Seeking Advice for Weekly Tournaments

PickPocket

PickPocket

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello AZB Room owners!

I'm looking to grow or improve our weekly in-house tournaments, and wanted to gather some advice from you seasoned room owner vets! (First please understand that I'm not a partner or owner of this bar, everything I do is volunteer work, because I love this sport, and the people that support the sport like the owners of 5 Monkeys do!)

Here is some useful info about the Bar 5 Monkeys to which I am referring too for aid in the feedback process:

At-a-glance:

- As of right now we have 3 pool tables. (7x4 drop pocket style tables)
- Free Pool / no quarters or Green Fees
- We do have an In-house League on Tuesdays.
- run weekly reoccurring tournaments: Sun (8Ball), Mon (8 Ball w/added $$), & Wed 10 Ball.
- Support BCA league team, APA team, and looking to add a ACS team currently to Tuesdays, (on the 3rd table).
- Tables were refreshed, leveled, and re-felted within the last year.
- within the next 4-6 months will be done again with Simonis Cloth.

Sundays:
Mostly the Same group (Average 10-15 Players)
- $5 entry
- 8 Ball BCA rules
- double elimination


Mondays:
Mixed group (New & repeat) (varies between 15-30 Players)
-$5 entry
- 8 Ball BCA rules
- double elimination
- Bar adds $$ for first place depending on signups ($50 or $100 GTD).

Tuesdays: In-House "5 Monkeys League" (+ Adding APA or ACS League)

Wednesdays: Tournament
Mixed group (New & repeat) (Average 10-15 Players)
- $5 entry
- 10 Ball BCA Rules
- Double elimination (Race to 2 Winners side / race to 1 Losers)

Thursdays: Salt Lake Invitational Pool League (BCA). (One Table used)

Fridays: Open Tables

Saturday: Open Tables

current advertisement methods:
- Word of mouth, mass texting & Emails
- Bar Website announcements


So... what'cha got for insight & advice!?! :grin:
 
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Dannydizzan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Add something to liven things up.

How about a 10-ball jackpot.

You get one entry into the jackpot with entry fee. you are running a $5 tourney, charge $7 and put $2 per each entry into the jackpot. Then players can buy additional tickets for a price. After the tourney, drawing is held. One person gets to play for the jackpot. If no one wins, it rolls over to the next week. Each ball is worth a percentage, say 2% or whatever you choose. If player runs out, he gets entire jackpot. If not, it rolls over. They shoot until they miss.

For example: Start with $100 jackpot. 15 players enter tourney, so there is another $30 into the pot. Players buy extra tickets during the tourney for $2 a piece. You sell $170 worth, so now $300 in pot.

Player gets drawn after tourney and someone racks 10 ball. He breaks and makes nothing, game over. Pot rolls till next week

He breaks and runs 4 balls and misses. He gets 4 * (0.02*300) = $24 so $276 is the starting # for the next week. It will build pretty nicely I think
 
GeoEnvi

GeoEnvi

Diamond System Enthusiast
Silver Member
Dannydizzan said:
Add something to liven things up.

How about a 10-ball jackpot.

You get one entry into the jackpot with entry fee. you are running a $5 tourney, charge $7 and put $2 per each entry into the jackpot. Then players can buy additional tickets for a price. After the tourney, drawing is held. One person gets to play for the jackpot. If no one wins, it rolls over to the next week. Each ball is worth a percentage, say 2% or whatever you choose. If player runs out, he gets entire jackpot. If not, it rolls over. They shoot until they miss.

For example: Start with $100 jackpot. 15 players enter tourney, so there is another $30 into the pot. Players buy extra tickets during the tourney for $2 a piece. You sell $170 worth, so now $300 in pot.

Player gets drawn after tourney and someone racks 10 ball. He breaks and makes nothing, game over. Pot rolls till next week

He breaks and runs 4 balls and misses. He gets 4 * (0.02*300) = $24 so $276 is the starting # for the next week. It will build pretty nicely I think
Click to expand...

Quick comments:

1) Rotation?
2) 2% per ball is LOW.
 
D

Dannydizzan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yes, rotation
You make the percentage higher if you want but the attraction is a big pot so find a balance where people want to play and your jackpot doesn't stagnate at $500
 
bflgvs

bflgvs

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There are several weekly tournaments in this area and most have what they call a nine ball break pot. Spots to enter the ‘beak pot’ are $1 each to a max of 5 per person (you must be in the tournament to enter). There can be more than one ‘break pot’ depending on the amount of the pots. They can run from $50 to $100+. The first number drawn for the pot can win 100% of the pot for breaking and running out or the nine is made on the break. If this doesn’t happen the second number drawn gets 75% of the pot. If this doesn’t occur the pot is carried over to the following week and is increased by the money collected from the participants. And on to the next pot and so on. If a person wins a pot that ends it for the evening even if there are more pots. A player can only be drawn once for these pots in one evening.

They also have what is called a “Must Go” pot. And there are usually two of them. These pots are based on the number of players in the tournament (taken from the entry fees) and only about $10 or $15. Numbers are drawn until someone wins. If a player wins a ‘break pot’ that player cannot participate in the ‘must go’.

That’s what is done is area and sometime the ‘break pots’ can run $150+ and there can be 2 or 3 of them. This definitely makes the tournament interesting and keeps players coming back.
 
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Dannydizzan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's also worth noting, I have seen somEthing similar to this and the pots grow to thousands and each ball is potentially worth a lot depending on what is paid per ball. This will definitely draw people out to take a shot
 
PickPocket

PickPocket

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks!

Tis the season that things slow down for us... but they should start picking up again soon, and I will get a chance to implement these suggestions! I'm excited!

Thanks to everyone for the feedback! :thumbup:
 
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Brandon79ta

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Try running a player auction. Have it start out at $2 per player and keep the bidding in $2 increments. It's funny how a lot of people will think $7 isn't that much but $10 is too much lol. Back when bar tournaments were going strong around here the calcutta always had more money in it then the tournament itself.

I also like the idea about having a break and run pot and paying out a % for each ball they make. That would be a good way to get the guys that can't run a rack to buy into it seeing how they could at least have a chance at a little money.

From my years of running around little tournaments the key to it seems to be keeping a balance of enough prize money to make it worth being there all day/night but yet not attract players that can dominate the tournament week after week as you'll lose your bangers then, which is what the bar will make most of it's money from.
 
mfarrey71

mfarrey71

CueNut71
Silver Member
Yes try having a 10 ball break pot! $1 per ticket must be in tournament to buy tickets! You can but as many tickets you as you want! Rotation just like 9 ball. Make a ball on break must run balls in order! Each ball made pays 10 percent of pot! Tickets sold that week carry over to next week! So say the pot is $1000 and you sell 150 tickets they can only win the $1000 and the 150 carries into the next week. You might also try adding money to the tournament payouts from the 10 ball pot. Here in Syracuse, NY they add $25 for every $500 in the 10 ball pot! From the 10 ball pot.
Two weeks ago the ten ball pot was $4200 here in Syracuse and my ticket got pulled. I broke made three balls on the break then made the 1 and the 2 ball and missed the 3 and made $2100.
 
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Blaine B.

Clueless
Silver Member
I'm just a nobody who has been running weekly tournaments for a few years, but I can tell you what I have witnessed have great success.

Raise your entry to $10, regardless of game. Make it worth the players while to compete for hours, the players will come!

ERO, 9 Ball Run Out, 10 Ball Run Out pots are a great!
I would not limit ticket purchases to tournament players only however. Allow the spectators in on the pot as well, but don't let them shoot. They can stake a tournament player, write the tourney players name on the ticket with their initials or what have you in the bottom corner. Successful tourney player would split the pot with his backer.

I have had success with 8 on the break pots as well. Say entry is $10, $1 from each entry goes into the pot. First player to successfully make the 8 on the break without scratching wins the pot. With 20-35 players a week it adds up fast!

Consider having "No Open" tournaments. I have personally taken a lot of heat locally for these, but they have been great successes, much to the chagrin of "Open" Players. Essentially, restrict the highest level local players from playing in the tournament, at least one day a week. A lot of fish don't like to swim with sharks, but want to develop along with their peers. The heat comes from the "Open" players eyeballing the large ERO pots that only the non open players have contributed to for weeks and weeks. The sharks want a piece of the pie. Stand your ground.
 
Skratch

Skratch

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
PickPocket said:
No replies?!

AZ? Nudge.. Nudge... Beuller?:embarrassed2:
Click to expand...

How about this for an idea. Play the tournament as 3 ball or 4 ball. The pot can get huge very easily. If better shooters are in the house, make the requirement that the balls have to be shot in order. Depending on how many players show up, you might have to split it to other tables. Its a quick relatively simple game. You can adjust the entry into the pot. There are a lot of things you can do with this. My point in this is because the game is simple, you can get more novice players into it. They only have to shoot 3/4 balls to attempt to win the pot. More accomplished players have to be consistent to stay in the pot. The only down side I see, is that someone has to manage the table/ rack/ and hold the pot money. We used to do this in Bars to generate some action. It would lead to bigger play later in the night after a few drinks. LOL.
 
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bountybuddy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Weekley Tournaments...

My wife and I own two pool halls in the Philippines. Each has seven 9' tables. Money table in one is a Brunswick Gold Crown with new 860 Simonis cloth on it.

We were having tournaments every week and doing very well with them, then all of a sudden the customers dropped way off and we stopped doing it. There was a small entry fee with with small pay out for 1st through 4th place. Now we have one a month, same small entry fee and small pay out and are doing good with it. We will try having two every other week next month to see how it will do.

We have the tournaments to increase our business. If we are lucky we make a little money on a tournament. They are 25 cent entry, $7.00 first place. Keep in mind these tournaments are in the Philippines. Most People don't have much money.

I do it because I enjoy the game so much. We are not going to get rich.

Best of luck to you. Shoot well my friend.
 
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