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"Sandbagger Intermediates" Exist Because...

Posted By: Phil Simborg
Date: Saturday, 2 June 2018, at 1:25 p.m.

In Response To: "Sandbagger Intermediates" Exist Because... (ScottJ)

I completely understand and agree with Scott's thinking. I have had 46 students who have won the Intermediate Division in the ABT over the past 12 years, and many of them rarely go to tournaments anymore because they (correctly) feel like they have to spend a lot of money to play in the Open Division and have very little chance to cash.

I know there are many, other than just my students, who feel this way.

There are several solutions, but they are all drastic changes from the status quo, and as a result every one of these solutions has and will be violently rejected by the old guard that run tournaments and run the federations around the world. In fact, when I suggest these changes they even get angry and suggest we are trying to ruin the game or that I don't have respect for the history and tradition of tournament backgammon.

Times change and we need to find more ways to attract and keep more players, and this is clearly one area that needs fixing.

The possible fixes are not brain surgery, but again, they have been and will continue to be rejected so it's a tough fight.

Here are some possible fixes:

1. Until a person cashes in the Open, they should be able to enter with a reduced entry fee. If they cash once, it can go up some, but not necessarily all the way (unless they win a major tournament);

2. Allow people to move up to the open, but after playing in X amount of tournaments without cashing, allow them to drop back down into Intermediate;

3. Once we get enough players, have a division between Intermediate and Open, at least at the bigger events;

4. Have two classifications of open players, Professional and Open, and while they all compete in the same division, have separate side pools for the two groups so that the lower level players can compete just against players of their levels for the side pools.

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