From personal experience: it's not just perceived thataway, it sucks in real life.
Lou Figueroa
US Open 10 Ball - Seeded Brackets
- Thread starter watchez
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From personal experience: it's not just perceived thataway, it sucks in real life.
Lou Figueroa
No doubt.
But consider this: back in 2000, SWA was offering $89 flights just about anywhere. A car rental was $29-$49 a day. You could stay at a Marriott for under $100. If you calculate in the expenses of going to NY or Vegas nowadays it is *way* more expensive and your outlay for throwing away a tournament entry, just for the sake of competing, is prohibitive for most guys that just want to play.
Back in the same time period you mention, I once flew from St. Louis to Vegas for a couple of days just to play in a weekend 1pocket tournament at Toby's place -- cost me nothing and I got to play Johnny Ervolino and others. It is not so anymore and all that contributes to an altered accounting when it comes to participating in events with a $500 entry right out of the gate and seeded brackets.
Lou Figueroa
A lot of the trouble is added money....it’s not that it’s not just keeping up with inflation...
....it’s gone the other way.
But aren't the added monies, such as they are, just a little sweetener for the top finishers? is there really any kind of significant "spreading of the wealth" farther down the payout scale? IOWs, are they paying more guys?
Lou Figueroa
First - the seeding of this event had little if nothing to do with the poor turnout. I’m gonna bet very few of the players that signed up knew it was seeded and even less realized the seeding was only quasi completed. This event has been dwindling in attendance for some time. And look at the turnout they had for the us open banks and us open one pocket which weren’t seeded.
I could give a bullet point list of why the event didn’t fill and ways to solve it but I don’t get a paycheck for CSI so I’m not gonna work for free.
I’m just a person that believes if you put something in print (or if you say it), you stand behind it.
I could give a bullet point list of why the event didn’t fill and ways to solve it but I don’t get a paycheck for CSI so I’m not gonna work for free.
I’m just a person that believes if you put something in print (or if you say it), you stand behind it.
Perhaps they used an earlier version of the Fargo list when they did the seeding. Based on the list I looked at today, Aranas would be 3, Kaçi 4 and Alex 5. But obviously the list changes so I suspect it’s a timing issue.
Seeding and higher entries is going to lower involvement by aspiring players and advanced amateurs. What becomes of pool when there is no dead money? The best players always make it to the end in most double elimination formats. This is yet another short sighted idea in the pool world. Shocking.
That $500 entry fee (twice - $1,000 total) is a tough pill to swallow, unless you are a top player who has a legitimate chance to win or have money to burn. With 10K added to each event an entry fee of $250 per might have worked better to garner a larger field of players. Typically the high entry fee events have substantial added monies, like the U.S. Open. Low entry fees work well for events like DCC. Turning Stone always attracts a full field of 128 with 25K added and a more reasonable entry fee.
Maybe, maybe not.
However, as this seeding stuff becomes more widely known about, it'll definitely have an impact on future years when guys are thinking about what events they want to participate in.
Lou Figueroa
Big events are built on the backs of the dead money players -- guys that just want to get in for the experience and a war story or two. The higher expense of traveling nowadays isn't going away. But promoters could be doing more stuff to entice the lower level guys and not do stuff (seeding) that makes their event less attractive to the guys that fill out the field.
Lou Figueroa
A staggered entry fee based on Fargo rating would work. Over 750 pay X, Over 700,650,600,<600 maybe $500,$400,$300,$200,$100
I'm slightly over 600 and would pay $200, for the chance to just play... knowing I'll likely go 2 and out, maybe get a good draw and win a match.
Not much you can do about the expenses.... better hope you like going to Vegas and you're not there just for a possibility to make money.
I'm slightly over 600 and would pay $200, for the chance to just play... knowing I'll likely go 2 and out, maybe get a good draw and win a match.
Not much you can do about the expenses.... better hope you like going to Vegas and you're not there just for a possibility to make money.
It’s kind of sad in some ways. Many players stopped traveling internationally due to financial reasons and now it is even happening domestically. I’m not criticizing
The players for this- it is a rational response but it is sad in that it shows the decline of professional pool
The players for this- it is a rational response but it is sad in that it shows the decline of professional pool
It also works for the international players coming here. The Taiwanese players won’t come back to the Vega$ events cause of what happened to Big Ko in the tourney a few years back (goes back to my earlier comment of standing by the rules of an event). I’m gonna think it stopped other countries from considering it as well. If Roy’s Basement didn’t have a van full of players he travels with, the field would be obviously more downsized than it currently is.
Ok I’ll give one piece of free advice — Last year Griffs I believe charged $10 to get in but you got it back as a food voucher. That didn’t work as no one showed up to watch. This year it is a flat $10. How many people are there watching? And if you are a lower level player and gonna swing at the event, those are the type of players that will bring their buddies in to watch. But not for $10. End all, don’t charge an admission, be happy people are in your building and spending money on food, drink and your slot machines
I am totally against the idea of letting anyone who can afford the entry fee enter a US Open event. There must be a minimum rating set. Like golf, you must have a low enough handicap to even be able to try and qualify for the US Open. Of course, golf handicaps are universally recognized. Yet another reason we must make Fargo a universal rating system for all amateurs and pros.
Pool isn’t anywhere close to that level - organization or participation wise. To compare it to pro golf is ridiculous and short sighted. Limited field events are simply dumb. Fill the house and figure out how to run an event with a lot of players.
"Open" means open to me. No artificial barriers. If we ever get to a situation in which we have full fields and lots of competition for spots, then I could understand some debate on the issue, but until then why have empty spots when dead money wants to enter? Indeed some places will hold qualifiers where an amateur can win their entry to a big event like this and live the dream of competing with the big boys on the big stage. Seems crazy to me to discourage that.
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You think 164 world class players are going to enter this? There will always be "dead money" in pool tournaments. With $300,000 added the number of great players may be quite high. Let's hope so 'cause i'm gonna be there watching.
There is a plethora of "open" events that the everyday player can enter and rub elbows with the big boys. We should not be selling out the prestige of a US Open. There must be a better way.
I have no idea what you are talking about and some $300k added event.
Prestige????
Without google name me the last 5 years US Open 8 Ball, 10 Ball, banks and one pocket winners.