[McBruce]

(what? I have to put in a message as well?)

[inquiry]

Up until it starts, you can always withdraw by reclickiing the registration button. If there aren't enough registered for you, duck out before it starts.

[barmar]

It hard to tell precisely when the tournament is going to start, so I usually duck out at about the 2 minute mark. But if others were waiting until the last minute to register, we lose out.

I like the "minimum entries" dialogue idea, and also think the TD should be able to set a minimum. Instead of canceling the tourney if the minimum is not met, it can keep registration open for a while. This is basically an automated version of what I frequently see TDs doing: if registration is low at the 1-3 minute mark, they push back the start time in the hope of getting more people to sign up, and repeat this a few times. So they should be able to set a start time range with a minimum number of tables, and the tourney would only be cancelled if the minimum was not met by the end of the range.

[sceptic]

my pet peeve is when they keep adding time whilst you are waiting to join a tourney because they want to raise extra cash.

in fact it is extremely irritating and yes I am aware that you can pull out of an indy, it is not quite so easy when you have a pick up P, I would consider it rude just to quit as the other person may not be able to get another partner in time

[guggie]

Hear hear. I recently posted about it (payed tournaments trick on starting time) . I unsubscribed, but as you say, Thats more difficult with a p.

[keylime]

It might indicate a larger problem - too many paid tourneys.

[hallway]

The BIL has a policy of "we start on time"

That does not always happen though , if I am in the process of helping someone I will add a couple of extra minutes . Or if trying to get a couple of extras to make up a table - when you have very small table numbers but still want to reward the players one does need full tables to start with.

When Vugraph is on registration takes ages to come through.

If someone can explain to me why people leave it until the last couple of minutes to register I would be eternally grateful - that is something I just cannot figure out. One reminds them in plenty of time and 5 minutes out hardly a sole in sight, then a rush in the last couple of minutes.

Conversly there are those who register early go off line and do not come back online until 2 minutes before only to find the software has dropped them.

I would like to think that all BIL tournaments would start within a 3 minute window. I don't think players should find that too onerous.

We have trialled capping numbers 5 minutes from the start and it would appear to have some validity so we will pursue that.

[luke warm]

i think it should be a rule, built into the software maybe... if the starting time is 7:30, the tourney starts at 7:30... pretty soon all the people who wait till the last minute will stop doing so...

[epeeist]

hallway, on Jul 24 2005, 12:02 AM, said:

....
If someone can explain to me why people leave it until the last couple of minutes to register I would be eternally grateful - that is something I just cannot figure out. One reminds them in plenty of time and 5 minutes out hardly a sole in sight, then a rush in the last couple of minutes.
....

Since you asked, I'll take a stab at explaining MY reasons...

Often, there are several tournaments all starting around the same time. Whether pay or free.

My preference is almost always to play in a tournament (including e.g. total points) with a "friend". So waiting for friends to return (from "will be right back") or finish tournaments they're already in, possibly login (since many others only login close to when a tournament may start) etc. means sometimes registration is last minute.

My second preference is usually to sub in a tournament -- because it's a help, and usually then both partner and I are relaxed, if we do well great, if not, okay. Many of my "friends" were "met" while subbing. Of course, subbing is inapplicable to your question of registration.

For free tournaments, I'm a bit less picky, but for pay tournaments I don't generally like to pay to play unless it's with a friend, OR it's an individual (and I'm in the mood to play in an individual, not too many "enemies" already registered, etc.).

In any event, checking between all the possibilities, such as playing in an individual, or playing with a "pick-up" partner in a free tournament all take a few minutes to check between. And, especially since my preference is to play with a friend, I will tend to wait until the last minute to see if a friend who "will be right back" returns, or finishes the tournament they're in that's on the last board, or (etc.).

[AAr]

In seeing this poll:

I really think a Dialog Box is best, but what I think is that, assuming you do this in the first round before making your first bid, if you drop from a pay tournament because it doesn't have enough tables, you should not be penalixed as this counting as a "Disconnect" towards blacklisting or other penalties, but you don't get a refund. That's my opinion.