on setting up a tournament

[pdxhamfighters]

hey, I'm Charlie(Mn), long-time player/new to the forum.  I'd like host a classic RBI tournament here in Portland/OR.  never done anything like this so I figured I'd ask here first.  as far as I know there isn't much of a scene here (except for me and my roommates) so I don't know what to expect for attendance.

so yeah, how does a normal tournament go?  specifically, brackets/prize pool/other things one wouldn't expect.

I don't know if I can generate enough interest but I'd love to get this streaming live on twitch or something.  I haven't seen much streaming RBI but I would watch it all day(w/o the music tho).

thx

[fightonusc]

- First off, figure out how much you want the buy-in to be. If you don't live somewhere with an existing base of players, you'll want to go small. Probably nothing more than $20, so you can get people who "remember playing the game in school/college but haven't played in a few years but for $20 this sounds great."

- Cash prizes are great but consider getting some other "door" prizes as well. Maybe do a raffle for RBI-related stuff you find on eBay (doesn't have to be expensive at all). If you're hosting it at a bar, see if they'll kick in gift cards. (Also, if you're hosting it at a bar, see if they'll do food/drink specials since you're bringing customers to their place who will be eating and drinking for several hours.

- The number of players you have and how long you want the tournament to last should determine format. You want to make sure each person gets enough games to feel like it was worth it. Most "major" tournaments do a double elimination with Best-of-Three series. You can do that or you could set up pools (if you have a smaller number of people) so people get more games.

[pdxhamfighters]

that's helpful, thx!

are the all-stars normally allowed in tournaments?

[broiler]

years ago i held a weekly at a bar and just did single elimination but it was very casual, no entry fee, no prizes.  the bar offered every fourth pitcher of beer for free.  it started with 4 people but we grew to 8 in a couple weeks and by the end we were getting a bunch of people and just playing random games.

[fightonusc]

that's helpful, thx!

are the all-stars normally allowed in tournaments?

Typically not.

[ultimate7]

that's helpful, thx!

are the all-stars normally allowed in tournaments?

I would not eliminate them, they are no better than Detroit/Boston

[Gantry]

All-Stars is usually a toss up, totally up to the person in charge. 

[BeefMaster]

that's helpful, thx!

are the all-stars normally allowed in tournaments?

Here are the rules used by the Championship of the Universe Tournament (COTUT), which is generally regarded as the premier RBI tournament in the nation.  They disallow all-stars, although like ultimate7 said, they're not THAT much of an advantage - I think NL is the best team in the game, but not tremendously better than Detroit, and AL is similar in quality to Detroit, California, and Boston.  If you've got some guys interested, maybe just check with them beforehand and see if there's a consensus.

[BeefMaster]

I don't think there's much of a northwest presence among Dee-Nee regulars, but if anyone knows folks in that area, might be worth giving them a heads-up on Facebook or something.  You could also publicize it through stuff like fliers in bars or maybe a store that sells used games.

[Gantry]

I agree wholeheartedly with fighton about keeping the entry fee low to entice people and casual fans to come out. 

I really think the COTUT does it best by the way to pick teams.