Ok, I'm new to this whole thing, admittedly, but I was planning on going to the WPIWinter Cubing Day competition (just to check it out, not compete), and was looking at the prizes and was shocked. The absolute top prize in the 3x3 competition was a CubeDepot gift card worth barely more than 2x the entry fee. The top prizes for all other categories were again in gift cards, and were worth EVEN LESS than the entry fee. Is this normal? I come from the chess world, and maybe it's not comparable, but I guarantee I would not bother to attend a tournament where the top prize is a gift cert for uschess.com barely worth 2x my entry fee. And I certainly wouldn't enter a category where even if I took first place, I would lose money.
The problem with gift cards as prizes? I am already a chess player/cuber, chances are I really don't need any more equipment at this time. Some extra cash, tho, to take the wife and kids out to a celebratory dinner? Now we are talking!
Speaking of the cash, the entry fee is $12, and they are capping the event at 110 competitors, meaning they could take in up to $1,320. None of that is going back to the competitors as prize money?
I guess I was just surprised. Is this normal?
The problem with gift cards as prizes? I am already a chess player/cuber, chances are I really don't need any more equipment at this time. Some extra cash, tho, to take the wife and kids out to a celebratory dinner? Now we are talking!
Speaking of the cash, the entry fee is $12, and they are capping the event at 110 competitors, meaning they could take in up to $1,320. None of that is going back to the competitors as prize money?
I guess I was just surprised. Is this normal?