Tournaments dwindling at the hand of one

[peteypooldude]

WE have a weekly 8b tourny,$10 entry and they match the pot so 15 players is $300,its loser break and the rank goes from 3 to 8.And a 3 goes to 2 and an 8 goes to 6 and if a player wins he goes up for 4 weeks and its ball in hand.They pretty much let anyone play but no one is stealing

 

[ctyhntr]

Tournaments here in New York have sliding scale entry fee based on skill level. It's not uncommon for an A or Open player to pay twice as much as a D player.

 

[jason]

Ultimately the real reason that a place has tournaments is that it is good for business.

You're absolutely correct.

Really this isn't even a "pool" tournament. It is actually a bar promotion in which they happen to play pool. It could be any other kind of tournament for that matter from ping pong to darts to beer pong. They (the bar owners/managers) don't really give a crap about pool or pool players in this matter. The bottom line is this: they want bodies in their establishment for an extended period of time for the hopes that they will spend money.

 

[jason]

My whine isn't in his abilities or mine.

If by my reply you thought I implied you were whining, I didn't. I was referring to the people who stopped showing up. Another factor not considered in this thread is the weather. Almost all tournaments dwindle during the summertime.

 

[PUTT4DACA$$H]

Ban the vultures

I agree the tournament director should ban A players, the bar will end up being the big loser out of all this. They want casual eaters and drinkers to be at their establishment for 3-5 hours on these nights. there is a lot of revenue generated by 12-30 people hanging out for the evening. The last thing the want to see is a pool player show up to rob their dinner and drink clients and send them away pissed off. The pub needs the local crowd more than they need the one guy robbing it. The best tournament success I had at a bar ( not poolroom) was when average skill level players showed up with their boyfriends and girlfriends and had appetizers and drinks and enjoyed some moderately competetive matches. all my players came back every time and the numbers grow, and the MOST IMPORTANTLY THE KITCHEN AND BAR NUMBERS GROW, making the bar owner happy to host the tournament.....Not everyone getting throttled by the WATER DRINKER!!!

Do yourself and your bar a favor and get rid of the circleing vultures and make it a lower level tournament.

PS shame on the A player for not settling for second place every week and losing a paying gig. his own fault for being greedy..

JMO

 

[Tommy-D]

> I fit several of the descriptions of people in this tournament.

There are exactly 2 bar tournaments in my little town. My winning percentage in these 2 tournaments,which are just the random single-rack variety,has hovered around 65% for a year now. Since january,it's 75%.

These are my only competitive outlets these days,no road players have come thru for years,and NO ONE locally will get in the box with me for more than the occasional fiver,without giving up ridiculous weight.

I'm not just robbing this tournament to be doing it,I'm doing it to be playing PERIOD. I can't afford to go find games where I'm truly gambling or taking the worst of it. Once again,it's not like anyone is just coming looking for me.

I do however lose games in these tournaments to random bullshit,freak occurance runouts,etc. That inspires some people,even though it's just a single rack.

I still get fired up with myself about losing games on weird rolls and stuff like that too. I always shake the opponent's hand though.

There are people that play in these tournaments that will miss a ball,or scratch on the break,etc,and just walk away from the table,expecting me to run out with an open shot to start. I kinda like that .

I truly appreciate the people that run these tournaments allowing me to keep playing. Eight other places have point-blank asked me to not come back,or just flat told me I couldn't play.

At several others,they just stopped showing up.

I don't give a damn if it's an ESPN lineup,for 5 bucks I'm in all day long. Tommy D.

 

[accustatsfan]

We have a weekly $5.oo entry tournament that used to get up to around 32 players weekly. THe last year or so it has fallen to about 12-16. Most recently, it has diminished to even less. One of the consensus from local players is that we have a strong A player from out of town who was winning each week and I believe scaring the primarily C-B crowd that showed up to play for a chance at a few bucks.

The people who won't show up now won't show up once the "A" player is barred. They will complain as long as somebody other than them or one of their buddy's isn't the winner.

The idea of anybody "robbing" a $5 or $10 local tournament is ridiculous. you would need to win a lot of them for anything more serious than beer money.

Pool is the only sport I can think of where the better someone gets the more you are penalized. The "A" player might just be a good player for his local area and not a "A" player anywhere else.

If he was really a top player with larceny in his heart he would show up at these tournaments and gamble with the players and make a lot more money than winning the tournament.

I must be the only "fool" who look as these local tournaments as cheap practice for something bigger.

 

[dash]

His real mistake is in pummeling the tournament every week. You got to throw some water in the tank to keep the fish alive buddy...[/QUOTE]

well said uwate!

---DASH---

 

[dardusm]

the guy is going to get barred. happens to all good players who rob the nits at $5 tournaments. the good player ought to just realize this is an inevitable result and take the ban hammer with good grace. His real mistake is in pummeling the tournament every week. You got to throw some water in the tank to keep the fish alive buddy...

I agree with uwate. The guy should know better than to play in the tournament every week. It's a tricky situation. I guess you could make it a B tournament or run an open tournament one night and a B another night.

 

[JoeyA]

It is a local bar tournament, Race to 2 & 2.... Not much for warming up like in a longer race. I am liking the responses so far.....Thanks everyone!

Make it a race to 1 & 1. Win two weeks in a row, sit out for a week or a month.

JoeyA

 

[63Kcode]

Take him into the bathroom. Break his thumbs and tell him he needs to build some charactor!

Turtle Baxter.

 

[david(tx)]

lol u guys wouldnt last in new orleans where every randmon weekday tournament has a few world-beaters in it...

its how you get good, pay the tax

I agree , are you playing a 5 dollar tourny for fun or profit . Have not played a tourny in a while but played strictly for the fun , never won a weekly . People waste more money on snacks and the lottery . If you get aggravated at the A player you will get better .

 

[Underclocked]

The real thieves are the crappy bar boxes.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

I can see both sides of the fence.
5 bucks, play and get better and have fun in the mean time. Practice and pretty soon people will be giving A player some competition.
But, considering the main gripe is that hes chasing the other players away, I agree that the easiest thing to do is for the TD to implement a win once sit out for 2 or 3 and eventually Mr. A player will get bored or get the hint.

 

[JoeyA]

I'm not a great player by any stretch of the imagination, at any game but I have to say that my fondest memories of playing pool are not memories of winning tournaments although the few that I have won were sweet and special.

The truth is that the azzwhippings that I have taken from better players has helped to form my will to get better. I've taken far more azzwhippings in past years than I've given. I used to play in pool tournaments just to test myself to see if I had learned anything. In each and every pool tournament I have ever played in, I learned something of value.

Besides the camaraderie derived from being a part of the tournament (which is one of the best parts of a tournament) you have the opportunity to experience things that will help to develop you not only as a player but a human being. You will have a chance to build your character if that's something you want to do or make a dollar.

The bottom line is that there will always be someone who is better and barring the top player from these tournaments is not the best thing for the whole. It is far better to limit the number of times he can appear at the trough.

Some might say that he is a greedy pig who only wants to win. For most of us, all we want to do is win. It takes a lot of preparation to win and it isn't fair to look at the top player with condemnation. His abilities should be showcased and emulated by those just starting out on the journey. Without him, we might all be mired in mediocrity.

Lucky Joe

 

[jason]

The bottom line is that there will always be someone who is better and barring the top player from these tournaments is not the best thing for the whole.

It takes a lot of preparation to win and it isn't fair to look at the top player with condemnation.
Lucky Joe

Well put.

So you bar the "A" player so that a "B" player can win. What if there is only one "B" player in the field now? Do you ban him too? What if you have a "C+" in a field of "C" players? Ban him too? What if the "B" play was the most popular person in the bar and the biggest spender? Do you still bar him from the tournament?

It really amazes me that people can call him a theif, a dirtbag, and every other name in the book. He has done nothing wrong except an offer made by the bar and TD to compete in their tournament.

Certain people will gladly celebrate the actions of Cesar Morales and condemn this man as a dirt bag for playing a $5 tournament. I have one word to say these two-face people, "hypocrites."

 

[rlw]

So, a deeper question for anyone interested. I live in a somewhat rural area with a few large towns nearby. I play in leagues and tournaments on a fairly consistent basis and have total devotion to our sport.

In our town, We have a weekly $5.oo entry tournament that used to get up to around 32 players weekly. THe last year or so it has fallen to about 12-16. Most recently, it has diminished to even less. One of the consensus from local players is that we have a strong A player from out of town who was winning each week and I believe scaring the primarily C-B crowd that showed up to play for a chance at a few bucks. Personally, I look forward to the practice with him and sometimes win, however many of the other players have been frustrated that he usually wins. Many have all quit and he continues to come as well as go on the road now to several smaller tournaments in surrounding towns who now complain too. His response is for everyone else to not complain but to get better and beat him. As far as I know, all of these tournaments are "open" and not handicapped. When it comes to playing other "A" tournaments he tends to shy away from them because they are definitely harder and his chances for cash get smaller.

I know he has every right to play in them but in all honesty is it fair to cause so many good C&B tournaments to go by the wayside? Is the pursuit of a couple bucks for him worth, a lot of recreational players getting frustrated at something they enjoy? Is there anything that can be done to please all involved? In all fairness, I won't divulge any names or locations, I guess it is just a question of whether this is good or bad for the sport. I will continue to play regardless, there just isn't as much competition now..... Thanks for your thoughts!

It's bad for the sport as the lesser players need to practice against better player's, but It's also bad for the bar to have poor turn out's, then they quit having tournaments and everybody loses!!

 

[TX Poolnut]

I don't like handicapping players.

Keep practicing, get better, and beat his ass.

 

[vagabond]

ban the A player and call that weekly tournament " for wimps & winers only"

 

[Island Drive]

So, a deeper question for anyone interested. I live in a somewhat rural area with a few large towns nearby. I play in leagues and tournaments on a fairly consistent basis and have total devotion to our sport.

In our town, We have a weekly $5.oo entry tournament that used to get up to around 32 players weekly. THe last year or so it has fallen to about 12-16. Most recently, it has diminished to even less. One of the consensus from local players is that we have a strong A player from out of town who was winning each week and I believe scaring the primarily C-B crowd that showed up to play for a chance at a few bucks. Personally, I look forward to the practice with him and sometimes win, however many of the other players have been frustrated that he usually wins. Many have all quit and he continues to come as well as go on the road now to several smaller tournaments in surrounding towns who now complain too. His response is for everyone else to not complain but to get better and beat him. As far as I know, all of these tournaments are "open" and not handicapped. When it comes to playing other "A" tournaments he tends to shy away from them because they are definitely harder and his chances for cash get smaller.

I know he has every right to play in them but in all honesty is it fair to cause so many good C&B tournaments to go by the wayside? Is the pursuit of a couple bucks for him worth, a lot of recreational players getting frustrated at something they enjoy? Is there anything that can be done to please all involved? In all fairness, I won't divulge any names or locations, I guess it is just a question of whether this is good or bad for the sport. I will continue to play regardless, there just isn't as much competition now..... Thanks for your thoughts!

Your situation "crying game" is no different than what every tournament like yours eventually confronts, how do you walk the line to keep the good player coming back and the avg Joe from walking away may be impossible. Your local culture and way of doing business fairly may be your answer. Is the room owner concerned, or is it just the few good locals complaining and spreading the whining causing its eventual failure. Its a concern that will always exist and never go away because there's always somebody better than every one else.