What is the "best" prize ratio for Legacy events?

[umbowta]

After reading a few of the more recent comments regarding prize layout in the Meandeck tourney thread I feel the need to find out what people are actually thinking. What is the best prize layout? Is it top heavy or is it more even? Does prize support need to be extended deep into the top 8?

My goal when putting together a prize layout is
1) attract the most people to the format as possible.
2) try to cover my/the store's initial cost on prizes.
3) provide prizes that make people want to come back.

At $10 entry with 14-16 players expected, this usually means:
1st= approx $80-90
2nd= approx $50-60
3rd=entry fee returned
4th=entry fee returned
(We are just breaking even here)


At $20 entry i.e., the Feb. Mox tourney were trying:
1st=Mox Ruby
2nd= approx $80-90 value
3rd/4th= approx $50 value
5th-8th=approx $30 value
(thats about $500-600 in prizes gauranteed at 16 players...we will lose money if only 16 show up)



Is this conducive to building a community of players, which I feel is the most important thing overall, or does something need to change?

[Obfuscate Freely]

I pretty much try to avoid any tournament that doesn't give out prizes to everyone who makes the elimination rounds. Unless there are fewer than 16 people, you should be cutting to a Top 8, so there should be prizes to everyone in that Top 8.

Breaking into the elimination rounds of any sort of meaningful tournament is an accomplishment, and thus should be worth the price of entry at the very least.

[TeenieBopper]

Breaking into the elimination rounds of any sort of meaningful tournament is an accomplishment, and thus should be worth the price of entry at the very least.

QFT.

Granted, people remember the guy who won the tourney, but the real accomplishment is breaking into top 8. That shows a higher degree of consistency than getting a good match-up in the quarters and lucksacking in the semi's.

You know what's widely regarded as the most impressive feat in World Series of Poker history? It's not Doyle's winning back to back, it's Dan Harrington making the final table in the main event two years in a row against two huge fields. If I remember correctly, he's never won a main event.

[umbowta]

So, provided there is a cut to top 8, Anyone who makes the top 8 should recieve some sort of prize?

Hypothetically then, 16 players at $10 entry would pool $160 for total prizeout (assuming the store doesn't take a cut). What division of the total pool would be most attractive to players in general?

Would this be right?

1] $60
2] $30
3/4] $15
5-8]$10

[TeenieBopper]

So, provided there is a cut to top 8, Anyone who makes the top 8 should recieve some sort of prize?

Hypothetically then, 16 players at $10 entry would pool $160 for total prizeout (assuming the store doesn't take a cut). What division of the total pool would be most attractive to players in general?

Would this be right?

1] $60
2] $30
3/4] $15
5-8]$10

Hypothetically, those numbers would be correct, however, small, local tourneys like that and legacy equivalents to regional tourneys (D4D, Kadi's DLD, Big Arse, etc) are completely different. For a tournament that small, I'd probably only award top 4 following the 4/2/1/1 guideline. I'd think that at least 32 people would have to show in order to do an 8/4/2/2/1/1/1/1 structure.

[umbowta]

Hypothetically, those numbers would be correct, however, small, local tourneys like that and legacy equivalents to regional tourneys (D4D, Kadi's DLD, Big Arse, etc) are completely different. For a tournament that small, I'd probably only award top 4 following the 4/2/1/1 guideline. I'd think that at least 32 people would have to show in order to do an 8/4/2/2/1/1/1/1 structure.
Where can I find these guidelines of which you speak. And, the more important question, how do we turn a small 16 player tournament into 25+ players?

The store we've been holding these at (Pandemonium) can easily hold 100 or more players in their tournament room. I would personally like to see that place at least half full of Legacy players at least once.

[mikekelley]

You need to advertise the hell out of it, and have a great prize.

[Complete_Jank]

At our local weekly tourneys, it is broken down in a manner that drops lower and lower even past 8th.

A $6 entry and a 30 person tourney payout would look similar to this:
35-30-25-25-15-15-10-10-5-5

A $6 entry and a 50 person tourney payout would look similar to this:
50-40-30-30-25-25-20-20-15-15-10-10-5-5

Payout is the total entry divided amongst the top 20%~25% of the field, and the winner takes about 15%~20% of the prize.

We don't play out top 8 of the weekly tourneys because they start at 6:30 pm.

[TeenieBopper]

Where can I find these guidelines of which you speak. And, the more important question, how do we turn a small 16 player tournament into 25+ players?

The store we've been holding these at (Pandemonium) can easily hold 100 or more players in their tournament room. I would personally like to see that place at least half full of Legacy players at least once.

These aren't like published or sanctioned guidelines by WotC or anything, just things that I've picked up over the years of playing.

As for how to turn a 16 man tourney into a large one... well, for a local tourney, your only hope is basically to get lucky. For a "regional" tourney, you need a big prize. Like D4D or a dual land draft, and you have to be confident that you'll get the people to support it because you have to guarantee prize support. Something else I've learned; if you're not confident that people are going to show up, neither will the people who actually want to show up.

[Firebrothers]

I think if you want more people to come you have to tell the players that regularly show up. Tell them to bring some new people, give them some insentive to bring someone, like a free soda or $1 off or whatever. The players know other people that play mtg so ask them.

[al the great]

5 dollar entry fee you get 5 booster packs in the store i go to.

They have a tournament everyday if no one shows up you automatically get 5 booster packs for 5 dollars which I do take advantage of.

You dont want the boosters then trade them in for 15-20 bux worth of stuff.