2014 US Open 9-Ball Championship: 128-player field, $1,000 entry fee

The comments from Barry B. (as outlined by JAM, thanks for this JAM) give me hope that there is actually, and has been, some good planning put into place to make this an improvement on the recent past. Hopefully, it will all come together.

I have some questions and if Barry (I noted that he indicated he read each comment here) or anyone else with knowledge to share would be kind enough to educate me it would be appreciated.

1-Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that I read somewhere that the entry fees for the prior winners of this tournament were waived each year. If that is the case then of the 128, some approximately 15 spots (past winners still active and competitive enough to realistically come) could be taken by past winners. How is the shortfall (could be around $15,000) made up?

2-If there is a shortfall in terms of entries does that decrease the prize funds at each level on a pro rated bases evenly spread over the top 48 finishers?

3-If not, how does the prize fund get distributed at, say, 96 entrants?

4-Is the added amount, $50,000 ever raised to cover the shortfall?

The reason I ask these questions is that it would seem to me that the revenue from spectators, sponsors, exhibitors etc. remain fairly static. The only moving revenue target appears to be in terms of the prize fund that is based on the number of entrants and can fluctuate considerably. What does not change to any great degree is the expense commitment of the entrants. Any change to the posted prize structure would have the biggest impact on them. When you impact the product you are selling you may impact the future success of the event.
 
JAM said:
I agree about the length. The Super Billiards Expo is 4 days in length, and that's plenty, requiring one to only have to worry about 2 days of missing work if one wants to attend the entire festivities.
Click to expand...

This comment should be noted as it's a big one for most of us. I am huge fan of the Thurs start events...Turning Stone is another good one.


Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
Barry Behrman took some time on Thursday to respond to some of the comments regarding his recent US Open announcement...

From Mr. Behrman: "Thank you all for your replies and concerns on this years U.S. Open. I have read every post thus far so allow me to explain.

Lastly, I would like to remind everyone that all players were paid on time last year with all funds coming from the U.S. Open account, which we will use again. Sixty days out, Suntrust Bank will set up an account along with myself.



Article on AzBilliards Main Page ---> HERE[/QUOTE]

I feel it is incumbent on me to point out that this statement is not true. The players were paid out of an account that Barry did not have control over, although he tried to gain control over it. If you assume that because players were paid last year, they will be paid this year, you need to understand the difference in who is controlling the money might make a difference in the outcome.






jay helfert said:
It's all good as long as Barry is not the one controlling the checkbook. If he is all I can say is good luck to the top finishers. Forewarned is forearmed. :wink:
Click to expand...

Jay: You said a mouthful. It was touch and go last year even with his feet to the fire.
I don't anticipate us holding the dough this year, so it may be a little dicey.



........
 
Last edited:
When all of you are adding up the $1,000 per player x 128= $128,000....are you subtracting out the free passes as in NO entry fees from past winners?
 
realkingcobra said:
When all of you are adding up the $1,000 per player x 128= $128,000....are you subtracting out the free passes as in NO entry fees from past winners?
Click to expand...

1. I thought he stopped doing that a few years ago?

2. If we aren't, then neither is Barry, because his payout structure does add up to $178,000
 
I think Barry is making some positive steps, a smaller field is going to more manageable time-wise. I love the idea of it being in just one room again with the TV table in the middle. It's going to be great views of all the tables from pretty much anywhere you sit. People talk every year but yet year after year this tournament continues & I hope it continues for many more years to come; my family & I look forward to it every year.
 
jay helfert said:
Had a good day today, got a threatening e-mail from Mr. BB. He doesn't use his own name on his e-mail account for reasons you can figure out for yourself. He called me names and wanted to fight me. That's how he rolls.

I will never forget the 2012 U.S. Open where Kenny, John and I worked so hard to make it a success, in spite of being constantly belittled and ridiculed by a drunken promoter. That's why you will never see me back there again. My statements about getting paid stand as quoted. Left to his own devices I would never trust him as far as I could throw him.
Click to expand...

Jay if you're going to fight make him post something, don't whoop his ass for free.
 
Yes

JAM said:
It looks like Barry Behrman is moving in a good direction for the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship.

$1,000 entry fee with associated expenses for the week-long event will limit the player field, which is a good thing since it is being cut in half. The payouts, however, go to 48th place getting 2 dimes back.

I think this is a good move for the future of the tournament. Yes, it is scaled down, but this is doable. Bravo to Barry Behrman.

Read all about it on AzBilliards Main Page ---> HERE

2014 U.S. Open Payouts
1st $25,000
2nd $13,000
3rd $8,000
4th $7,000
5-6th $5,000
7-8th $4,500
9-12th $4,000
13-16th $3,500
17-24th $3,000
25-32nd $2,500
33-48th $2,000
Click to expand...

I agree.

I think you may see a lot more players from outside the US this time, which can only be good for pool in general.

Of course, those who root only for American players may not like the results.

Unless there are other events conflicting with those dates, I'll predict success for this years tourney.
 
NYC cue dude said:
You could have the tournament in 2 stages. Stage 1 is $200 entry. Unlimited size field, but would need several hundred competitors. They play down to the final 24. Those 24 advance to the 104 top players that pay $1000 entry, but don't have to be present for the first 5 or so days of the tournament. And, stage 1 can be held anywhere with reasonable accommodations.
Click to expand...

What about just doing regional qualifiers to win your entry? Allen Hopkins posted on FB
about something like this.

A lot of tournaments already have 'paid entry to the us open' as a secondary prize.
Maybe now that it's worth $1000 it'll be the main prize.
Have inexpensive regional tournaments where the cash payouts are small
but a lot of the field can at least make back their entry fee. The winner gets his US open ticket.

Nobody has to travel super far, nobody needs to commit a whole week at a hotel,
Barry doesn't need to get more space and tables for hundreds of cometitors.

Get as many of these going as humanly possible but still allow anyone to play for 1k.
Fatten up the field with the regional qualifiers but don't make it the only way to enter.
Maybe get barry to offer a discounted US Open ticket to any pool room willing
to try this... say $800 instead of $1000.
 
RobertaAgnor said:
I think Barry is making some positive steps, a smaller field is going to more manageable time-wise. [...]
Click to expand...

Here is my fear. It's not so much the entry fee going from $500 to $1000 per se, but rather the perception of what a stud player gets for that entry fee.

Consider two scenarios:

(1) $50,000 added, $500 entry, 200 players (100 studs and 100 dreamers)
(2) $50,000 added, $1,000 entry, 100 players (all studs)

I know it's more complicated than this, but just for fun, let's make the studs all top pros and the dreamers all bangers.

What does a stud SEE when entering tournaments (1) or (2)?

imo,
(1) $500 entry fee with $100,000 added
(2) $1,000 entry fee with $50,000 added

So in a sense, going from (1) to (2), the increased entry fee is only half what the stud has to fade.
 
Did anybody bother to do the math, and see that the numbers don't work, even with a full field at $1000 per person? There's still a huge gap, and Barry has never been able to come up with the full added money anyway, which has perenially caused payout problems. What if the field doesn't fill? They're already $50K short, with a full field. Because of past issues with payment, BB should just run the tournament like most others...pay out based on entries, not with (maybe) added money.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

JAM said:
It looks like Barry Behrman is moving in a good direction for the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship.

$1,000 entry fee with associated expenses for the week-long event will limit the player field, which is a good thing since it is being cut in half. The payouts, however, go to 48th place getting 2 dimes back.

I think this is a good move for the future of the tournament. Yes, it is scaled down, but this is doable. Bravo to Barry Behrman.

Read all about it on AzBilliards Main Page ---> HERE

2014 U.S. Open Payouts
1st $25,000 = 25,000
2nd $13,000 = 13,000
3rd $8,000 = 8,000
4th $7,000 = 7,000
5-6th $5,000 = 10,000
7-8th $4,500 = 9,000
9-12th $4,000 = 16.000
13-16th $3,500 = 14,000
17-24th $3,000 = 24,000
25-32nd $2,500 = 20,000
33-48th $2,000 = 32.000
__________
= $178,000
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
WHAT IF....everyone that wanted to play in the US Open had to take a skill level test, kind of like the Allen Hopkins skill rating test, was required to post $100 to the US Open to submit the persons score, and all skill level testing was required to be taken on the same exact equipment being used during the US Open, meaning no bigger pockets or tighter. Skill level testing started 6 months pryor to the US Open so that all scoring would have time to be listed on the US Open website. Then Barry could draw a line under the top 256 hightest scores to determine who would be on the list to play. Then if a players name was in the draw, the player would then add the additional $400 entry fee paying a total of $500 to get into the US Open. Look how much money a player would save if they couldn't cross the line to get into the top 256, and how much money WOULD be collected from all those that think they have a shot...with NO refunds for those that couldn't cut the mustard so to speak. Scoring money would be coming in from all over the world, and there would be a much better field of players if they were the TOP pick, there would be no byes by the fact that there would still be a long list of players that didn't make the cut standing by to take the place of a player that did make the cut...who for some reason could'n't make it to the Open. Then, Barry could still add $50,000 and pay deeper in the payouts because of so much excess paid in test score money from players that didn't make the field. Not only that, Barry could run a semi-pro event at his own pool room with all the players that didn't make the cut, but who still wanted to play in something during that time frame.

Glen

PS. Players can also take more than one test, in fact they could keep taking the same test every week if they wanted to, right up until the cut off date of submitting the test scores.
 
Last edited:
Scott Lee said:
Did anybody bother to do the math, and see that the numbers don't work, even with a full field at $1000 per person? There's still a huge gap, and Barry has never been able to come up with the full added money anyway, which has perenially caused payout problems. What if the field doesn't fill? They're already $20K short, with a full field. Because of past issues with payment, BB should just run the tournament like most others...pay out based on entries, not with (maybe) added money.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Your math, I think, is not correct. You did not add up, as an example, four places for 9 through 12, et cetera. If you do the math, it adds up. :)
 
JAM said:
Your math, I think, is not correct. You did not add up, as an example, four places for 9 through 12, et cetera. If you do the math, it adds up. :)
Click to expand...

Math before the fact never works, it's only accurate to add up the numbers...once you actually HAVE the numbers. People that buy lottery tickets all feel they have the right numbers when the spend their money buying the tickets first, only to find out afterwards they were NOT right...but their money is still GONE, and so is all hope of spending the money they were SURE they were going to win:thumbup:
 
dmgwalsh said:
Barry Behrman took some time on Thursday to respond to some of the comments regarding his recent US Open announcement...

From Mr. Behrman: "Thank you all for your replies and concerns on this years U.S. Open. I have read every post thus far so allow me to explain.

Lastly, I would like to remind everyone that all players were paid on time last year with all funds coming from the U.S. Open account, which we will use again. Sixty days out, Suntrust Bank will set up an account along with myself.



Article on AzBilliards Main Page ---> HERE
Click to expand...

I feel it is incumbent on me to point out that this statement is not true. The players were paid out of an account that Barry did not have control over, although he tried to gain control over it. If you assume that because players were paid last year, they will be paid this year, you need to understand the difference in who is controlling the money might make a difference in the outcome.








Jay: You said a mouthful. It was touch and go last year even with his feet to the fire.
I don't anticipate us holding the dough this year, so it may be a little dicey.



........[/QUOTE]

Once again this above is the 800 pound gorilla in the room! Thanks again!

KD
 
Last edited:
Of course I added in 9-12...look at your post. I just did the math, and it doesn't add up...without BB adding $50K. Added money has always been an issue in late paying.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

JAM said:
Your math, I think, is not correct. You did not add up, as an example, four places for 9 through 12, et cetera. If you do the math, it adds up. :)
Click to expand...
 
Scott Lee said:
Of course I added in 9-12...look at your post. I just did the math, and it doesn't add up...without BB adding $50K. Added money has always been an issue in late paying.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

I just added it up again, and the total amount of payouts is $178,000. Math is not my strong suit, but I'm pretty sure I added it correctly. :embarrassed2:

ETA: YOU MEAN 128 $1,000 ENTRY FEES. I get it now. :o
 
Scott Lee said:
Of course I added in 9-12...look at your post. I just did the math, and it doesn't add up...without BB adding $50K. Added money has always been an issue in late paying.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

One thing I might mentino is that in addition to the 128 entry fees of $1,000, if it fills up, Barry also collects monies for vendor booths, gate fees to get in to watch, VIP seats, title sponsors to have their name in the ring in full view for Accu-Stats, et cetera. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top