HUH???? Tournament entries are higher now than in 30+yrs. Pre-Fargo it was slim pickens unless all you wanted to do is donate and be highest placing dead-money entrant.
State Open Tournaments?
- Thread starter BilliardsAbout
- Start date
That's fine but there's reasons that rated tournaments outnumber opens by at least ten to one, probably higher. If there was a demand for more opens there would be more opens. Not rocket science. Go organize an open event, count your entries, and then do a FR at the same place. I've seen this scenario too many times to count is why i'm saying this. There's nothing stopping you from putting one together. Good luck.
If there is an entry fee, the tournament would die out here really fast.
Quite the opposite out in my area. Handicaps are keeping the tournaments booming! The open events sometimes don't get enough people to even play. There are tournaments from 450 and under, 500 and under, 525 and under, scotch 1100 and under, and even a 643 and under!
Handicapped tournaments around here draw thousands of entries per week combined.
Yes, lots of handicapped tournaments... Killing open events.
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Agree 100%. The proof is out there to see. When JB had his first big FR event in OkCity he had a 128(with a wait list) put up ONE-THOUSAND per man to play. In Birmingham they have one monthly that has calcuttas that routinely top 250k. Yeah, rated events are killing pool. You have a BIG open event rarely will you get 64players.
Wrong. Open events kill themselves. People want to have some sort of chance. Just being dead-money hogs led to slaughter gets old fast.
And that’s exactly why handicapped have done harm. People want a hand out and all the weight they can get , then they can’t miss all of a sudden
Whatever. Most players are part-timers that aren't going to go to some open event, spend a ton of money and get slaughtered. Open events killed themselves. You obviously don't go to any rated ones, just knock them. BTW, here's a decent one. Probably too late to enter if you were to play in one. https://oklahomabcapl.com/ No Fargo, open to all.
All I do is play in everything around town lol
Handicap is all the rage
That's too bad and I don't understand it. I played the Lucasi event recently and hoped to draw Oscar, Vilmos or Max. I didn't but still drew a good player from out of town my first match. I knew I was dead money but there are reasons to enter. It is a mildly handicapped event BTW. But shockingly /sarc/ Oscar, Vilmos, and Max finished 1-2-3. I dunno, I want to see the good players, be there for the event, see the merch etc... Oscar did a short break clinic before the tournament that was good. Maybe not an extensive private lesson but hearing how Oscar and other top players go about the break with the new rules is something you don't hear in a weekly local tournament. Helped my break in the 9 on the spot format.
Anyway, I guess I'd rather be dead money than a nit. Or maybe just rather play in the event instead of not playing.
People just need to think they have a chance. They don’t think they have a chance to beat a good player in an open event but they think they are the best 5 or best 6 in the country (whatever their rank is)
So what?
What kills open events is that there are too few very high rated players to support them. That means they want/beg for lower rated dead money players to support the tournaments they're unable to support themselves.
Just because someone is a 600 Fargo, doesn't mean they're stupid and can't do math.
If you want more open tournaments, get the better players to support them and actually show up.
No handicaps in the Fargo capped tournaments.
By the way we had a nice little open one pocket tournament going simultaneously with the under 600 8 ball tournament last weekend.
Anthony Meglino beat Justin Hall in the finals…
They're out there, but too often the people complaining about too few open tournaments are 675ish dudes who really mean that they would rather hope to catch a good draw and wade through a bunch of dead money rather than actually play the Meglino's and J. Halls....
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I know quite a few players that are 685+ FR and they play in a lot of FR tournaments. They never squeal about the spots they have to fade to win one. Best thing about FR events is that the good players can't dick around and win, they have to play good right out of the gate. I still think open events will survive but there won't be near as many as FR events. Golf has been handicapping/flighting tournaments for EONS and no one bitches about it but making a poolplayer give up games to someone who has no chance is somehow out of line.
Good point. A lot of events now are capped and everyone plays even. There are more pool tournaments now in this country on a weekly/monthly basis than in 30yrs or more yet some players will always find a way to whine. I love old school gunfight-style 'run whatcha brung' open events but turnouts in them are so low that organizers tend to shy away in favor of packed rated events.
It's not an open event if you're limiting it to players 700 and under. Stronger players don't want open tournaments, they want capped tournaments where they are the top players.
We have thousands of dollars in sponsor money to enhance regional and state tournaments once final decisions on payouts are made. We have excellent poolrooms eager to host, sponsorship from pool equipment companies, experienced referees, and veteran tournament directors. Additionally, some of us are prepared to contribute with trick shot exhibitions and teaching seminars during the championships. We also have budgeted funds for websites, posters, trophies, and other promotional materials.
To determine whether to proceed with these enhanced tournaments or revert to regular tournaments with added cash prizes, our group needs to thoroughly discuss the issues. Please keep this conversation going, as your insights are invaluable.
Thank you.
Then it's an invitational for amateurs (limited to 700 and under, 620 and under, so on) as nothing is yet set in stone.
I'm not disputing your points; you've raised some valid considerations. However, consider this: if we increase the number of regionals from 4 to 8, the state championship could offer over $50,000 in cash payouts even before adding any additional funds. Additionally, we could hold a rated tournament by making the open events invitational, restricting them to specific Fargo ratings.