There are tons of aspects in which pool tournaments fail but the one that makes the least amount of sense to me these days is why would you have a limited (maximum number) of entrees.
Look around the pool world and see what tournaments are successful with fields close to or well over 100 players every time they have an event
--- Shooters in Olathe KS - White Diamonds - Mezz tour on West Coast - Diamond Pool Tour in Arizona - --- I am sure I am missing plenty more.
But then you see tournaments with the limited 64 players max that get 35 players to show up. I see local weekly events that advertise 32 players max and they get 14 or 16 players. 16 players max that get 10 players. And then the genius 8 player max events that can't even get 3 people to sign up.
Why would you want your customer - which is what someone that enters a pool tournament is - have any doubt that they can get service? The service in this case is entry into the event. Once they have their doubts that there is a chance they might be shutout if they don't get there in time or sign up in time, they will stop being a customer all together.
What is the most important rule in business? Get the money in the register. But if you don't give your customer a chance to shop, you will fail in that.
Getting back to the real reason why you want large fields, the larger the better is simply human nature - people want to be around something that they feel is successful. Limited fields tell the player that you are worried about being successful, it tells them that you are trying to finger bang the added money against some set attendance mark in your mind. And like I said, people like to be apart of something that is successful. Go out tonight to a bar with 3 of your friends. If you walk into a bar and there are only 15 people in it, you are probably going to leave shortly. But go into a bar with 150 people in it and you will stay all night. It is not like you are going to talk to all 150 people, you probably won't talk to anyone else but the friends you came with, but you want to be in an atmosphere you feel is popular and successful.
Why pool room owners and promoters can't see this, amazes me. And if you are scared that you can't finish your tournament in some fixed allotted time you have - work harder and smarter. Get better organized so the tournament goes smoothly. And if you are already the organized tournament pool director (which 99% aren't but that is for another discussion at another time) what more does it take - one or two more rounds, another hour or 90 minutes. Or if you are really scared to work, then make the races shorter but don't give anyone a chance to leave without being a customer. All of that fear just causes you to fail. All of that lack of preparation makes you fail.
Maybe back in 1990 when pool was booming, you could be more selective. But in today's pool world, do whatever it takes to make it grow. A large field is the only way to go. And it is the only way you can recoup any added money and will do away with another of my peeves --- announcing you are adding $1000 and then have $500 in green fees so you are only adding $500. Get a large field, don't nit up on the added money and don't be scared to be successful.
Look around the pool world and see what tournaments are successful with fields close to or well over 100 players every time they have an event
--- Shooters in Olathe KS - White Diamonds - Mezz tour on West Coast - Diamond Pool Tour in Arizona - --- I am sure I am missing plenty more.
But then you see tournaments with the limited 64 players max that get 35 players to show up. I see local weekly events that advertise 32 players max and they get 14 or 16 players. 16 players max that get 10 players. And then the genius 8 player max events that can't even get 3 people to sign up.
Why would you want your customer - which is what someone that enters a pool tournament is - have any doubt that they can get service? The service in this case is entry into the event. Once they have their doubts that there is a chance they might be shutout if they don't get there in time or sign up in time, they will stop being a customer all together.
What is the most important rule in business? Get the money in the register. But if you don't give your customer a chance to shop, you will fail in that.
Getting back to the real reason why you want large fields, the larger the better is simply human nature - people want to be around something that they feel is successful. Limited fields tell the player that you are worried about being successful, it tells them that you are trying to finger bang the added money against some set attendance mark in your mind. And like I said, people like to be apart of something that is successful. Go out tonight to a bar with 3 of your friends. If you walk into a bar and there are only 15 people in it, you are probably going to leave shortly. But go into a bar with 150 people in it and you will stay all night. It is not like you are going to talk to all 150 people, you probably won't talk to anyone else but the friends you came with, but you want to be in an atmosphere you feel is popular and successful.
Why pool room owners and promoters can't see this, amazes me. And if you are scared that you can't finish your tournament in some fixed allotted time you have - work harder and smarter. Get better organized so the tournament goes smoothly. And if you are already the organized tournament pool director (which 99% aren't but that is for another discussion at another time) what more does it take - one or two more rounds, another hour or 90 minutes. Or if you are really scared to work, then make the races shorter but don't give anyone a chance to leave without being a customer. All of that fear just causes you to fail. All of that lack of preparation makes you fail.
Maybe back in 1990 when pool was booming, you could be more selective. But in today's pool world, do whatever it takes to make it grow. A large field is the only way to go. And it is the only way you can recoup any added money and will do away with another of my peeves --- announcing you are adding $1000 and then have $500 in green fees so you are only adding $500. Get a large field, don't nit up on the added money and don't be scared to be successful.
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