End of the US Open?

I don't really care one way or the other but one thing that is possibly being overlooked is -- there is dramatic value in having dead weight in the early rounds, especially in these longer tournaments. Starting day number one off with a heavyweight battle can be anti-climatic for the overall tournament. These are "television" productions after all, and it's nice seeing them end with a crescendo. As a viewer, I actually prefer the more calm, laid back kickoff that we've seen with modern U.S. Opens and the recent tournament in Vietnam. Matchroom has made some really good moves in these early years. I think this one can be positive too as long as they can maintain some of the underdog drama that we normally expect to see in the early rounds.
 
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To add -- there's just not enough technical, cultural, or personality driven differences between 90 percent of the top players to keep a die-hard like me interested for days on end, let alone a civilian. It's just a pickum of phenomenal players. So as opposed to snooker, the players can't really drive the story, and there must be a story. Matchroom is doing a pretty good job of creating that story outline with their events being held throughout the world, then having the season culminate in The Mosconi Cup and now adding The Reyes Cup (has that actually been announced?)

I do fear there's a chance all their tournaments turn into the same event just on different soil. Each event has to have its own vibe. The Vietnam tourney certainly did this and the US Open has maintained its own feel even after Matchroom's takeover. Don't lose that. Like it or not, the deadweight is a part of that story.
 
I don't really care one way or the other but one thing that is possibly being overlooked is -- there is dramatic value in having dead weight in the early rounds, especially in these longer tournaments. Starting day number one off with a heavyweight battle can be anti-climatic for the overall tournament. These are "television" productions after all, and it's nice seeing them end with a crescendo. As a viewer, I actually prefer the more calm, laid back kickoff that we've seen with modern U.S. Opens and the recent tournament in Vietnam. Matchroom has made some really good moves in these early years. I think this one can be positive too as long as they can maintain some of the underdog drama that we normally expect to see in the early rounds.

I also feel that a truly open event is a peculiarly American thing and an intrinsic part of some of our events.

Lou Figueroa
 
To add -- there's just not enough technical, cultural, or personality driven differences between 90 percent of the top players to keep a die-hard like me interested for days on end, let alone a civilian. It's just a pickum of phenomenal players. So as opposed to snooker, the players can't really drive the story, and there must be a story. Matchroom is doing a pretty good job of creating that story outline with their events being held throughout the world, then having the season culminate in The Mosconi Cup and now adding The Reyes Cup (has that actually been announced?)

I do fear there's a chance all their tournaments turn into the same event just on different soil. Each event has to have its own vibe. The Vietnam tourney certainly did this and the US Open has maintained its own feel even after Matchroom's takeover. Don't lose that. Like it or not, the deadweight is a part of that story.
totally agree...

Deadmoney personalities can make everything more interesting/entertaining.
 
I also feel that a truly open event is a peculiarly American thing and an intrinsic part of some of our events.

Lou Figueroa
What is your proposal if pool really picks up, and there are 128 tour card members all 800 and higher, and then scattered in the USA are 500 active players 750 and higher, 2000 active players 650 and higher, and 5000 active players 550 and higher.

What would you do if you were MR and 1000 of the above players actually were waiting by their computers to press the player entry button as soon as it went live?
 
And here is the info for the Thailand qualifier for the UK Open


Main points:
128 entries at $200 (about)
16 will qualify, so one in each 8 entries.
Additional prize money added (about $8k)
All qualifiers will receive at least $1000 cash plus entry to the UK Open.
Players cannot transfer their entry.
This is awesome, and what I was hoping for in regards of the USopen. I'd definitely take a drive and risk $200 for a chance to make the top 16 in a qualifier.

I'm sure the various math will be different for the USopen that has a $750 entry. I'd be fine without the extra $1k to qualifiers if it meant the 750 entry was completely covered w/ only a 200 entry
 
What is your proposal if pool really picks up, and there are 128 tour card members all 800 and higher, and then scattered in the USA are 500 active players 750 and higher, 2000 active players 650 and higher, and 5000 active players 550 and higher.

What would you do if you were MR and 1000 of the above players actually were waiting by their computers to press the player entry button as soon as it went live?

Well, what I think is that your numbers are a tad on the high side.

And besides the issue of a high FR there are also the issues of who has the money and want-to to go to any particular event.

So you might as well have asked what happens when there are 1,000,000 players waiting to push the button. In any case I’m sure MR will come up with some Solomon-like solution.

Lou Figueroa
 
Well, what I think is that your numbers are a tad on the high side.

And besides the issue of a high FR there are also the issues of who has the money and want-to to go to any particular event.

So you might as well have asked what happens when there are 1,000,000 players waiting to push the button. In any case I’m sure MR will come up with some Solomon-like solution.

Lou Figueroa
Are you considering playing in a qualifier?
 
Notice the competing schedule between the PPPA and the BCA! We had our pool controversies back then too, similar to what we've seen lately with the WPA and matchroom. I went to Burlington that year!
Burlington, I played there, loved the ring game at the end of the hallway.
The promoters didn't payout.
Rempe got knocked out early, cashed out/they gave him a check.
I remember he cashed it at the gate, wasn't much.
The rest of the field I heard Zippo$.
So actually Rempe got paid top money, rest of em got stiffed.
Jay, was that the courtney/coffee promoter name I have stuck in my head running this event?

After that I drove to Beanies/DeValles room on the E. Coast.
The Gump and all of em were there.
It's where Carella busted St. Louie Louie..... but allowed him to Post up his gold jewelry & play one more set.
Louie ended up with all the cash after that.
 
What is your proposal if pool really picks up, and there are 128 tour card members all 800 and higher, and then scattered in the USA are 500 active players 750 and higher, 2000 active players 650 and higher, and 5000 active players 550 and higher.

What would you do if you were MR and 1000 of the above players actually were waiting by their computers to press the player entry button as soon as it went live?
charge a very high entry fee so the field is compact in size and the prize pool will be great. that creates interest in watching. and makes those that want to play in the future save enough up or play in smaller events to build their bankroll. this keeps the high buyin tournaments profitable and watchable.
 
you can see from the growth of the world series of poker that the large buying amount has little effect on those wanting to play. and the large prize pools have kept the tournament growing. big prize pools bring players and big money to events.
it has gotten too large maybe because the entry fees have stagnated for most of the tournaments.
 
To add -- there's just not enough technical, cultural, or personality driven differences between 90 percent of the top players to keep a die-hard like me interested for days on end, let alone a civilian. It's just a pickum of phenomenal players. So as opposed to snooker, the players can't really drive the story, and there must be a story. Matchroom is doing a pretty good job of creating that story outline with their events being held throughout the world, then having the season culminate in The Mosconi Cup and now adding The Reyes Cup (has that actually been announced?)

I do fear there's a chance all their tournaments turn into the same event just on different soil. Each event has to have its own vibe. The Vietnam tourney certainly did this and the US Open has maintained its own feel even after Matchroom's takeover. Don't lose that. Like it or not, the deadweight is a part of that story.

what 128 players are you expecting to come through the US qualifiers though? how many players are even above 730 in the US, not counting the ones already seeded, the one pocket specialists, the inactive players and the ones that are unlikely to play? i think it could very well go down to high 600 fargo players
 
charge a very high entry fee so the field is compact in size and the prize pool will be great. that creates interest in watching. and makes those that want to play in the future save enough up or play in smaller events to build their bankroll. this keeps the high buyin tournaments profitable and watchable.
I don't think entry fee makes any difference for fan viewership.

At one extreme we have the Mosconi Cup. Free entry. Most viewership.

At the other extreme we have Dippy Dave playing 100k games of one hole. Nobody cares to watch that. Just a few die hards.
 
Well, what I think is that your numbers are a tad on the high side.

And besides the issue of a high FR there are also the issues of who has the money and want-to to go to any particular event.

So you might as well have asked what happens when there are 1,000,000 players waiting to push the button. In any case I’m sure MR will come up with some Solomon-like solution.

Lou Figueroa
Ok, let's simplify it. Demand far exceeds supply. What are your ideas if you were the president of MR?
 
prize pool makes all the difference in viewership. and part of that is it gets newsworthy so people find out about it.

no one watched the world series of poker until prize funds got to the millions. then it was televised world wide.
wide world of sports for a short time in the 1970's hosted a show for it but it fizzled out as it was too small.
both pool and poker are not action events to watch, so need some impetus to progress in the amount of viewers and entrants..
 
I don't really care one way or the other but one thing that is possibly being overlooked is -- there is dramatic value in having dead weight in the early rounds, especially in these longer tournaments. Starting day number one off with a heavyweight battle can be anti-climatic for the overall tournament. These are "television" productions after all, and it's nice seeing them end with a crescendo. As a viewer, I actually prefer the more calm, laid back kickoff that we've seen with modern U.S. Opens and the recent tournament in Vietnam. Matchroom has made some really good moves in these early years. I think this one can be positive too as long as they can maintain some of the underdog drama that we normally expect to see in the early rounds.
Maybe they'll start going with a seeded player system.
 
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