For a student union
Pool tournaments for a student union or games room
Very large, very variable turnout, almost no budget, and a crowd that turns over completely every three years.
| Tables | 2–8 |
|---|---|
| Usual buy-in | Free or $2 |
| Best night | Wednesday |
The problem
You might get eight people or fifty, and you will not know which until the night. A bracket has to be built for a known number; this one does not.
A plan that works here
- Three strikes, specifically because it does not care how many turn up. Eight or forty-eight, same format, no restructuring.
- Free or nearly free entry, with a prize that is not cash — bar credit, a trophy that stays in the union.
- Run multiple tables with separate rotations rather than one enormous one. Forty people on one table is a twenty-minute wait between turns.
- Put the QR card on every table. A student crowd will scan it without being asked.
What actually matters in this room
No player cap
The one feature that actually matters when turnout is unpredictable.
Free tier
There is no budget. There is never a budget.
QR strike card
The crowd most likely to use it and least likely to ask a human.
A run sheet you can steal
Sized for 2–8 and a Free or $2 buy-in on Wednesday. Shift the clock to suit your own closing time; the gaps between the rows are what matter.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| T−30 | Sign-ups open. Names down, money in. Nothing starts until the pot is complete. |
| T−5 | Entries close. Say the pot out loud. State the three rules that cause arguments: scratch, slop, and the free break. |
| T | Draw the order in front of everyone, then break. |
| T+45 | Roughly half the field has a strike or two. This is when the room is fullest. |
| T+90 | Down to the last few. Put a shot clock on if it is dragging. |
| End | Pay out in front of people, and announce the next one before anybody leaves. |
The verdict
The best stress test a format can get. If it works with forty students and no money, it works anywhere.
If three strikes is not right for this room
It usually is, because it is the only common format that does not care how many people turn up. But if your crowd is small or very mixed, scotch doubles pairs strong players with beginners, and golf pool needs no pool knowledge at all. The full ranking is here.