I have ran a few tournaments here in southern michigan, although it be not a great location, I always have trouble with getting a good turn out. I normally always put something hard down, not the china, could this be why? I charge $50 to bowl, with a 1-4 cash ratio, and the house gets a $1.50 per game. 5 game block, cut to 8 (with less than 32) or 16 (more than 32). Almost always paying the top 8. I run high game pots and high best 3 game series pots - always paying 1st and 2nd.

My dilemma is this - I have a friend who will run another tourney at a house not 15 minutes away and draw 50-60 ppl, and this house is not in the best of shape, or let's just say a hole. Now, he only charges $25 bucks and then runs $5 brackets, limit 4 on the side. Now, I won the last tourney he had - paid 150, won 3 of the 4 brackets for a additional 75 and 1st and 2nd in dbls for another 65, I know 290 is decent money for about 3 hours of work, but it was on the china and I averaged 253.666 on this. I am about the integrity of the game and want to see someone rewarded for bowling good on the tough stuff.

Please give your thoughts on things I could do to draw more ppl......

Lot's of people like to bowl on the easy shots. Maybe you can take a poll of the people that you get to find out what they want. I was in Lima,Oh two weekend ago and the shot was a bit of a challenge and most people I knew said it was a waste of time. I think that they were expecting the THS and were disappointed. Sometimes you have to crawl before you walk. Also $50 is alot of money in this economic time. I think lots of people would like pay thier money, make good shots,score average to above, and leave feeling that they had somewhat of a chance to win. On the flip side to pay $50, get in brackets, high game pots, high game series, and bowl like crap because the shot was a little harder than expected would leave a bad taste in one's mouth. Let me ask you a question. Do you think if you put on your flyer that it would be more than just the THS that would run people off ? I have never ran a tournament that's why I'm asking. Good Luck

Carlos - I have put out flyers and I do feel that IT DID run people off not being the normal THS.

SPMC - I have considered the 25 instead of 50 and just making it a 3 game set and then cutting to 8 or 16 depending on the turn out. Then if they want to put their money into pots, so be it.

After doing some quick math - If I had it at $25, got 60 people and everyone got in everything - and 1 guy gets hot,he could make over $900. Problem being, I will not get 60 people to get into everything.

ttt