How to Keep a Break & Run Pool from Dominating Your Weekly Tournament?

One of the places I go to every six months they guarantee that it gets hit. On the set date if it hasn't been hit after first try, they split it in 3 and draw numbers until someone gets each of the pots. Those ones normally have a slightly larger turnout!


Set a rule that new comers only worth half the pot first week at tourney keeps the pot hunters down!

I don't know about everywhere else but in my area, the biggest problem is the shenanigans by the Jackpot Operators.

What are the shenanigans?

Paul Schofield said:

I don't know about everywhere else but in my area, the biggest problem is the shenanigans by the Jackpot Operators.

Click to expand...

Probably the bag man stealing all or some of the prize money.

ctyhntr said:

What are the shenanigans?

Click to expand...

-fixing the drawing
-skimming from the jackpot

I know of one lady who stole the whole jackpot when it got big!
I know of another who said the cash was stolen.

Be aware. The players can be treacherous too.

One idea is this . If the pot has not been won in 6 months hold a free entry tourney for everyone that played in your weekly tourney or entered the break pot in the prior six months. You could even do it every three months. The accrued break pot money will all be "added $$" to the free event. You need to advertise this point up front if you decide to do it. Have an entry number cut off and make it a semi-annual or quarterly event. To avoid BS you need to run this, not a local volunteer.

Actually you want to encourage those fair weather players who will only turn up when the jackpot is sizeable - they won’t want to waste their time turning up for 10 weeks in a row just to have a shot at winning the jackpot in week 10.

Also, it depends on whether or not you cap the number of players, how deep you payout, whether the prize pool is fixed or depends on the number of players, do you have a rake or do you have an overlay (a guaranteed prize pool) i.e. does the tournament make money or does the tournament run with a view to making money for drinks and food and whatever?

Let’s take an example of a tournament capped at 16 players, $10 entry, no rake and no overlay, pays out to winner and runner-up. One possibility would be $100 to first place, $50 for the runner-up and $10 to the jackpot pool. If the jackpot pool reaches the level of the smallest payout (in this case $50) then if it isn’t claimed on the night it is added to the winner’s prize - so the winner gets $150 - and if the runner up claims the jackpot then he or she gets a prize equal to the winner’s.

Sorry, but how do you win a break and run jackpot? Just by running out from the break? I’m assuming there’s more to it than that.

Bob Jewett said:

Another way to keep the pot from getting too large is to pay out minor prizes such as some amount per ball made.

Click to expand...

That’s the way are local tournament works. We sell tickets for a dollar each. If the pot gets to big which is around $500 we will keep drawing tickets until someone wins enough to get it back below $200

We usually have about 20 players and sell about 30 or 40 tickets each week.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

There has been several really big ones here.

Put a max number on tickets available.
Must attend 3 or 5 before you are eligible
Do it 3 times if first person doesn't hit, second person gets to go for 50% of the pot, 3rd person 25%.

Always put some back to pepper the pot for when it does get hit.

ChrisinNC said:

Break & Run pools in many different forms have become increasingly popular for poolrooms holding weekly 9-ball handicapped tournaments. We've been holding a weekly handicapped 9-ball tournament for over 20 years and have never had an accompanying break and run pot, but recently I've considered giving it a shot, to try and see how it might increase the participants in our tournament.

The biggest problem I've heard from other room operators and tournament directors is that once the pot gets large, the break and run event becomes more of the draw and the main reason for players showing up, as opposed to the tournament itself, and that once the pot is busted by someome, the tournament suffers to the extent that sometimes it completely dies out.

Any suggestions on successful break & run contests that have worked well alongside weekly tournaments for an extended period of time, without getting out of hand, and how to accomplish that? - Thanks

Click to expand...

We payed 10% of the pot for each ball made "after a good ball made on the break".
9 balls minus # of balls on the break means never paid out over 80%.
Kept the pot going.

have 10% of the pot go to nine on the break this way it doesnt get too big and even the bad players get a chance to win some money.

if you have it where only one person gets to try each week then maybe 25% for nine on the break and 25% for the run out.

any fun thing or promotion works best if all have a reasonable chance of winning it.

maha said:

have 10% of the pot go to nine on the break this way it doesnt get too big and even the bad players get a chance to win some money.

if you have it where only one person gets to try each week then maybe 25% for nine on the break and 25% for the run out.

any fun thing or promotion works best if all have a reasonable chance of winning it.

Click to expand...

Ah, I see. It’s not something awarded during the tournament play. It’s a separate event. You pay a set fee to have a go at a break a run?