Worst Tourney I Have Ever Played In!

[CocoboloCowboy]

Sounds like someone forgot to collect the Air Conditions fees

God I was out in AZ awhile back and it was HOT and I'm from south FL.
I would have left with no air.

Well we are in, or going in to the hottest part of summer, and the last few day there has been some cloud cover building in the afternoon. I believe we may have an early MONSOON Season where we can get to over 110 Degrees, with 100% Humidity, and things get very unpleasant for the 6 weeks or so of monsoon.

You being from South Florida live with Monsoon conditions many months of the year.

 

[ShootingArts]

Some big things, some little

Lenny,

The wait at the door was an annoyance, then the change in the cost of entry was an annoyance! I have to admit that I have left more than one event over a change like that. The AC not being turned on was very cheap and plain foolish if it was working. The pool tournament is to make money for the venue and running off repeat business isn't the way to make money. The cue ball change affected everyone equally from that point on since it was across the board but was foolish. No good chalk, purely minor. Break a piece and take care of business without chalking up your ferule.

I do think that everyone that has a cue case should have chalk in it. I have a little box that once held earplugs that holds four pieces perfectly. I wrap electrical tape around my chalk both so I can identify mine at the table and so there are no issues when I pick it up if I choose to. At seventeen cents a cube I often leave it behind for others to use or when it has a little wear.

You have some valid complaints, some things are so minor that I think you have to admit that you would not even be thinking about them had they been the only issue.

Some people have jumped into holding pool tournaments totally clueless and take a little while to learn. Sounds like what happened here. I'd back off awhile and maybe give then another try down the road. If they are just as bad write them off. I'd probably send them a letter or e-mail telling them the issues you felt needed addressing now. There is no confrontation when it is in writing, it is often taken more seriously, and they can go over it at their own pace considering the validity of each point.

Hu

PS The sun through a window is a tactical factor. I occasionally play on a ratty old nine footer next to a huge window. In the afternoon at the right time of year you can almost bet that if I safe somebody aside from the table layout they will be shooting into the sun!

I am usually all positive and a cool character but not today.I went and played an 8 an under at The Sets and it was the worst tournament I have attended ever.So let me get started and vent and put this behind me,if it was just one thing I guess I wouldn't need to but it was 5 or 6 things.

 

[Pii]

Well we are in, or going in to the hottest part of summer, and the last few day there has been some cloud cover building in the afternoon. I believe we may have an early MONSOON Season where we can get to over 110 Degrees, with 100% Humidity, and things get very unpleasant for the 6 weeks or so of monsoon.

You being from South Florida live with Monsoon conditions many months of the year.

We don't call it Monsoon season we call it Hurricane season

Believe me it's no picnic down here this time of year but when I was out there it was HOT. I felt like I was standing in front of a heater. It also rained and the place was freaking out over a 1 inch rainfall. I mean it was flooding everywhere. While you may be able to deal with the heat better you sure don't know much about drainage.

I can't remember the pool hall I found in Phoenix but it was pretty nice but didn't seem to have a lot of player. I found it on the web and went there because it had a calendar of the waitresses. The other two halls I checked out looked like a sure way to die if I went in alone.


Anyway no Air no stay for me

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

We don't call it Monsoon season we call it Hurricane season

Believe me it's no picnic down here this time of year but when I was out there it was HOT. I felt like I was standing in front of a heater. It also rained and the place was freaking out over a 1 inch rainfall. I mean it was flooding everywhere. While you may be able to deal with the heat better you sure don't know much about drainage.

I can't remember the pool hall I found in Phoenix but it was pretty nice but didn't seem to have a lot of player. I found it on the web and went there because it had a calendar of the waitresses. The other two halls I checked out looked like a sure way to die if I went in alone.


Anyway no Air no stay for me

My family lived in Miami until 1958 when we left Florida. I remember when Florida was so hot, and you went in the house, took a shower, dried off, put on fresh cloths, and asked yourself in 15 minute, did I dry off after the shower.

We were poor and never had A/C but kept cool with open windows, and lots of fans.

 

[Pii]

My family lived in Miami until 1958 when we left Florida. I remember when Florida was so hot, and you went in the house, took a shower, dried off, put on fresh cloths, and asked yourself in 15 minute, did I dry off after the shower.

We were poor and never had A/C but kept cool with open windows, and lots of fans.

Back in 58 air was a luxury and having the windows open was a way to have the mosquitoes carry your kids away. Are you sure your parent loved you

 

[AZE]

Well if you sign up and play they have no reason to ever change anything about it. Protest!

 

[Str8PoolMan]

No Complaints here...

I am usually all positive and a cool character but not today.I went and played an 8 an under at The Sets and it was the worst tournament I have attended ever.So let me get started and vent and put this behind me,if it was just one thing I guess I wouldn't need to but it was 5 or 6 things.

Sign up was supposed to be at 11am but the doors were closed to the place and it was amost an hour before they were opened up,ok so not too big of a deal.Its supposed to be a $30 entry but they decided to go with a green fee which added $15 which some players thought was too high but the show must go on.The place is probably 90 degrees inside and its a sauna,no air conditioning turned on for the players,just an industrial fan 10 feet from a few of the tables so you have to play in a wind tunnel and adjusting shot for wind speed like your doing long range target shooting,lol.

A small thing wass the sun coming in through the door to the outside,no tint or anything on the door so anytime you have to shoot that way prepare to be blinded,the sun is bright here in AZ.Another thing was the chalks there are all worn down,the big banger hole chalks which get all over your ferrule,chalk is cheap atleast provide that for the players.

We are playing the tourney with the big cueball well for the first round anyway,then they switched it to the small cueball in the middle of the 2nd round which now the game has changed and has affected all matches played before,during and after this.The next thing that happens just was the icing on the cake.I get called to play my match and I am playing a set with the guy,halfway through we get told that we arent supposed to be playing eachother and they had the brackets messed up,it wasnt just me and him,there were others too who had this happen to them.

I commend tournament directors and organizers because its not an easy job and I can see why Jay Helfert gets paid well to do it because he does it right.I have played tourneys here in AZ and they all have went smooth,even the rinky dink $5-$10 bar touneys go smooth,Kolbys and Metro is great with no problems.I just think if your going to put on a $500 added tourney with the total entry with side pots being a $100 then do it right or dont waste peoples time, energy and money.I went there first to have a good time and have good competition but grew more aggravated as it went along.

So I am done rambling and dont want to be a nit and if I am being one then tell me,if all these things add up to a bad tourney then it is what it is,I just call it like it like I see it.I hope next time they get it right but I doubt I will be there to see it.

I wouldn't have complained about anything in this tournament. Cuz, I wouldn't have waited an hour for them to open.

As someone said earlier, life's too short.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Back in 58 air was a luxury and having the windows open was a way to have the mosquitoes carry your kids away. Are you sure your parent loved you

We were poor so I will assume that is why we had not A/C or TV.

 

[stuckart]

Apologies to everyone!!

First off let me say that I'm sorry how things started for the tournament!

When Ebony arrived at 10 a.m. there was no one to be found. I called the manager over and over with no response. The Sets has a new owner as of last month, I tracked down his information and finally got him to call me back around 11:40. In his words, "We totally forgot that the tourney was this weekend!" "We forgot to put it on the calendar."

Usually the bar doesn't open until 2 p.m. each day. I personally spoke to the manager only a few days prior to the event and he said everything was good to go. He apologized over and over for all the mishaps and said he would get there ASAP.

As for the good cue balls, the manager hid them away so the bangers of the week wouldn't have them. Then when the doors were finally opened they couldn't find them. The manager, Scott, didn't arrive until the 2nd round was starting.

When we've done this tourney in the past, the Cleaning people come in at 7 a.m., they turn the AC up at that point, and when the doors open between 10 and 10:30 the room is good to go. I don't understand why the AC is not on at all times by now.

As for the Greens Fee, we waited to determine if we were going to do quarters or greens fee, because I had asked the bar to lower there tables to $.50 from $.75. When I spoke to him on Tuesday he said they couldn't lower them. If we could have gotten 50 people the greens fee would have only be $10. With races to Handicap -1 on both sides, this $15 greens fee was cheaper for the players than having to pay $.75 each game.

With having numerous people leave before the doors opened, and 5 or 6 after the room was warm, we still were able to have 21 persons enter the tourney. Ebony did her best to accommodate everyone, and the early morning snafu's were non to her fault. The bar messed up and they know that. Because of that, the owners put back all the money from the Greens Fee's into the tournament. That's an extra $315 into the pot. The only profits the bar got were from drink and food purchases.

All in All, the tournament had some really good players and great competition. Tanner Ellerman, yes Mitch's brother, ended up winning the entire thing with a finals match victory over his girlfriend, Bernie Store. Lee Collins, who lost the hot seat match to Tanner, came in 3rd place.

1st place with all the sidepots would have been $750, but Tanner only got in the $5 and $10 sidepot.

1st Tanner Ellerman $480
2nd Bernie Store $570
3rd Lee Collins $240

6 places were paid out, but I don't have the other persons names.

The owners want to do more to gain your trust back at the next event. Hopefully we can put this together in August. And I'm thinking of doing a 9 & Under some time as well.

I sincerely apologize for not being at this event, and for all the mishaps!

 

[Pii]

We were poor so I will assume that is why we had not A/C or TV.

I was just joking with you man I hope you didn't take me serious. But back in the day air was a luxury and lots of place just had fans and mosquitoes where really bad before we learned how to control them I mean REALLLLY bad.

Take care.

 

[Fast Lenny]

First off let me say that I'm sorry how things started for the tournament!

When Ebony arrived at 10 a.m. there was no one to be found. I called the manager over and over with no response. The Sets has a new owner as of last month, I tracked down his information and finally got him to call me back around 11:40. In his words, "We totally forgot that the tourney was this weekend!" "We forgot to put it on the calendar."

Usually the bar doesn't open until 2 p.m. each day. I personally spoke to the manager only a few days prior to the event and he said everything was good to go. He apologized over and over for all the mishaps and said he would get there ASAP.

As for the good cue balls, the manager hid them away so the bangers of the week wouldn't have them. Then when the doors were finally opened they couldn't find them. The manager, Scott, didn't arrive until the 2nd round was starting.

When we've done this tourney in the past, the Cleaning people come in at 7 a.m., they turn the AC up at that point, and when the doors open between 10 and 10:30 the room is good to go. I don't understand why the AC is not on at all times by now.

As for the Greens Fee, we waited to determine if we were going to do quarters or greens fee, because I had asked the bar to lower there tables to $.50 from $.75. When I spoke to him on Tuesday he said they couldn't lower them. If we could have gotten 50 people the greens fee would have only be $10. With races to Handicap -1 on both sides, this $15 greens fee was cheaper for the players than having to pay $.75 each game.

With having numerous people leave before the doors opened, and 5 or 6 after the room was warm, we still were able to have 21 persons enter the tourney. Ebony did her best to accommodate everyone, and the early morning snafu's were non to her fault. The bar messed up and they know that. Because of that, the owners put back all the money from the Greens Fee's into the tournament. That's an extra $315 into the pot. The only profits the bar got were from drink and food purchases.

All in All, the tournament had some really good players and great competition. Tanner Ellerman, yes Mitch's brother, ended up winning the entire thing with a finals match victory over his girlfriend, Bernie Store. Lee Collins, who lost the hot seat match to Tanner, came in 3rd place.

1st place with all the sidepots would have been $750, but Tanner only got in the $5 and $10 sidepot.

1st Tanner Ellerman $480
2nd Bernie Store $570
3rd Lee Collins $240

6 places were paid out, but I don't have the other persons names.

The owners want to do more to gain your trust back at the next event. Hopefully we can put this together in August. And I'm thinking of doing a 9 & Under some time as well.

I sincerely apologize for not being at this event, and for all the mishaps!

The cueballs shouldnt have been changed once play started and you shouldnt take new entrants once its started and put them in place of byes.I was very peeved to be playing a match for about 20 minutes and I wasnt supposed to be playing it.Well I hope next time you guys have it all squared away,it was just too many things wrong to say it was a fun day out playing pool.

 

[tucson9ball]

apology

First off let me say that I'm sorry how things started for the tournament!

When Ebony arrived at 10 a.m. there was no one to be found. I called the manager over and over with no response. The Sets has a new owner as of last month, I tracked down his information and finally got him to call me back around 11:40. In his words, "We totally forgot that the tourney was this weekend!" "We forgot to put it on the calendar."

Usually the bar doesn't open until 2 p.m. each day. I personally spoke to the manager only a few days prior to the event and he said everything was good to go. He apologized over and over for all the mishaps and said he would get there ASAP.

As for the good cue balls, the manager hid them away so the bangers of the week wouldn't have them. Then when the doors were finally opened they couldn't find them. The manager, Scott, didn't arrive until the 2nd round was starting.

When we've done this tourney in the past, the Cleaning people come in at 7 a.m., they turn the AC up at that point, and when the doors open between 10 and 10:30 the room is good to go. I don't understand why the AC is not on at all times by now.

As for the Greens Fee, we waited to determine if we were going to do quarters or greens fee, because I had asked the bar to lower there tables to $.50 from $.75. When I spoke to him on Tuesday he said they couldn't lower them. If we could have gotten 50 people the greens fee would have only be $10. With races to Handicap -1 on both sides, this $15 greens fee was cheaper for the players than having to pay $.75 each game.

With having numerous people leave before the doors opened, and 5 or 6 after the room was warm, we still were able to have 21 persons enter the tourney. Ebony did her best to accommodate everyone, and the early morning snafu's were non to her fault. The bar messed up and they know that. Because of that, the owners put back all the money from the Greens Fee's into the tournament. That's an extra $315 into the pot. The only profits the bar got were from drink and food purchases.

All in All, the tournament had some really good players and great competition. Tanner Ellerman, yes Mitch's brother, ended up winning the entire thing with a finals match victory over his girlfriend, Bernie Store. Lee Collins, who lost the hot seat match to Tanner, came in 3rd place.

1st place with all the sidepots would have been $750, but Tanner only got in the $5 and $10 sidepot.

1st Tanner Ellerman $480
2nd Bernie Store $570
3rd Lee Collins $240

6 places were paid out, but I don't have the other persons names.

The owners want to do more to gain your trust back at the next event. Hopefully we can put this together in August. And I'm thinking of doing a 9 & Under some time as well.

I sincerely apologize for not being at this event, and for all the mishaps!

Sounds like ya coveres all the bases, but how about some open tournaments? No handicaps, just shoot with what ya bring.

 

[stuckart]

The cueballs shouldnt have been changed once play started and you shouldnt take new entrants once its started and put them in place of byes.I was very peeved to be playing a match for about 20 minutes and I wasnt supposed to be playing it.Well I hope next time you guys have it all squared away,it was just too many things wrong to say it was a fun day out playing pool.

I understand your gripe, and how things just snowballed after sitting in 100 degree weather for an hour. Honestly, this was to no fault of the tournament and tournament directors. The bar managers screwed us and all the players that day by not being there and ready for us.

They have boxes of good chalk, and a tray of good cue balls instead of the heavy slug balls they leave out for the bangers at night.

As for switching the cue balls, we would have had more complaints had we not changed them out. The advertisement for the tournament stated they had Aramith Cue Balls. Some people didn't like playing at The Sets because they had the heavy cue balls. Many players that showed for this tourney had played in the last one in April and this was discussed. Again, I'm sorry the manager hid them where no one could find them. Steve, Ebony and the Owner searched high and low for them.

The decision to take late entries was up to Ebony. The software that she used to run the tourney allows for Late Entries and randomly places them into the bracket. This was my fault for not teaching her how to add the late players before hand.

I have a question about your match that didn't count. Weren't you told to play someone and then a few minutes later told that you weren't supposed to be playing that match? So instead of finishing that match, you received a bye for that round? Because the computer put the Late Person in a random spot instead of against you?

I think she chose to let late entries in because she was trying to do some damage control over the morning events that were out of her hand. And it appeared to be an easy thing to do, and add more money for the players that stuck it out.

The AC issue is not something that is excusable and I have left another message with the manager today about that one. I'm trying to get an idea of what happened with that and insure that will never happen again. Thank you!!

 

[stuckart]

Sounds like ya coveres all the bases, but how about some open tournaments? No handicaps, just shoot with what ya bring.

I've been open to the idea. Being a 9 myself I can't even play in these tourneys. The hard part is that people 'say' they'll show up for Opens and Higher rated tourneys but we just don't get the people to show.

When I'm back in town in October or November I'll see about running a $500 added (or more) tourney for Open Rating. I was even throwing around the idea of having a staggered entry fee.

6's and 7's - $5
8's and 9's - $10
10's + - $20

Multiple Side Pots. Normal $5/$10/$20/$20 winner take all
Plus maybe (Thanks to the Desert Classic Tour's idea), have side pots for 8 and below rated players. Highest finishing 8 and under gets these side pots. We'll see. I'm always open to good suggestions.

All races to 7.

 

[SteveH]

Lets try a 9 and under.
500 added (if possible)
with A/C and Aramith cue ball.

1 month of advertising and i bet people will show as long as there are no other big things going on that weekend.

The owner of Sets from what you say sounds like he wants to make this work and is apologetic about what happen. Maybe it will be ok next time

 

[ScottW]

Heh, I'm sure we've all run across banger types who are POSITIVE they know what they're doing on the table, when they couldn't be farther away from it.

The same can be said for pool tournament TDs. I've met some doozys. Folks who don't know how to handle byes, but insist that "this is the way it is done".

One tournament I used to play in, a weekly Friday night 9-ball thing, the guy running would also a) play in it and b) drink himself stupid/angry. One time he was playing his match, and not only did the other two tables finish up and this guy wouldn't stop shooting himself to start up new matches, he picked this time to start getting belligerant with anyone who would *gasp* SUGGEST he do just that - including and especially his opponent at the time.

I swear, those tables sat cold for at least half an hour while the rest of us sat there, waiting... Everyone wanted to say something, but all of us knew that would just make his drunk ass take LONGER.

That was the last tournament I ever played under that guy.

 

[Jimmy M.]

No AC in Arizona = No Tourney for me. I don't care what entry or greens fee are. Maybe I am getting old but life is too short to be miserable while trying to compete. Maybe the people involved will take the feed back and use it to improve. Did you mention your concerns to the TD?

Are you suggesting it's hot out here?

What are you talking about? It was a breezy 112 yesterday. It's pretty much identical today. I'm going mountain biking!

 

[BVal]

Are you suggesting it's hot out here?

What are you talking about? It was a breezy 112 yesterday. It's pretty much identical today. I'm going mountain biking!

Was it 112.......I didn't go outside yesterday If today is just like yesterday (today sucks ass by the way) then I am glad I didn't go outside yesterday. I'm going home!

BVal

 

[Fast Lenny]

As for switching the cue balls, we would have had more complaints had we not changed them out. The advertisement for the tournament stated they had Aramith Cue Balls. Some people didn't like playing at The Sets because they had the heavy cue balls. Many players that showed for this tourney had played in the last one in April and this was discussed. Again, I'm sorry the manager hid them where no one could find them. Steve, Ebony and the Owner searched high and low for them.

The decision to take late entries was up to Ebony. The software that she used to run the tourney allows for Late Entries and randomly places them into the bracket. This was my fault for not teaching her how to add the late players before hand.

I have a question about your match that didn't count. Weren't you told to play someone and then a few minutes later told that you weren't supposed to be playing that match? So instead of finishing that match, you received a bye for that round? Because the computer put the Late Person in a random spot instead of against you?

I think she chose to let late entries in because she was trying to do some damage control over the morning events that were out of her hand. And it appeared to be an easy thing to do, and add more money for the players that stuck it out.

If you start a tourney with a heavy cue ball and warm up with it and have someone switch it mid match it affects the game alot because now you have to adjust in the middle of a set.

As for the match,it was about 20 minutes into the match that I got told we werent supposed to be playing,I dont know if I got a bye,I was just told I had to play someone else.

The late players who showed up shouldnt have been allowed to play plain and simple,when the draw is done and people are told they have byes and play has begun you dont add players to the field.

It was a dissapointment but I am sure that all these issues wont happen again if you do another one,good luck with it.

 

[BRKNRUN]

Lets try a 9 and under.
500 added (if possible)
with A/C and Aramith cue ball.

1 month of advertising and i bet people will show as long as there are no other big things going on that weekend.

The owner of Sets from what you say sounds like he wants to make this work and is apologetic about what happen. Maybe it will be ok next time

Good luck on that one...

As a 9 it will either be...Your too good and are not eligable to play....or Suck it up and play with the world beaters...

Fact of life as a 9...That is why I call it no mans land..

My advice...Do what I am doing....practice your arse off...

Damn rating system....sucks you in to where you don't have to practice becuase your only playing players that can't run out....Then it spits you out...and you actually have to practice...

What is the damn world coming too...


BTW...Moral of the story for any TD running a tournament (at the Sets)...Stop by the night before and make sure everything is ready to go...and have managers phone# and home address handy...