Calcutta 'Information'

All moneys, 12-13% of the field

JAM,

I think I am pretty safe to say that all moneys are paid out, paying one-half as deep as the purse. The purse pays 25% of the field, the calcutta pays 12.5% rounded as necessary.

It would take a lot of guts to not pay out 100% of a Calcutta. Graybar Hotel time here for organized gambling, that is if the auctioneer outran the lynch mob!

Hu


JAM said:
I don't think I understand what you are describing for the calcutta payouts.

Do you mean that only 50 percent of the monies collected are paid out, or do you mean that half of the players in the calcutta are paid out to the calcutta bidders? TIA!:)

JAM
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I see a lot of horror stories from the rail, so I thought that I would give you guys a players horror story involving a calcutta. A few years ago I was playing in a small tourney at an even smaller bar. There were only two tables to play on, it was a real nightmare.

Anyway, they decided to do a final 8 calcutta with NO redraw (this was the first tourney that they had ever ran). I had been playing pretty rough, and was on the one loss side. I still felt that my chances were pretty good, especially since the wait between matches was going to be shorter.

They start the calcutta after anouncing it will pay 3 spots, and it's all pick of the litter. The first pick, buys himself for 800. He's still on the winner's side with an easy match and virtually guaranteed 3rd place. The second and third picks go for even more!!!! (1200+ each) To this day it's the craziest calcutta I have seen. After the first 5 picks I'm still in the mix, and decide to start bidding. The owner/tournament director whispers to me not to by myself, and low and behold I have the high bid. So, being a nice guy, I take the guy that's on the winners side who has little chance of winning, but I figure if he squeaks one out on accident I have cashed.

Well, the owner/director buys me next. After the calcutta is over, I go to her with my half and she says no!?!?!? I'm thinking WTF!!!! She tells me don't worry, I'll take care of you if you cash.

First in the calcutta pays 1800, second 1200, and third was around 800. I sold for 50 bucks. I made it back to the finals, winning the first set and coming up short on the second set for a final place of second. Second in the tournament paid 400 dollars, and she gave me a jelly of 20. I've never been back.

So there is a horror story from the other side. If you wonder why players act the way they do sometimes, they've probably had something like this happen to them.

Although I can't say that I would ever dump because someone wouldn't let me buy my entire self, but if you won't let me have half...I might and that is all because of this mess.
 
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Calcuttas are basically buyer beware and all should know that before bidding. I've seen it all when it comes to calcuttas. I've booked big winners and booked big losers because the players forfeited or weren't feeling well or whatever. In big golf calcuttas we always buy our team no matter what the cost because we are usually one of the favorites and I want to make the maximum amount if we win. I don't get upset when a player I buy doesn't cash. I just say better luck next time. That being said, I don't give jelly either because I take all the risk. I bought a guy for $400 one time and he got 3rd which paid $425 and he had the nerve to ask for jelly, lol. I don't see why the better players don't buy themselves in the calcuttas. It would seem that they would want the maximum payout for playing well.
 
Calcuttas

I have been around pool a long time... Rule of thumb is when you risk your money in a calcutta be prepared for anything... I always run calcuttas in all the tournaments I run.... They always have been good with lots of money genrated, with no problems... On the otherhand I have been screwed myself in other tournaments... I try to buy CLASS guys to Eliminate problems... But I have had two bad experiances. One was in Salisbury,MD around 7 or 8 years ago.... I bought MIKA IMMONEN for around $600... This was at the US OPEN Warm up... Mika made it to the second day.. He came back on the winners side... Don Polo a regular on the tour beat him... He got pissed told TD he was gonna forfeit... I got pissed.. TD talked Mika into playing for apperances sake... He lost 7-0..
A few years ago in Cambridge,MD I bought Allen Hopkins for $350... This was also a US OPEN warm up... He Lost on saturday... He said he forfeits never played his losers match and went to the bar and started drinking.. Moral of the story is.... If you put your money up you better be prepared for anything... Even though this happened to me... I still love calcuttas.
 
Smorgass Bored said:
[...]
"Next up is Mr. World Beater. He had a delicous dinner at home with his adoring wife and children and then went to bed at 8:00 p.m. and got 10 hours of restful sleep. He woke up well rested, exercised for 30 minutes and had a wonderful breakfast of grapefruit and a big bowl of Wheaties with strawberries.

He's wearing his most comfortable favorite shoes and playing with the same cue that he's had for 10 years. He won last week's World Open and arrived here two hours early to practice on these tables. He doesn't owe anyone any money and he ALWAYS buys half of himself in the calcutta."[...]
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Wow, two or three minor changes, and throw in that he's wearing a tie and had a glass of milk and went to confession last night and mass this morning,

... and I'd swear you were talking about Mr. A himself...
 
:-)

mikepage said:
Wow, two or three minor changes, and throw in that he's wearing a tie and had a glass of milk and went to confession last night and mass this morning,

... and I'd swear you were talking about Mr. A himself...
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:) :) :) :) :) :) :)
 
From what I see here, I am starting to understand why some people and this sport may not have sponsors. If they are giving up after being sent to the loser side, they shouldn't be getting a free ride. Give it to the guys that want to play and win. These are horror stories for people investing money into them. Maybe the same person that players approach later with there hand out looking for sponsor $$.
 
exactly why I didn't sponsor somebody

I had decided to sponsor someone back in the eighties. Before I could sit down with him he quit in the middle of a competition for no reason except things weren't going his way. That had a huge part in my decision not to sponsor him.

Sponsorship is advertising. Everything is important. The way you look, the way you act, the other competitors, the fans. Is this a good place to invest money? Quite honestly pool doesn't appear to be. Other places offer far more bang for the same buck.

Hu




Jason Robichaud said:
From what I see here, I am starting to understand why some people and this sport may not have sponsors. If they are giving up after being sent to the loser side, they shouldn't be getting a free ride. Give it to the guys that want to play and win. These are horror stories for people investing money into them. Maybe the same person that players approach later with there hand out looking for sponsor $$.
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I bought a strong local player in a calcuuta when they called his name. I didnt see him in the room but it was crowded and I figuured "I know the guy anyway. He is ok."

He shows up before the first round and I say:

"Hey I bought you in the calcutta"

He says:
"Ohhh man. You shouldn't of done that."

:D
 
DukeOfAim said:
I see a lot of horror stories from the rail...

Well, the owner/director buys me next. After the calcutta is over, I go to her with my half and she says no!?!?!? I'm thinking WTF!!!! She tells me don't worry, I'll take care of you if you cash.

First in the calcutta pays 1800, second 1200, and third was around 800. I sold for 50 bucks. I made it back to the finals, winning the first set and coming up short on the second set for a final place of second. Second in the tournament paid 400 dollars, and she gave me a jelly of 20. I've never been back.
/QUOTE]


Every calcutta I have ever participated in, the winning bidder must sell half to the player if the player wants to buy-in.
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JAM said:
I don't think I understand what you are describing for the calcutta payouts.

Do you mean that only 50 percent of the monies collected are paid out, or do you mean that half of the players in the calcutta are paid out to the calcutta bidders? TIA!:)

JAM
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Sorry Jen, I could have been clearer on that point.

In all our tournaments we payout to 25% of the field. Example, 64 players- 16 places paid and then in the calcutta-8 places paid. That is with me retaining 10% of the calcutta money and returning 90%.
 
MFB said:
DukeOfAim said:
I see a lot of horror stories from the rail...

Well, the owner/director buys me next. After the calcutta is over, I go to her with my half and she says no!?!?!? I'm thinking WTF!!!! She tells me don't worry, I'll take care of you if you cash.

First in the calcutta pays 1800, second 1200, and third was around 800. I sold for 50 bucks. I made it back to the finals, winning the first set and coming up short on the second set for a final place of second. Second in the tournament paid 400 dollars, and she gave me a jelly of 20. I've never been back.
/QUOTE]


Every calcutta I have ever participated in, the winning bidder must sell half to the player if the player wants to buy-in.
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That is the way it's always been and should have been pointed out before the bidding starts.
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MFB said:
Every calcutta I have ever participated in, the winning bidder must sell half to the player if the player wants to buy-in.
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This was the only time that I have ever run into this. Like I said, it was their first tourney ever. I guess they just wanted to run it their way. The 20 bucks put me over the top. I had the high bid, and could have bought myself (which I planned to do), but while I was bidding she asked me not to. It cost me more than I won to let her buy me.

But I'm with you, I've never been bought in a calcutta and not been able to buy half myself before or since.
 
I wish a Parimutuel was what tournaments used for the sweat action on players. I don't think it would be as great a payout as Calcutta's unless a long shot came in. But It sure would keep people sweating the action and probably sticking around longer at tournaments. I hate Calcutta's. Last one I bid in worked out to be a big damn confusion and hassle and I will not participate in another.
 
gpeezy said:
I wish a Parimutuel was what tournaments used for the sweat action on players. I don't think it would be as great a payout as Calcutta's unless a long shot came in. But It sure would keep people sweating the action and probably sticking around longer at tournaments. I hate Calcutta's. Last one I bid in worked out to be a big damn confusion and hassle and I will not participate in another.
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You and me both, gpeezy. Parimutuals are the way to go for sure. I am sorry I missed the one at Southern Billiards in Starkville, MS a week or so ago. My back wouldn't let me attend. No one on this planet runs a better tournament than the Professor in Starkville.
 
bigshooter said:
On the other hand it feels great to cheap buy an unknown and they get up high in the money.
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Only exceeded by being the player who buys himself for minimum and snaps it off!

Great first post, btw~!
 
hemicudas said:
You and me both, gpeezy. Parimutuals are the way to go for sure.
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Actually, I heard it through the grapevine that a parimutual pool thingie might be on the horizon sooner than we think. I don't know all the details, but I have overheard rumblings. We'll just have to stay tuned, but parimutual pool is in the grapevine.

hemicudas said:
I am sorry I missed the one at Southern Billiards in Starkville, MS a week or so ago. My back wouldn't let me attend. No one on this planet runs a better tournament than the Professor in Starkville.
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I was hoping somebody would post up an update, with pictures, of course.

Where is Pelican and the rest of the gang? I would love to read a post from somebody who was able to go to this fine annual event. :smile:

JAM
 
Sam won the ring game, Randy Vaughn bested Hennessee in the tournament. Tedder told me he got tortured all weekend. Thats all I got.
 
gpeezy said:
Sam won the ring game, Randy Vaughn bested Hennessee in the tournament. Tedder told me he got tortured all weekend. Thats all I got.
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Thanks for posting that, gpeezy. For those who don't know, Sam or Lil Sam, is Sam Gilmer who is the Professor's son. Looks like Lil Sam might be back in action. Good for him. Sam and his beautiful sisters are top notch people. The Professor and Cindy Gilmer raised them all well.

If you haven't been to the site, it's Southernbilliards.com.
 
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