looking for advice on runnibg small, local tournaments.

L

leto1776

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
While my local area has plenty of leagues, tournaments are virtually nil. This past weekend I held my first tournament in a local bar with 3 bar boxes. This place has held several torunaments in the past, with added money. However, because I am not actually affiliated with the bar, they didn't offer any added money for my tournament.

I'm thinking of looking for outside sponsors. Any advice on this?

Also, any other advice on running tournaments? This past weekend's was 8-ball, single game double elim, $8 entry. We had 13 total entrants including myself. I'd like to do an 8-ball tourney each month, and possibly add 9-ball to the mix. I used WPA rules.
 
Forget the sponsor stuff. Get a calcutta and send flyers to every bar and pool room within 40 miles. Make sure the calcutta part on the flyers is clearly visible. Pool players love the extra gamble a calcutta offers. Make sure its the best day of the week. Weekdays are terrible for good tournaments. This time of year, sundays can be bad because of the NFL but most avid pool players won't worry about the nfl. Joe Donater will stay home and watch football and that will hurt the payout, thus not being as attractive to the good players. I would go for a late morning early afternoon saturday tournament. signups at 11, calcutta starting at 12, tournament to immediately follow. If you still can't get a crowd, plan to have a tournament and add some money then, just a hundred, maybe two if desparate; but if you do allow at least 6-8 weeks of advertising that its an added tournament.
 
Back in late 90s there was a tournament in southeast Indiana at a Bowling Alley. Eightball race to 1, double elimination, $10entry, $5 minimum calcutta. Sure it started off slow for a month or two, but when word spread they were getting players from over an hour away every week. When the quality shooters show up, so does alot of money. I seen the calcutta and first place take well over $500 on more than one occassion. Takes time but definitely can happen. Where is the tournament?
 
I'm holding them in a bar in southwestern PA. The reason for this location is threefold: 1. Right up the road from me. 2. They have three tables. 3. Nearest pool hall is 25-30 miles.

How does a Calcutta work? I've never seen one. Can I as the director make any thing off it? This is aclabor of love for me, but it would be nice to at least pay for any advertising.

I'm also considering trying a $2 registration fee to donate to a local charity.
 
Anyone else with advice?

Maybe I'd be better off with this thread in the room owner discussion?
 
First... don't donate to a charity. Pool players want all the money they can get. Sounds sad but it's the truth.
Calcutta is fairy simple. It's just a player auction. Each player is auctioned off and starting bid should be $5-$10 or so. The money collected from the auction us divided up into a first second and third payout or should reflect same payout and percentages of the tournament money. Players and spectators alike can buy the players. Whoever the bidder who bought the player which wins the tournament win the first place calcutta money. For example, you're the best player at the tournament and everyone knows it so you are getting high bids on the calcutta. You are auctioned off for $80, and bought by Susie. Bill, an average player is auctioned off for $40; bought by Mike. Let's say that Bill, the average player, wins the tournament by beating you. Bill would get first place tournament money and you would get second place tournament money. Mike would win first place calcutta money, and Susie would win second place Calcutta money. Often the calcutta winnings are more than the tournament winnings.

As far as making money off the tournament, that's a whole different can of worms. Where I'm from in IN, I believe that all tournaments have to have 100% payout, I.e. all money brought in has to be paid out. I wouldn't attempt to keep anything unless you opened the tables, let the players play for free, then you could say keep $2 for "greens fees." It only takes one pissed off player to say that you're doing something shadey to bring in a whole mess of excise crap. Ireally can't imagine that happening but this day and age I don't put anything past anyone!

I would go north south east and west and hit the closest pool room, bar, etc. And put up flyers. Dont send them, as they will just throw them away. Physically ask them if you can hang them up.
Hope it helps. Good Luck
 
You could also try to add a break pot if the calcutta doesn't draw interest. See if the house will donate $1 per player towards it or you can do it raffle ticket style. There's a local 9 ball tournament here that has a break pot of around $2600 (raffle tickets), and it pays $250 a ball for every ball on the break. Guys will pitch in and buy 100 tickets at a buck a piece. Same thinking as the calcutta, pool players love the extra gamble.
 
Thanks for the ideas, pocketpooler.
The charity idea is to get the "non-players" involved, to add to the prize pot. The "players" around here are fickle A.F, so I have to appeal to hangers as well if I want to get more people.
I'm thinking half take tickets and tip boards might also help. I've already decided to do a 8 on the break contest next time, also.
 
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