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Several there not in tournament; implications?

Posted By: Phil Simborg
Date: Tuesday, 8 August 2017, at 3:01 p.m.

In Response To: Several there not in tournament; implications? (Bob Koca)

I think there are many reasons some big money players and top players don't play in the tournament but show up in Monte Carlo and elsewhere from time to time.

1. They don't want to or can't commit to playing so many hours and so many days with other things on their schedule;

2. They are not sure at all they will even get to Monte Carlo during that time and not sure how long they will stay;

3. They are in Monte Carlo for other reasons than the tournament...some even have apartments there they rent for weeks or permanently because it is a beautiful place to be with lots of action;

4. There is a lot more money and action, for some people, than there is in the tournament unless they get lucky and win the tournament. Even then, the prize money for the biggest tournaments in the world is not big money to attract some of these people;

4. They simply don't care about tournament backgammon or match play and don't want to spend the time and effort to keep their games sharp for match play.

5. Some are not wild about having their matches streamed and posted and their PR public knowledge, for various reasons. Also their performance as a tournament player does not necessarily reflect their skill as a money player or gambler. I think the greatest skill a backgammon gambler has is finding the right games. How do you put a PR on that?

6. They are gamblers and enjoy the rush of playing for money and for big stakes. Others simply enjoy playing props and different games. A lot of the big money play is now playing PaskoGammon and other props, or HachiPuro. One table was playing that one side gets to call their roll and the other side gets to move twice in a row. Pineapple Bluff Gammon was also being played. And I understand why these variations and props are more interesting because I am sure that like me, heads up money backgammon is boring and tedious compared to props, chouettes, or variations. And of course, chouettes are a lot more exciting and fun as well, and there are still some big money chouettes out there.

Is it "right" for people who don't play in the tournament to come and just play side games for money? I know that some clubs and some tournaments either don't allow this or charge a fee for these people to do this. I have mixed feelings about it, but for the world championships to have people like Gus, Sander and Svobo, and a few other big names in the game, around, is certainly a plus. And these people contribute to the game in other ways.

I do think it is not good for local clubs and smaller tournaments to allow people to come and take advantage of the venue that the TD has spent so much effort and money creating without having to at least pay something. And I do think local clubs should "protect" their regular players from sharks.

But these very high end money players are certainly not "preying" on little fish and in many ways, many of them are important contributors to the game and I would not insult them or discourage them from coming.

The fact is there is an under-the-radar backgammon community out there that only plays for money, and some for big money (it's a relative term, of course), and some times there is a cross-over between that community and the tournament community. Whether it is good or bad or right or wrong is a matter of personal opinion, but it's there and it's all part of the game.

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