What is the best table/player ratio for a tournament?

dogloose

dogloose

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When I was growing up in Brooklyn, in the '50's and '60's, most rooms had at least one carom table but rarely two. Holding a local carom tournament in those days would certainly have been a challenge.

Now it seems there is rarely a carom table found in a room... unless the room is dedicated to carom. Pocket billiard tables are of course everywhere... and there are many local pocket billiard tournaments and leagues...

If the USBA is to grow... interest in the game has to be increased. Holding local tournaments... with the opportunity for players to win some cash, some bragging rights, and/or some national rating points seems like a great way to go.

In Houston, the room I play at has 3 heated Gabriels tables. With three tables how many players could comfortably participate in a weekend tournament? Could a room with only two tables hold a tournament? How many tables would you need to hold a "big" tournament... like a World Cup? Anybody have any experience???
 
Very nice... I can see all the possibilities now... thanks for pointing that out billiardshot...

Now my next question is from a business perspective... Is running a tournament a profit-making endeavor (assuming reasonably good turnout of players)... or... does a room owner generally lose money on tournaments...

I guess I'm asking why wouldn't a room hold many tournaments...???
 
It depends. If the room owner charges a greens fee (to compensate for table time), then the room owner may do OK. But many carom players are not used to paying greens fees. The only exception might be if you have single or double elimination tournaments. Then the loser can pay the time.

Most USBA Tournaments do not require greens fees or table time to be paid. That is one reason why room owners are not always so keen on holding USBA Tournaments. But the ones that hold regular USBA Tournaments understand that it is in their best interest to hold them and sometimes the room will break even by the increased sales of food and drink, etc.

One of the reasons why we have the "greens fees" problems is because at pool tournaments, they may get 64 or 128 players. At 3-cushion events, especially local ones, you may only get 6-12 players, so charging greens fees and very litle prize money is not a good combination to the players.
 
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