140, 4th 100, 5/6th 65
second chance 1st 80, 2nd 70, 3rd 55, 4th 45


Now you say why even do this? Why should an A players put part of their entry fee into a B second chance when they are not allowed to play in it? Why doesnt the B player practice and become an A player?

My answer to those questions is location and type of pool players in my area so this probably wont work in all areas. Most players are league players that like the competition, but do it more for the time out of the house with friends and dont really practice to get better. There is not a pool hall within 1 1/2 hours so we only have bars to play at, so practicing is a little difficult.

Like I said previousely, there are like 6 A players in the area and if I had a monthly tournament there probably would only be like 16 players total for a $35 entry fee tournament which would add up to a $560 prize fund. Now, if I ran it using my idea for a B player second chance, then I am most definite that I could get 32 which is a $850 prize fund. So this idea actually benefits the A player in the long run.

Also, it may draw more B and below players to come out and play more and to practice once they get the feeling of competition. Remember the first time you won money at a tourny, I do and it made me want to play more.

I know it was long, but thanks for the read.