Does this drive you crazy like me? POOL TOURNAMENTS Good or Bad?

Don Akerlow

Don Akerlow

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was curious to what makes a pool player go to a tournament?
Added money?
Distance from where you live?
Been to the tournament before?
Friends are going?

What makes a pool player not go to a tournament?
Example: Fuzzy math - If you add the added money to the number of players times the entry and that doesn't come out right.
I heard of a tournament that charges people from out of town more money to play than they charge the local pool players in the town. This tournament has an entry of $50, but would give away spots in the tournaments to get the numbers up. Therefore not adding to the prize pool. They have also charged local pool players only $25 entries.

I've also heard of tournaments that have changed the rules in the middle of the tournament because of complaints from players from another state that didn't like the rules to start off with.

Appreciate any thoughts that you have on this from both pool players, bar and pool hall owners. This would give us a perspective from both sides.
Thank you
 
Ive never heard of this but if it is indeed true than thats awful!! It really comes down to the promoter and if thats how they run a tournament i woudl never go to their events!!
 
Speaking for myself. I go to different tournaments for different reasons. One I play regularly on Friday nights I am just there for the comrades that I enjoy hanging out with on a Friday night. I play on occasion at one on Thursday and Sunday that is quite the drive for me, but I go there because its ran great and it gets a higher caliber of players. Then there are the Events like the BCA Nationals IMO the grand daddy of them all which I hope to never miss.
 
I go to tournaments for 1 reason. To be competative.

To me it doesn't matter if it's a $5 weekly or a $100 regional event that's my motivation.

The only limiting factor is the money in my pocket at the time I find out about the tournament, if there's enough there and I don't have prior commitments, I'm going.
 
Don,

Anytime you treat players differently, somone will complain LOUDLY, or a lot of the players that know they've been treated differently, will just not come back and not speak well of the venue.

The money has to add up or there are questions.
The payouts should be distributed fairly. Top heavy payouts will only make a few players happy... the rest will wonder why they even try.

The Deeper you pay, the better the chance the 'dead money' has of chasing. This is always a bonus. Players love to say the 'Cashed' in a tournament.
 
Don,

Those are questions that bothered me for years. I don't worry about trying to find the answers to them anymore because I now believe that tournament players might possibly be bad for a pool room's business.

Roger
 
Now Roger... you can't just drop a bomb like this and not explain just a little bit why you think this way...

I think I know what yo are aluding to, so I will wait for your reply.

Roger Long said:
Don,

Those are questions that bothered me for years. I don't worry about trying to find the answers to them anymore because I now believe that tournament players might possibly be bad for a pool room's business.

Roger
Click to expand...
 
I'm a tournament player and mostly because I enjoy the competition. I don't like playing for money because of the issues involved. I also have friends that play and enjoy their company. Monetary rewards plays a part but I have played in many tournaments that didn't pay any prize money. US Amateur and charity tournaments to name a few. I also play in a league so that I can qualify for tournaments. As far as Roger saying that I'm not good for the game, I'm on pins and needles to hear a further explanation.
 
I go to have fun.

I like to play new players in a fun environment where the equipment is good and the players respect the game.

If I don't like the equipment, or I don't like the vibe of the players and/or the promoter, I don't go back.
 
Tournaments

1) The payouts vs. the cost to me.
2) The competition.
3) At a Pool room I like.
4) How many of my friends will be there.
 
The rest of the story ...

poolplayer2093 said:
i only play in bar tournaments so i've never heard of this. sounds hokey though
Click to expand...

I guess that you are talking about this and it is a bar tournament:

What makes a pool player not go to a tournament?
Example: Fuzzy math - If you add the added money to the number of players times the entry and that doesn't come out right.
I heard of a tournament that charges people from out of town more money to play than they charge the local pool players in the town.
This tournament has an entry of $50, but would give away spots in the tournaments to get the numbers up. Therefore not adding to the prize pool. They have also charged local pool players only $25 entries.

If this is what you are talking about it has been going on for 10 years I believe but I found out about it in 2009 with a matter of days before I would have accepted the ad before deadline.

I have told them I would not take an ad from them in my pool magazines because in my mind it is not honest and it is not up front with everything that is going on.

I got a lot of heat from the tournament director who threatened me and said he would go to my advertisers and have them stop advertising with me. I sent him an email and told him "do your best".

I got a call the next day from one of the advertisers who has been with me for 20 years and told me that this TD was in his office with another advertiser and wanted him to stop his advertising.

He told me that it was not going to happen and that he would advertise with me and then a couple hours later I talked to the other advertiser and he understood where I was coming from.
They are both still advertising with me.

The only reason I am bringing this up at this time is because in November 2010 the tournament will happen again.

I thought I would share this with everyone because I feel obligated to expose this TD for what he is. Everybody thinks he does such great things for pool by putting this tournament on every year. Of course, the locals don't mind because they get half price or a free spot.

Last year the tournament numbers were down almost 50% and I would like to think because it was not in "The Break" was the reason that a lot of out of towners didn't show up. I do believe the economy had something to do with it as well.

What say you?
 
I started going to tournaments because I put my money up and I got to play. I didn't have to go looking for a game. I was coming off a long layoff and the thought of walking in and playing, was exciting.
 
I think everything should be "up-front".

No funny money!

If a tourney is advertized with a certain amount added with a certain number of players,the entry and green fees...Everything has to add up so If the TD or room owner puts some1 in for free or for less then they have to cover the rest of the entry.
------
BTB Don what happened with the Wild West shootout,or whatever that tourney was that you were planning to stream but didn't?
 
RECESSION is effecting everything, including DOLLAR spent on recreation. I do not understand the statement above about, "tournament players might possibly be bad for a pool room's business".

The biggest gathering annually of those tournament players, are in Las Vegas when the BCA, APA, ACS hold their events or maybe they are tournaments.
 
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smoooothstroke said:
I think everything should be "up-front".

No funny money!

If a tourney is advertized with a certain amount added with a certain number of players,the entry and green fees...Everything has to add up so If the TD or room owner puts some1 in for free or for less then they have to cover the rest of the entry.
------
BTB Don what happened with the Wild West shootout,or whatever that tourney was that you were planning to stream but didn't?
Click to expand...

It is post #6 that should explain it the link below. The word is that the owner now is letting the bar go back to his uncle after he run up huge bills.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=203551
 
CocoboloCowboy said:
RECESSION is effecting everything, including DOLLAR spent on recreation. I do not understand the statement above about, "tournament players might possibly be bad for a pool room's business".

The biggest gathering annually of those tournament players, are in Las Vegas when the BCA, APA, ACS hold their events or many they are tournaments.
Click to expand...
It's okay Coco we don't understand you most of the time either.:sorry:
Those are league players that gather in Vegas to play a tournament.
Nobody gets a free buy in just to get the numbers up. That is what this thread is about.

The red is what I really don't understand.:confused:
 
rackem said:
It's okay Coco we don't understand you most of the time either.:sorry:
Those are league players that gather in Vegas to play a tournament.
Nobody gets a free buy in just to get the numbers up. That is what this thread is about.

The red is what I really don't understand.:confused:
Click to expand...




I did my post to read, to hold their events or many they are tournaments.

My point is these "league players do gather to participate in a FINAL TOURNAMENT. They Come to Las Vegas, Rent Rooms, Buy Food, Rent Car, Gamble, buy Las Vegas T-shirts at Walgreens, etc., to take home to the kids, spend a lot of bucks on Pool the week, or so of the BIG ANNUAL TOURNAMENT.

So are the "league players", turned "tournament players" not so good for pool? I think not, and I am sure the City of Las Vegas would want to keep them coming back to spend money in Las Vegas!
 
Don Akerlow said:
The rest of the story ...



I guess that you are talking about this and it is a bar tournament:

What makes a pool player not go to a tournament?
Example: Fuzzy math - If you add the added money to the number of players times the entry and that doesn't come out right.
I heard of a tournament that charges people from out of town more money to play than they charge the local pool players in the town.
This tournament has an entry of $50, but would give away spots in the tournaments to get the numbers up. Therefore not adding to the prize pool. They have also charged local pool players only $25 entries.

If this is what you are talking about it has been going on for 10 years I believe but I found out about it in 2009 with a matter of days before I would have accepted the ad before deadline.

I have told them I would not take an ad from them in my pool magazines because in my mind it is not honest and it is not up front with everything that is going on.

I got a lot of heat from the tournament director who threatened me and said he would go to my advertisers and have them stop advertising with me. I sent him an email and told him "do your best".

I got a call the next day from one of the advertisers who has been with me for 20 years and told me that this TD was in his office with another advertiser and wanted him to stop his advertising.

He told me that it was not going to happen and that he would advertise with me and then a couple hours later I talked to the other advertiser and he understood where I was coming from.
They are both still advertising with me.

The only reason I am bringing this up at this time is because in November 2010 the tournament will happen again.

I thought I would share this with everyone because I feel obligated to expose this TD for what he is. Everybody thinks he does such great things for pool by putting this tournament on every year. Of course, the locals don't mind because they get half price or a free spot.

Last year the tournament numbers were down almost 50% and I would like to think because it was not in "The Break" was the reason that a lot of out of towners didn't show up. I do believe the economy had something to do with it as well.

What say you?
Click to expand...

Kudos to you for not saying where the location is. But damn you for not telling us who the TD is. This is unbelievable to make someone pay twice as much money because they live out of town because it was advertised that way because the locals get a break. Nothing against the locals, they are not the ones who are at fault.
I agree with you and thank you for not advertising this tournament. I know it is tough out there especially these days but it sounds like it has been going on for a while. Someone should go to the sponsors of this tournament and at least have the questions answered. And if not stop the sponsorship or get someone else to start a tournament. IMHO

Hudson Smith
 
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