This is all assuming that I am actively playing.
So basic questions here considering P9 are individually $800-$1200 these days for Moxen/blue power:
1. How far would you travel for a tournament that offered a P9 as a prize?
2.5 hours. This is usually what it takes to get to Top Deck Games from Long Island.
2. How much would you pay in an entry fee?
$25
$30
$50?
If I'm going to play in a tournament, it's not so much about the entry fee. I've purchased the VIP package at Eternal Weekend every year and if I wasn't the organizer for the NYSE Open, I'd pay $100 for entry.
3a. Would you be ok with a $ cap (for example $900) and ordering the p9 of your choice from ebay on the spot upon winning or would you prefer to have a specific P9 card already in store?
3b. How do you feel about P9 "dependent on turn out"?
No. I want the cards on hand. I don't think that fakes are as prevalent as we may have once feared they'd be, but there is something to be said for playing in an event, knowing what you're playing for beforehand, and walking out with the card that day. I think it's important to have the support on hand. You don't want to be following up with guys weeks after their win.
4. What about prize support for 2-4? What are the expectations for these spots?
When you're running an event at a shop, typically the store will take 10-20% for their cut. If the store doesn't provide you with a judge, you need to account for having a judge on hand (usually another $75). Finally, the tournament organizer should make something for the event because:
1. Organizing events is not a charity.
2. Guaranteed prizes means an assumption of risk.
I gave out a Beta Jet at a 13 man tournament. I gave out an Unlimited Time Walk and an Unlimited Ancestral Recall at a 29 man event. Losses happen, and they're not fun. The organizer should be able to make a modest profit when the events they run are successful.
Realistically, somewhere between 60-70% of your entry fees will go towards the support, 10-20% will go towards the venue, and the remainder will be split between you and a judge.
The steady rise in value of power is terrible, terrible news for tournament organizers. The basic economics of a Lotus tournament make it prohibitively expensive.
Consider this hypothetical:
You're a tournament organizer, and you announce a Lotus tournament. You acquire an Unlimited Black Lotus at a good deal, $2,500. You find a venue that will charge you 10% of paid entries. You find a judge who knows the format and will work for $75 for the day.
In order to pay for the Lotus, judge, and venue, you need 58 players, who all paid the $50 entry fee. There is no second place prize. And, remember, 58 players entering your event leaves you with a $35 prize for second place, unless you intended on paying yourself.
The sad reality is that Lotus tournaments are now virtually impossible. I run one per year. Calvin runs one per year. Coss runs one event a year where the prize is worth more than a Lotus. For the U.S., that's it. It's a huge commitment, both for the organizers and the players. If you're going to run a Lotus tournament, you need to commit to making it really, really big, because you can't just give away that Lotus. The only way to pay for that Lotus is to either charge a higher entry fee ($100 at the NYSE Open) or create a model where you're going to draw many, many more players to chip in towards that Lotus. Something has to give.
I didn't intend for this to be an exploration on the dearth of Lotus tournaments, but here we are.
Regardless, good luck organizing events.