| |
BGonline.org Forums
In defense of DC local cheapskates
Posted By: Barry Silliman In Response To: Participation in ABT events..Apr-June 08 vs this year. (Coolrey)
Date: Thursday, 11 June 2009, at 3:55 a.m.
Ray, since when did participation at ABT events become mandatory?
Is Bob Koca obligated to attend all backgammon tournaments henceforth because he was fortunate enough to win a lot of money last year? Bob has shown his willingness to spend large amounts of travel money to travel to tourneys in Las Vegas, California, Europe and elsewhere. Maybe he saw a system he didn't like and took a principled stand in the hopes that that type of discount is not perpetuated in the future. Or maybe as a mathematician he just didn't like the idea of paying a 24% rake.
I was on the fence about attending that tournament well before the registration discount "gimmick" was announced.
I do not have unlimited funds. I work in the rapidly vanishing private sector, I will not have a generous retirement pension, I do not get paid overtime so I cannot earn tens of thousands of dollars in overtime each year, I cannot claim disability upon retirement to get an additional disability payment on top of my pension, I'm not in a public union so I can't get promoted on the day I retire so that my pension formula is calculated on a salary I had for one day. I've read about places and occupations where these types of things are quite common.
So I was not quite comfortable to begin with in paying $500 for an entry fee. I have only played at the Open level three times and I am comfortable with the ~$250 Open fee charged at most ABT events. I also know of some local intermediate level players who are comfortable paying ~$125 for Advanced but not ~$250 and may not have attended. People are still allowed to vote with their wallet in what is left of our free market.
I stayed at the Marriott at the group rate in Towson for two nights in October even though I could have commuted there comfortably. I like to support the directors when possible. It is closer and easier to get to Towson for me than to where the U.S. Open was. Had I played in the US Open I would have had no qualms about staying two nights at the Doubletree.
(While we're criticizing everybody, should we call out players who stay at nearby hotels that are cheaper, or who use rewards points to stay for free?)
I did not like the idea of being effectively coerced into a third night. Do you want to call me out as cheap alongside Koca for feeling that way? Go right ahead. Before you do, maybe you should survey some of the local DC players and find out if I have ever asked for a dime of the money I have spent on the Post Office Box, the Web Host Provider, the Internet Domain Name, supplies for brackets and score sheets and pens over the past 9 years that I have been running the Beltway Club. (Full disclosure: I did take a very minimal rake in Maryland that did not come close to covering my costs but I have been paying out 100% since we moved our venue to Virginia two years ago).
Maybe ABT attendance also suffers when there are stories of thefts or two-hour disputes or someone welching on a chouette payout coming out of every tournament.
Maybe ABT attendance suffers when those players who may not be as good as the ruling elite have a hot streak and then they get made fun of on this forum, e.g. as Al Faller did after his Last Chance win in Pittsburgh.
Maybe ABT attendance suffers when the #2 All-Time ABT points leader thinks he can discern the motives of every local player who did not attend and disparages them with statements that they are beyond cheap or that they shouldn't like what they see when they look in the mirror. Or when the #2 ABT points leaders impugns the motives of the #1 ABT points leader for not attending.
| |
BGonline.org Forums is maintained by Stick with WebBBS 5.12.