2025 Reyes Cup, Oct 16-19, Manilla. Team Asia vs Team World
- Thread starter jbart65
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right? you'd think the tournament was in Doha. I don't get why they gatekeep these events (with high ticket prices/venue choices/or whatever it may be). The championships in the early 2000s (Taipei, Kaohsiung, Pasay & Quezon City) had crazy good crowds. Pool has only gotten bigger since then. Even events like the Peri Open have better crowds. It doesn't make sense.
There are two, intermittently blocked by a large camera arm and by support structures for the lights/overhead camera. However, even so, I can watch the match on TV from my living room.
Yeah they've been advertising half-price tickets the last few days to try to get more people. Nothing like talking with folks who walked up and paid half what I paid a month ago.
Looking it up, the median monthly salary for a Filipino worker is P14,588 (according to Google's AI, at least). At the original list price of 3200 for VIP seats that's just under 22% of the median monthly salary. The median US salary, according to the same Google AI, is about $5150. At that same proportion, VIP tickets would cost $1129.70 in the USA. But, hey, they are now half price, so only about $565! Regular seating at P1200 would be $423.64 and discounted to about $212 doing the same proportional calculation.
Sheesh. Seems pretty tone deaf on Matchrooms part. Thanks for the insight!
If this is accurate, crazy. Better cheaper prices and more fans. You’ll get just as much revenue as fewer fans and higher prices. Businesses understand this stuff. So who knows why the decisions that have been made have been made.
Does Matchroom not know Phillipines is the 74th poorest country in the world? Ticket prices should be way cheaper.
The Team Asia picks are fine. Manas has been better than anyone on Team World.
As for Team World, Filler would have helped. SVB perhaps too, but not based on Mosconi. Nor does it seem he cared about the Reyes based on his choice of where to play.
Beyond Filler and SVB, it’s not like there are a lot of obvious choices.
There's food stands and merch stands, too. More people more ancillary spending.
Not sure that they care seeming as this was the 2nd year of this event and the issue remains
As for team selection, this is what I like:
3 spots automatic qualification, with clear, published guidelines. If you make enough points/money and play enough tournaments (50%+?) you are in, even if you happen to miss a recent one.
2 fan vote. Yes, get fans involved. Make it like all-star games. The fans see who they want.
That takes the politics out of it, gives more weight to playing and doing well in tournaments, and allows the fans to see who they want.
3 spots automatic qualification, with clear, published guidelines. If you make enough points/money and play enough tournaments (50%+?) you are in, even if you happen to miss a recent one.
2 fan vote. Yes, get fans involved. Make it like all-star games. The fans see who they want.
That takes the politics out of it, gives more weight to playing and doing well in tournaments, and allows the fans to see who they want.
They would love to come if they could afford it. What I see there are the people with better (higher paying) jobs or those who own their own business. The average pool fan in the Philippines is very low paid. If they could sit in general admission for 100-200P you would see a lot more in attendance. There are large crowds outside the arena just hoping to get a glimpse or even a selfie with one of their pool heros. The kids all know the top players and glamor for an autograph when given the chance.
I sat in VIP and could see just fine. I also took a seat in general admission and could see okay there as well. Not as close, but close enough. Yes, you can always be closer to the table, but I didn't hear anybody there complaining. IMO it is a great arena for a pool tournament, easily seating for 1,500-2,000 people. I would make a guesstimate of three to four hundred here each night.
I only want to add one thing. After watching only streams and TV broadcasts of pool for the last year or so, there is nothing better than being there in person, where you can see everything that's going on! It's like the difference between movies and live theater.
I will continue in that vein. Emily Fraser is a brilliant promoter and organizer of events. She has done a masterful job of bringing pool to a larger audience, and she continues to do so with exuberance for her work. The WNT universe is constantly expanding under her guidance. I also really like the lady commentator and emcee, Abigal (Abby) Davies. That's right the flaming redhead. She is a long time com for snooker in Great Britain and she really knows her stuff. She follows the matches closely and has a good knowledge of our game. Even off camera she has a wonderful personality.
On the controversial foul call on Fedor. I was sitting ringside and the ref was in absolutely the right position to make this call. Ben got it right!
Last thing, the kid everyone said did not belong on the team is currently the MVP of Team Asia imo. He's been playing lights out most of the way. Talk about rising to the occasion! He sure did.
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He forgot to tuck it in and part of his shirt hung down a couple of inches.
Most of the pool halls here are still using the older sets of balls. In some of the big action rooms they have the new sets.
Efren came last night wearing a covid mask. Maybe to hide his identity. When people see its him they follow him everywhere. When they introduced him to the crowd he got bigger applause than any player. He must walk around with a bodyguard to keep people off of him. They want to touch him, like he's a God. He remains the same shy man he was forty years ago, not clamoring for attention. When Carlo, the room announcer put the mic in front of him Efren could only say he's happy to be there and he likes to watch.
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I pore over every one of your posts in this thread and often forget to “like” them because I’m so caught up in the read. You provide the kind of detail we virtual railbirds could never get without being there in person. Thank you for taking the time to share. It’s always an enjoyable and insightful read.
the bolded is the general trend across many sports today, fewer and older live attendees because of the quality of livestreams (and quality of TV's of course). if anything MR should encourage live viewers with lower gate prices, especially since this event is in its infancy. they have to build up a fan base for the event.