Backgammon Online

25-Jan-2010
23:18 PST

Your site runs well as is but to increase your paying members you might offer an interesting option incentive.

I have helped run real international tournaments in the past and can see a "fun" possibility here. You could likely double or triple your paying members if you offer something like this. The annual fee of $19.95 includes all the present benefits as well as 4 yearly tournaments(quarterly) with cash prizes. These tournaments are only available to paying members and Zoo takes one dollar out of the annual fee and applies it to the tournament prizes and pay 4 prize winners using the same format you use now. Thus, 25 players enter, 4 prizes might be 50% to winner, 25% to runner up and 12.5% to 3rd and 4th or 15% to third and 10% to fourth. Prizes can be paid to the credit card so no account balances are created. I suggest the tourneys will be well attended and yet they are still for fun($1 is not much taken from the annual fee) and still leaves Zoo with the extra amounts ($15.95)from many more players. If 200 players enter, same % but now prizes become very interesting for a $1 entry. If you maintain the same membership fee you keep all the members you have and will add many more. Keep the amounts small and it still is a "FUN" tournament with little prizes. The remaining 8 months of the year would hold the regular free non-paying tournaments for everyone to attend.

Without the cube these tournaments give everyone a chance so all level of players could be interested.

Is this possible or is a special license needed? Any others interested?

26-Jan-2010
08:10 PST

Sounds like a great idea. Any time there's a monetary prize, I think the likelihood of more players increases. And that's a good thing for everyone involved.

My only comment on tournaments in general is that I'd like to see ZE put their energies into perfecting the use of the doubling cube first. That way, rather than playing only three games against each opponent in the current round robin format, it could be a race to a set number of points. Perhaps its only 3 or 4 points for the first round, 7 for the second round, and 11 or more for subsequent rounds. My hunch is that games will go quicker with the use of the cube as more people will resign rather than have the game drag out to the bitter end. That reminds me of another question . . .

26-Jan-2010
09:18 PST

When you're way behind with no chance of winning or being gammoned (even with double sixes the rest of the way, but don't go there), do you resign to speed up play or play it out to the bitter end?

I opt to resign, but I don't see many others doing the same. Just a thought...

28-Jan-2010
00:48 PST

Don't know if there is any interest here as it seems to me a good incentive to participate in a possible cash prize for buying a membership.

31-Jan-2010
09:46 PST

Good idea! Yes I'm interested.

05-Feb-2010
05:01 PST

I'm all for it.

06-Feb-2010
07:35 PST

Nice, I like the idea