Becoming more consistent in actual matches

[Loopadoop]

When living in rural America, I would drive to a different major metro for the weekend once every couple of months and play at the clubs on Saturday and Sunday. That way I played a lot of matches with new players just for club fees, rather than tourney fees. The fees difference paid for my lodging.

 

[Ilia Minkin]

Actually, playing under a lot of pressure is a very interesting and enriching life experience, I don't mind it. I can even enjoy it. But I wish it came from something like prize money or even bragging rights rather than infrastructure issues.

 

[Der_Echte]

When I was in Russia this summer I had no pressure while competing. I just took a 20 minute bus ride, paid my 5$ fee and played matches until I couldn't stand on the floor anymore. Now compare this with an out of a state trip to play an event where only one player advances out of the group. And a gang of underrated kids is out there hungry for the blood.

True dat.

When I was in Korea, over any metro city with 500,000 or more population, you could fall out of an airplane to any random place in the city and be a 5-0 minute bike ride away from a club. There were club comps every month. The regional TT tourney circuit was either held in your city, or we carpooled there or a 30 minute bus or up to hour subway ride got you there. National TT tourneys we would carpool, sometimes I organized sponsorship for our squad and made a big trip/fun time out of it all.

I failed to discuss our infrastructure in detail but in USA, we built cities when we all had our own horses and wanted a long ride to do anything. We didn't want stuff too close. That doesn't work for a metropolis.

Sometimes you have GIANT RR events or SUPER TIER events, these are getting more popular to ensure everyone gets some value.

USA people who play sanctioned tourneys are SO WORRIED and PROTECTIVE of their ratings it is hilarious what they do.

Personally, I have been under-rated forever. I always run into old geezers my level with lower rating (or kids) and you cannot beat all 5-7 of them you face, number will catch up with you if you are evenly matched mostly.

 

[pgpg]

When I was in Russia this summer I had no pressure while competing. I just took a 20 minute bus ride, paid my 5$ fee and played matches until I couldn't stand on the floor anymore. Now compare this with an out of a state trip to play an event where only one player advances out of the group. And a gang of underrated kids is out there hungry for the blood.

I guess what you are describing is a 'visit to a club', not a 'tournament'? Or was it simply a Giant RR format? These work pretty well as far as # of matches, but even then you still have stress/pressure, since 'something' is still on the line, even if it's only your ego and bragging rights. 5$ in RU vs. 30$ per event here is a different discussion altogether: that's just purchasing power arbitrage of sorts.

 

[Ilia Minkin]

I guess what you are describing is a 'visit to a club', not a 'tournament'? Or was it simply a Giant RR format? These work pretty well as far as # of matches, but even then you still have stress/pressure, since 'something' is still on the line, even if it's only your ego and bragging rights. 5$ in RU vs. 30$ per event here is a different discussion altogether: that's just purchasing power arbitrage of sorts.

No, those are tournaments, with ratings, divisions and even some prize money. They are either Giant RR, or "elimination" (I don't know the English term) where all places are determined, i.e. if you lose, you just go down the ladder instead of leaving the tournament.