Making Live Tournaments More Fun and Successful

by Phil Simborg
9 June 2009

Phil Simborg

I go to a lot of live backgammon tournaments. I have been doing so for many years. Most of the time now, however, I only go if the location and timing are convenient for me. I don't go because I am "extremely excited" to go. I think that's true of a lot of people, and I think the attendance (at least in the US) proves I am right.

What keeps me and others from being excited? From going to many or most of the tournaments? There are some obvious reasons:

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Subject: Re: Making Live Tournaments More Fun and Successful

From: datadwarf

Date: 10 Jun 2009 05:32 EST

Hi Phil,

Do I hear you volunteering to setup and maintain an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of these lovely points, et cetera, that you propose?

Just asking.

Jim Slomkoski

Subject: Re: Making Live Tournaments More Fun and Successful

From: PhilSimborg Member has a photo available

Date: 10 Jun 2009 06:24 EST

David Rockwell has volunteered, and I am willing to help, and many others as well. In addition, I have recommended that $5 be charged to every tournament entry: half to pay someone to maintain the database and website, and the other half to be divided up and given back to players who attend 6 events or more a year.

Your point is well-taken: there are many who are willing to criticize and offer ideas and few willing to take on work and responsibility. I have done and am willing to do both.

For example, I felt that backgammon was not being promoted well in the city of Chicago. For the past 10 years I have run ads alerting the public to our presence; I offer free lessons to beginners; I have paid for their first tournament entry; I have set up and run tournaments for children; and Carter and I established a new club in Chicago this year that is averaging about 18 to 20 people every week and we give free entry and free lessons to newcommers. By the way, we make no money from the club and come out of pocket to offer more prizes.

So yes, I am willing to do more than just make suggestions and criticize. What are you doing to help promote backgammon in your area?

Subject: Re: Making Live Tournaments More Fun and Successful

From: PhilSimborg Member has a photo available

Date: 10 Jun 2009 11:16 EST

There are many of us out there with the desire, skills, and time to help keep the records and advance the cause of backgammon beyond what the ABT is now doing. Here, for example, is an offer from Eric Barr, co-founder of the US Backgammon League:

"Hi Phil,

Just wanted to say that I really like your ideas that you've sent in the last couple emails. Lower entry fees, spreading the prize money, more points awarded...all these sound great. I hope that Bill and others will adopt some of them.

One idea that occurred to me is that you could start tracking your own point system and/or ratings system "unofficially" based on results of ABT tournaments just to demonstrate to others what the differences would be. I guess that means you'd need to get full results brackets from ABT directors though.

If I can help with anything, let me know. In particular, you mentioned maintaining a Web site. Web site programming is what I do for a living. I built the USBL site, which tracks results, points, and ratings for the USBL. In order to track ratings, every match result must be entered, so we can then output those in neat reports: http://www.usbackgammon.org/playerInfo.php?playerID=1&name=Eric%20Barr&sortdir=ASC&sortby=formatDate So I may be able to help in that area if you need it.

Good luck Phil!"

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