What's the best way to find out about tournaments?

Tin Man

Tin Man

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Coming into 2019 I intend to increase my tournament schedule. In the past I've played mostly regionally but I'm from MN and the tournament scene has thinned out quite a bit. It's all bar table and mostly handicapped. I enjoy competing even on big tables against tough fields.

Of course this is a negative financial endeavor. Tournaments that are $1,500 added or less don't justify the flight/hotel, and tournaments that add more prize money attract players levels beyond me. But I'm not in this for the money, and if I find the right events I have a budget that will allow me to take a few shots here and there.

My problem is finding them! I've always avoided social media but that seems like the only way to get information these days. I've tried the AZB calendar and tour schedule but most events don't have much information listed on AZB or on the website of the room owner's. So I've created a FaceBook account just for the purpose of subscribing to people that can pass me tournament info. Now how do I find the right people to follow or link with to get this type of information? Is there an invite process? Can you guys provide me with usernames of people I can try to connect with? Or is there a better way to go about this?

I'm really lost. Any help is appreciated!
 
I get that a lot of people avoid Facebook like the plague. But there is no denying that it is the driving force for sharing information these days. I am a web designer by trade, and a lot of clients have discontinued their site and pointed their domain to their Facebook page or Instagram feed because potential customers like the feel of being connected with them. Take that for what you will.

And remember that you can get on Facebook and participate as little or as much as you want. If you're worried about all the stuff that can go along with it, just don't participate in that part.
 
I think the best source is the AZB calendar. At least someone is putting in some effort to keep it current. And if anyone discovers more info about events, please let the AZB people know. That will help people like Tin Man and everyone else who looks at that calendar.

It used to be that OnTheBreakNews publications put out three regional pool magazines that included calendars. I think is is no longer in business.

The national pool mags have calendars but I think they don't include a lot of events you might be interested in.

Some tours do have websites but as you noted, they are not always complete.

What would be really nice is if the national governing body of pool in the US maintained a calendar of sanctioned events and then went about getting the interesting events sanctioned. That NGB does have a calendar but it has not been updated since 2009.
 
Tin Man said:
Coming into 2019 I intend to increase my tournament schedule. In the past I've played mostly regionally but I'm from MN and the tournament scene has thinned out quite a bit. It's all bar table and mostly handicapped. I enjoy competing even on big tables against tough fields.

Of course this is a negative financial endeavor. Tournaments that are $1,500 added or less don't justify the flight/hotel, and tournaments that add more prize money attract players levels beyond me. But I'm not in this for the money, and if I find the right events I have a budget that will allow me to take a few shots here and there.

My problem is finding them! I've always avoided social media but that seems like the only way to get information these days. I've tried the AZB calendar and tour schedule but most events don't have much information listed on AZB or on the website of the room owner's. So I've created a FaceBook account just for the purpose of subscribing to people that can pass me tournament info. Now how do I find the right people to follow or link with to get this type of information? Is there an invite process? Can you guys provide me with usernames of people I can try to connect with? Or is there a better way to go about this?

I'm really lost. Any help is appreciated!
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I started a Facebook account just for pool stuff also a few years ago, after a while you will make Friends with Friends of Friends that are members of pool groups that share things.

You will find that many tournaments are handicapped, pretty much every one in my area on the East Coast is, that includes New England and New York/NJ area. Of-course if the handicaps were fair it is not an issue, but there are more "C" players that are actually B players than there are real C players in most events. And those C players are often playing as Ds LOL. Funny thing is that almost everyone knows this but nothing is ever fixed. Once Fargo is used in more places things should get better. Lat match I saw had a C+ that beat an A 7-3 and another guy that won 3 Predator tour stops as a B+ that has a Fargo that was 640, which is solid A level. No idea how those events manage to get people playing there unless it's the only game in town and they are really bored on weekends.

Joss tour is pretty good in NY/NY/New England for a non-handicapped event, players like Mika, Earl are known to play in those as well as some of the lower tier pros like Sossei.
 
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Tin Man said:
Coming into 2019 I intend to increase my tournament schedule. In the past I've played mostly regionally but I'm from MN and the tournament scene has thinned out quite a bit. It's all bar table and mostly handicapped. I enjoy competing even on big tables against tough fields.

Of course this is a negative financial endeavor. Tournaments that are $1,500 added or less don't justify the flight/hotel, and tournaments that add more prize money attract players levels beyond me. But I'm not in this for the money, and if I find the right events I have a budget that will allow me to take a few shots here and there.

My problem is finding them! I've always avoided social media but that seems like the only way to get information these days. I've tried the AZB calendar and tour schedule but most events don't have much information listed on AZB or on the website of the room owner's. So I've created a FaceBook account just for the purpose of subscribing to people that can pass me tournament info. Now how do I find the right people to follow or link with to get this type of information? Is there an invite process? Can you guys provide me with usernames of people I can try to connect with? Or is there a better way to go about this?

I'm really lost. Any help is appreciated!
Click to expand...
Midwest 9ball Tour event is in Nov. at Shooters Olathe Ks. Great event not that far from Minn. One-pocket and 9ball events. Nov15-18.
 
All Tournaments, big and small, are listed in the back of The Snap magazine.

Oh, wait.....


-von
 
King T said:
Isn't there a list of tournaments on the Go Play Pool website?
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I visited their web site (which I found really obnoxious). Tournament information seems to be under the "Flyer" tab. Since the images of flyers are just placed randomly, it is hard to find a particular state, but the info seems to be there. You have to click on the various sub-tabs to get to the major events.

Example: http://flyers.goplaypool.com/data03.html

I don't know whether the same info is on the AZB calendar.
 
hang-the-9 said:
Issue with that is same as with finding the info anywhere else, someone has to contact them to let them know the tournament is happening.
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I have worked on tournaments that had a designated publicity chairman who did a good job, but that's rare.
 
Tin Man said:
Coming into 2019 I intend to increase my tournament schedule. In the past I've played mostly regionally but I'm from MN and the tournament scene has thinned out quite a bit. It's all bar table and mostly handicapped. I enjoy competing even on big tables against tough fields.

Of course this is a negative financial endeavor. Tournaments that are $1,500 added or less don't justify the flight/hotel, and tournaments that add more prize money attract players levels beyond me. But I'm not in this for the money, and if I find the right events I have a budget that will allow me to take a few shots here and there.

My problem is finding them! I've always avoided social media but that seems like the only way to get information these days. I've tried the AZB calendar and tour schedule but most events don't have much information listed on AZB or on the website of the room owner's. So I've created a FaceBook account just for the purpose of subscribing to people that can pass me tournament info. Now how do I find the right people to follow or link with to get this type of information? Is there an invite process? Can you guys provide me with usernames of people I can try to connect with? Or is there a better way to go about this?

I'm really lost. Any help is appreciated!
Click to expand...

Eventually, you'll need to become friends with tournament promoters. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as it sounds because every region and place will likely have different promoters. Here's what I would do:

1. Send a friend request to every pool player you can, whether you know them personally or not. Many pool players will share tournament fliers. Some much more than others.

2. If you know that a certain pool hall has a lot of tournaments, go to the pool hall's fb page and like it.

3. Join tournament groups. In my area, there are several such as "North East Ohio Pool Tournaments". Tournaments are always promoted here but usually smaller handicapped tourneys.

4. Friend request or like the page of pool streamers. They often promote the tournaments they're streaming. (i.e. tvmike, big truck, terry hanna, etc.)

5. Many events have their own facebook page such as the Derby City Classic, US Open, SBE, etc. Like all of these pages as well.

6. Contact a pro player or avid tournament player and ask for their upcoming tournament calendar. Once they share it, investigate each tournament to see who is promoting it and add them as a friend.

7. All of the varies pool associates should have a page as well which you can like. (i.e. CSI, APA, BCA, WPA, etc.)

Hopefully this helps. Good luck!
 
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Some ideas would be the JOSS tour- mostly upstate NY and the Sunshine State pro tour here in FL. - both are non handicapped higher level tours which you are seeking. Neither usually has too many top level pros playing in a given event.
 
Facebook Groups are good for regional tournaments big and small. Here’s some active and redundant groups applicable to Michigan...

“Michigan Pool Tournaments”
“Michigan Pool Players”
“Where’s the next pool tourney?”

I assume every state has a variation on the first two. Good luck finding amateur big table tournaments.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
hang-the-9 said:
I started a Facebook account just for pool stuff also a few years ago, after a while you will make Friends with Friends of Friends that are members of pool groups that share things.

You will find that many tournaments are handicapped, pretty much every one in my area on the East Coast is, that includes New England and New York/NJ area. Of-course if the handicaps were fair it is not an issue, but there are more "C" players that are actually B players than there are real C players in most events. And those C players are often playing as Ds LOL. Funny thing is that almost everyone knows this but nothing is ever fixed. Once Fargo is used in more places things should get better. Lat match I saw had a C+ that beat an A 7-3 and another guy that won 3 Predator tour stops as a B+ that has a Fargo that was 640, which is solid A level. No idea how those events manage to get people playing there unless it's the only game in town and they are really bored on weekends.

Joss tour is pretty good in NY/NY/New England for a non-handicapped event, players like Mika, Earl are known to play in those as well as some of the lower tier pros like Sossei.
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My son played in a C+ tournament a couple months back and there was guy playing in it with an established fargorate of 681
 
chadtrent said:
I get that a lot of people avoid Facebook like the plague. But there is no denying that it is the driving force for sharing information these days. I am a web designer by trade, and a lot of clients have discontinued their site and pointed their domain to their Facebook page or Instagram feed because potential customers like the feel of being connected with them. Take that for what you will.

And remember that you can get on Facebook and participate as little or as much as you want. If you're worried about all the stuff that can go along with it, just don't participate in that part.
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Those ideas don't work with f.b. anymore.

Users are wise to the fake stories that are really ads. I spent over 3 grand for "advertising" on f/b last year and got ZERO sales. 0. I was 5 years too late.

F/b can't be controlled by any user and information about that user will be relentlessly garnered and spread without the user's knowledge or permission. For one example, I never gave them my birthday, yet this year I got 40 some happy birthdays from people I hardly even know. So much for that (weak) protection re health care. The next day, I deactivated my account. Still, I get messages on my phone after I "deactivated."

Then there are the social relationships totally ruined by f/b's tendency to create divisions, not coops, amongst the users.

Oh, tourneys are on there? How nice.

I rue the day I signed up for it.




Jeff Livingston
 
Get on the mailing list for the flyers that "Joe Kerr" sends out. Lol
Oh! Wait....that was a few years ago.
Couldn't resist.
 
Thank you for the replies!

The goplaypool flyer page is exactly what I needed! I already found one tournament for November my best friend and I have just agreed to attend.

On another note, are they running the Bar Table Championships this year? I went last December and had been thinking I was going to head back again, but I haven't seen anything about it yet. What did I miss?

Thanks again guys!
 
Tin Man said:
Thank you for the replies!

The goplaypool flyer page is exactly what I needed! I already found one tournament for November my best friend and I have just agreed to attend.

On another note, are they running the Bar Table Championships this year? I went last December and had been thinking I was going to head back again, but I haven't seen anything about it yet. What did I miss?

Thanks again guys!
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You need to play the Olathe event sometime. Good added $$$ and run by the best TD in the country, Evelyn Dysart. Saw Wetch play there when he was just a kid. Nice, big room with good tables, food, on-site cuemaker. Helluva spot.
 
Oh, I've played a few times. It's an awesome event. It's not as close to MN as people might think, it's around 8 hours away. I was thinking of playing the one in November but couldn't find a road partner and that's more time in the car than I like to drive on my own. It might still be possible but if I don't make this one I'm sure I'll hit one next year.

The other thing is I really enjoy the big tables, so I prioritize those. But the Olathe tourney and the White Diamond have their own allure!
 
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