Open Letter to the Jacoby Carolina Tour

E

edd

Trance Doc
Silver Member
When I first began playing 4-5 years ago, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Jacoby events. They were well-publicized, seemingly well-managed, and well-attended - by both players and spectators, alike.

For the past two years, just the opposite appears to be the case. Now, they are very sparsely attended and not at all, it would appear, promoted. I am most concerned for the survivability of this tour.

First of all, if it is to survive it has to be appropriately promoted. I would suggest that notice/bulletins be regularly posted at local pool halls - these could either be hand-delivered or emailed. Additionally, the tour promoter could solicit interested parties to receive regular email notices of upcoming events. An updated web site with player profiles, etc would certainly be a boon.

I, for one, would be willing to provide copies of my Mind/Body Pool CD as door prizes, giveaways, etc. Perhaps others with products or services could do the same.

Let's see if we AZ'ers can combine forces to not only keep this tour alive, but make it thrive once again!!
 
AMEN! I just posted in the tournament section about how i did not even know their was an event the past weekend! And i have been looking for events, did not see this one posted on here.

They even stand by their word and added the 1000 it looks like! To me that is very impressive, but they should still at least do some advertising. They used to post it on here but as of yesterday they still hav'nt updated the tour schedule it was a blank page.
 
Just a few years ago this tour was very popular and well attended. I think a few things transpired that have brought the Jacoby tour to where is is at now.

Competition: The big reason is a couple years ago the GSBT and the Viking Tour (or whatever it's called now) started holding events in NC and scheduling them on weekends when the Jacoby Tour had events. Doug Ennis has always ran truly open events that anyone could enter, even touring pros. When players were then offered the opportunity to play in a handicapped environment or amateur only, Jacoby attendance started to suffer.

Pros allowed: In addition to the other tours popping up, Jacoby Tour has always been no holds barred anybody can play. A couple years ago Earl started showing up & cleaning house, so a lot of the really good players started figuring maybe being a AA on Shannon's tour would be a better deal that having to fight Earl for the grand.


Do I think this tour has a comeback in it? Yes. I do feel that some changes will have to be made in order for that to happen, however.
 
The problem is, there are players who played on/in the tour that don't like the way it is ran.. The GSBT is the best tour in NC, they get more players than most tours in the U.S. One problem with the jacoby tour is the $1000 added which really isn't added cuz first place gets $1000 regardless of how many people are there.. I played when they were getting 50-60 people and first was ALWAYS $1000... So where is the rest of the money going? That's the big issue with the tour besides most people not liking the director.. Just my opinion..
 
pool9ballscrubb said:
The problem is, there are players who played on/in the tour that don't like the way it is ran.. The GSBT is the best tour in NC, they get more players than most tours in the U.S. One problem with the jacoby tour is the $1000 added which really isn't added cuz first place gets $1000 regardless of how many people are there.. I played when they were getting 50-60 people and first was ALWAYS $1000... So where is the rest of the money going? That's the big issue with the tour besides most people not liking the director.. Just my opinion..
Click to expand...

Really? From my understanding most folks liked Doug, never had a bad thing to say. As far as the prize money, the grand added was 1st and the rest of the money, I believe, went to pay the rest of the spots (top 8-12 usually).
 
Highmiles said:
Hard to attend if you don't get informed where and when.
Click to expand...

Precisely! It needs to be more regularly and thoroughly promoted. I believe a dynamic website would be helpful, with a special section on highlighting the tour regulars. How many folks realize, for example, that Michael Fuller regularly "cashes" at the US Open, and placed 7th in the DCC one year, besting Efren Reyes!
 
I just know that when I played the top 8-12 weren't getting that much.. Which leads me to believe that the money was going somewhere else...
 
best tournament in NC

What had happened was...........tours from other areas came to town with handicap tournaments .....that's what hurt the tour the most. From what I could see the top 8-12 players in the area still show up.The rest of the players would rather not have to put money down when they feel they can't win. I may get bashed over this but it is just my opinion, does not mean I am right.Doug does one heck of a nice job running that tournament , he does not run a party that goes till 3-4 am ,he runs a tournament .If I lived closer I would be a regular.Hope I can at least go to NC ,visit my mom,and get to play in 2-3 this year.
 
Matt90 said:
What had happened was...........tours from other areas came to town with handicap tournaments .....that's what hurt the tour the most. From what I could see the top 8-12 players in the area still show up.The rest of the players would rather not have to put money down when they feel they can't win. I may get bashed over this but it is just my opinion, does not mean I am right.Doug does one heck of a nice job running that tournament , he does not run a party that goes till 3-4 am ,he runs a tournament .If I lived closer I would be a regular.Hope I can at least go to NC ,visit my mom,and get to play in 2-3 this year.
Click to expand...

Perhaps if the entry fee was lowered. Have no idea if that would be a significant factor or not. Doug if you're on this forum and notice this thread, please contact me.
 
Setting the record straight...

I appreciate the genuine concern expressed as well as the constructive criticism offered by the AZers here on this forum. I will agree that there is much improvement to be made and I hope that you will be patient as that process takes place.

Rest assured, the money will always be right on the Jacoby Tour.

Which brings me to the comments by Chris Bruner (pool9ballscrubb). I'm not sure why you believe the money is "going somewhere else". It is, in fact, right where it should be: in the payout.

The formula for payouts on the Jacoby Tour has always been very simple and very transparent: Multiply the number of players by 50 and add the added money (at least $1000). I pay 1/4 of the field. First is guaranteed $1000 and the rest is distributed amongst the rest of the paid players.

Yes, first is the same whether there are 2 players or 64. However, that doesn't mean the money is "going somewhere else". Rather, more money is going to more players.

For consistency, I use a spreadsheet that already has the payouts calculated for that field size. If it is a short field, there tends to be a big gap between first and second places.

On a few rare occasions, there has been a total of $2000 or even $3000 added money. In those instances, it was decided that first would receive more than the usual $1000. For instance, Sparky Ferrell was paid $2000 for first place at the $3000-added season opener in October of 2007 at Shooters in Greensboro. Second place was $1000 and went to Mike Davis. The total payout was $5100. By the way, the 42 player field at Shooters still stands as the largest field on the Jacoby Tour (not the 50-60 that you mentioned that you have been a part of).

I believe the last tournament you participated in was in May of 2009 at Sharks-N-Shooters in Rocky Mount, NC. We had 40 players and it was $1000 added, so the payout was $3000. 7th-8th paid $125 and 9th-12th received $75, on schedule.

I find it very ironic that you prefer another tour and question where the money is going on mine. I'll leave it at that.

By the way, I might add that I have never cancelled or postponed an event. The players have no reason to doubt that the show will go on, no matter how few, and that the money will be right. A few weeks ago, I even refunded the entry fees right before the first matches. That, along with the fact that I didn't charge the room the normal fees, meant that the entire payout came out of my pocket. Instead of asking where the money goes, maybe we should ask where it is coming from, lol! But, ok, where did the money go? To 1/4 of the field, as always. First place? $1000, as always.

As far as being liked, I'm not trying to win a popularity contest. I know that it is impossible to please everybody all the time. I try to be as fair and consistent as possible. I am constantly tested and I'm not perfect. I promise that I will make mistakes but I also promise that I will learn from those mistakes and improve.

I had no idea that you were so confused about the facts and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to set the record straight.

Your negative comments actually come as a surprise to me. I thought you enjoyed playing on the Jacoby Tour. I have always gone out of my way to say hello when I see you at the U. S. Open and SBE. I respect your game and I believe you have a lot of potential to be a great player. I appreciate your participation in the past and I hope you'll give the Jacoby Tour another chance. However, if you prefer to play elsewhere, I wish you the best of luck.

Wherever that happens to be, though, I only ask that you scrutinize the payouts and "where the money is going". If you do the math, I think that you'll be surprised at what you find.

Doug Ennis
Rock City Promotions
The Jacoby Tour
promoter@rockcitypromotions.com
252-908-0754
 
Rock City said:
I appreciate the genuine concern expressed as well as the constructive criticism offered by the AZers here on this forum. I will agree that there is much improvement to be made and I hope that you will be patient as that process takes place.

Rest assured, the money will always be right on the Jacoby Tour.

Which brings me to the comments by Chris Bruner (pool9ballscrubb). I'm not sure why you believe the money is "going somewhere else". It is, in fact, right where it should be: in the payout.

The formula for payouts on the Jacoby Tour has always been very simple and very transparent: Multiply the number of players by 50 and add the added money (at least $1000). I pay 1/4 of the field. First is guaranteed $1000 and the rest is distributed amongst the rest of the paid players.

Yes, first is the same whether there are 2 players or 64. However, that doesn't mean the money is "going somewhere else". Rather, more money is going to more players.

For consistency, I use a spreadsheet that already has the payouts calculated for that field size. If it is a short field, there tends to be a big gap between first and second places.

On a few rare occasions, there has been a total of $2000 or even $3000 added money. In those instances, it was decided that first would receive more than the usual $1000. For instance, Sparky Ferrell was paid $2000 for first place at the $3000-added season opener in October of 2007 at Shooters in Greensboro. Second place was $1000 and went to Mike Davis. The total payout was $5100. By the way, the 42 player field at Shooters still stands as the largest field on the Jacoby Tour (not the 50-60 that you mentioned that you have been a part of).

I believe the last tournament you participated in was in May of 2009 at Sharks-N-Shooters in Rocky Mount, NC. We had 40 players and it was $1000 added, so the payout was $3000. 7th-8th paid $125 and 9th-12th received $75, on schedule.

I find it very ironic that you prefer another tour and question where the money is going on mine. I'll leave it at that.

By the way, I might add that I have never cancelled or postponed an event. The players have no reason to doubt that the show will go on, no matter how few, and that the money will be right. A few weeks ago, I even refunded the entry fees right before the first matches. That, along with the fact that I didn't charge the room the normal fees, meant that the entire payout came out of my pocket. Instead of asking where the money goes, maybe we should ask where it is coming from, lol! But, ok, where did the money go? To 1/4 of the field, as always. First place? $1000, as always.

As far as being liked, I'm not trying to win a popularity contest. I know that it is impossible to please everybody all the time. I try to be as fair and consistent as possible. I am constantly tested and I'm not perfect. I promise that I will make mistakes but I also promise that I will learn from those mistakes and improve.

I had no idea that you were so confused about the facts and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to set the record straight.

Your negative comments actually come as a surprise to me. I thought you enjoyed playing on the Jacoby Tour. I have always gone out of my way to say hello when I see you at the U. S. Open and SBE. I respect your game and I believe you have a lot of potential to be a great player. I appreciate your participation in the past and I hope you'll give the Jacoby Tour another chance. However, if you prefer to play elsewhere, I wish you the best of luck.

Wherever that happens to be, though, I only ask that you scrutinize the payouts and "where the money is going". If you do the math, I think that you'll be surprised at what you find.

Doug Ennis
Rock City Promotions
The Jacoby Tour
promoter@rockcitypromotions.com
252-908-0754
Click to expand...

Doug,
Thanks for joining this thread, and detailing the format and payout system. For me, personally, and the reason I started the thread has nothing to do with the payout system, as I'm not a seasoned enough player to participate. My concerns were strickly with wanting to keep the tour alive. It must be very challenging for the room owners to provide the added cash (as it is my understanding that they do), when there are so few attendees, and, so, limited revenue generation.
As I mentioned, if you are interested in contacting me to discuss having some product samples as door prizes, etc, please email me: lkincade@nc.rr.com
Other ideas: building a dynamic website, with an up-to-date calendar of events and a player's profile section; newspaper ads/articles, etc.
 
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I for one have played in a few of the Jacoby tour stops and have nothing but good things to say about the tournament and the promotor. Every time I have been in attendance the tournament has been very well run and a pleasure to play in. The payout money was never questioned for a second. I haven't played in one of the stops in over a year now but Doug still shoots me either an email or a text message letting me know where and when the next stop is going to be. Doug Ennis seemed to always take the tournament very serious and was meticulous in the details, he usually wore a suit to the final day and was very professional in appearance as well as his demeanor. He and I seem to share the same respect for the game and I think that might have been what I like most about him and the Jacoby tour. If you're ever in the area do yourself a favor and come out and play, it's always a good time.
 
Doug,

Payout talk occurs on every tour. I guess it just comes with the territory. If you ever need help getting the word out, I am here to help in any way that I can. If you need any help with a website or webpage, I'll dedicate as much space or as many pages as you need for your tour through my website (if you need it) free of charge - and I'll even toss some books and dvd's your way. That same offer is available for any regional tour - just contact me via my website.

http://www.deadstrokeuniversity.com
 
Blackjack said:
Doug,

Payout talk occurs on every tour. I guess it just comes with the territory. If you ever need help getting the word out, I am here to help in any way that I can. If you need any help with a website or webpage, I'll dedicate as much space or as many pages as you need for your tour through my website (if you need it) free of charge - and I'll even toss some books and dvd's your way. That same offer is available for any regional tour - just contact me via my website.

http://www.deadstrokeuniversity.com
Click to expand...


Now that's precisely what I'm talking about! Very nice gesture, sir, and this offer comes from someone outside of the region. Come on local players/fans let's do what we can to support Doug and this tour.

While encouraging more participants is important, I am also referring to audiences. We have some of the best regional players in the country - let's support the pool rooms that sponsor these events. Nearly 3 years ago, given that the BCA was to be hosted in Charlotte, my local hall, Babineaus (now Bucks) had surprise attendees Rodney Morris and Raj Hundal show up! Probably wasn't 10 spectators in the house for the finals. Shameful!
 
edd said:
Now that's precisely what I'm talking about! Very nice gesture, sir, and this offer comes from someone outside of the region. Come on local players/fans let's do what we can to support Doug and this tour.

While encouraging more participants is important, I am also referring to audiences. We have some of the best regional players in the country - let's support the pool rooms that sponsor these events. Nearly 3 years ago, given that the BCA was to be hosted in Charlotte, my local hall, Babineaus (now Bucks) had surprise attendees Rodney Morris and Raj Hundal show up! Probably wasn't 10 spectators in the house for the finals. Shameful!
Click to expand...


Congratulations to our tour regulars and their valiant attempts at the 10-ball Masters: Michael Fuller, Cary Dunn and Sam Monday.
 
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