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BGonline.org Forums
Message from an anonymous players to the community
Posted By: Daniel Murphy In Response To: Message from an anonymous players to the community (Chiva Tafazzoli)
Date: Tuesday, 5 June 2012, at 6:42 p.m.
Having read that, I summarize, and summarize the summary, in order to be clear on what the anonymous author was actually proposing:
Summary:
Anonymous does not attend ABT tournaments because he can't afford them.
The size of the pool of potential ABT players is fixed: "There are only so many backgammon players available to draw from for ABT events."
Not quite fixed: One should differentiate between
(A) efforts that merely reallocate tournament attendance among current players, and
(B) efforts that grow the backgammon community, resulting directly or indirectly in increased tournament attendance.
Lower rakes at all tournament would not increase attendance. Lower rakes at some tournaments would only increase attendance at those tournaments at the expense of attendance at the other tournaments.
Higher entry fees, which increase prize pools [if they do not unduly reduce attendance], might be a good idea but would be attractive only to those who can afford the higher fees and and those who rate to win. Something about "help[ing] those players that really don’t have the ability to win consistently to help offset the expenses of the weekend."
The question is asked: Who should take responsibility for growing the backgammon community? USBGF? ABT? Bill Davis? ABT TD's? Local club directors? All players? Carol Joy Cole? Xavier Dufaure de Citres? The answer is not clear.
Promoting backgammon in "the colleges, high schools, coffee shops" and "introducing people to the game" will grow backgammon.
A proposal is made: tack on a $10 fee per player at every tournament, which is collected by someone and used by someone to do that sort of promotion.
A proposal is made: something about a "non prize pool event at an ABT stop" as suggested by Phil Simborg. As an example, a proposal is made: "a 5pt single elimination tour with a $5 to $10 entry fee" and no prizes except trophies.
Summary of the summary:
Backgammon will not grow unless efforts are made to attract new, novice players, thus increasing the pool of players. Otherwise, changes making some tournaments more attractive only reallocate attendance among existing players and tournaments.
Such efforts can be done by anyone at colleges, high schools and local clubs. The cost of such efforts could be paid for by a fee charged to players attending ABT tournaments, with someone redistributing that money to someone else.
A low-entry event with no prizes except trophies at ABT tournaments might also attract new players.
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