I Admire This

[kangarau]

In the last day, I received four entries for the HO. Of three yesterday, two were from players rated 909 and 1006.  Today, I received one from a lady rated 865 - and now the lowest-rated entrant.  She is also 90 years old.

So much for the naysayers who warned me I'd get NO lower-rated players without offering class prizes. Pah!

Comments

[ftangredi]

I agree. It's great to see people who are come to tournaments simply because they love the game.

That's why I personally think it's only right to offer them SOME possibility of reward. Because they are NOT motivated by money.

[sophonax]

Cookies don't count as class prizes? :)

[cesarsalad]

the campbell tournament has NO prize money for the segregated lower division.. i think that's amusing.

[ftangredi]

Jeez, I didn't believe you until I checked the flier. What f**khead came up with THAT?

[cesarsalad]

i don't know, but i have to agree that i wouldn't support this. i guess they do have the option to play in div 2.

[lordiceman]

I think it's brilliant. Maybe the entry fee could for D3 could have been even smaller, but $35 is pretty cheap. In any case, the idea is that the small entry fee for that division only covers that player's share of the expenses of running the tournament. The other divisions have progressively higher entry fees. And the no-prize division players all have the option to play up.

It's a step in the right direction in improving the ass-backward prize structures that have dominated the Scrabble scene for many years. Fewer things aggravate me more than seeing players who CHOOSE to play a lower level of competition receive equal or greater prize money. It's mind-blowing that we do things like pay $4000 to the D2 winner at Nationals. Or tournaments where the D2 or D3 winning wins MORE than the D1 winner, simply because the division is bigger.

"Yeah, I want to win money playing Scrabble, as long as I don't have play anyone who can beat me!"

Puh-leeze.