It pays out

Prize structure in MTG tournaments

TO

Questions that come to mind

• Is there a difference between Reg and Comp ?• What’s the difference ?• How far do we stretch the prizes ?• What’s a nice 1st place prize ?• Do we give prizes before or after playoffs ?• What should the prize structure look like ?

MAGIC INFRACTION PROCEDURE GUIDE

• 1.1. DEFINITION OF RULES ENFORCEMENT LEVEL (REL) • Rules Enforcement Level is a means to communicate to the players and judges what expectations they can have of the event in terms of

rigidity of rules enforcement, technically correct play, and procedures used. • The REL of an event will increase based on the prizes awarded and the distance a player may be expected to travel. People who travel

further are often more competitive and are likely to desire more precise adherence to rules and procedures. The REL of the event should reflect this.

• Regular • Regular events are focused on fun and social aspects, not enforcement. Most tournaments are run at this level unless they offer

sizeable prizes or invitations. Players are expected to know most of the game rules, may have heard of policy and what is “really bad”, but generally play in a fashion similar to the way he or she does at home. Players are still responsible for following the rules, but the focus is on education and sportsmanship over technically precise play. Handling infractions in these tournaments is covered by the Judging at Regular REL document.

• Competitive • Competitive events are usually those with significant cash prizes or invitations awarded to Professional events. Players are expected to

know the game’s rules—but not to a technically detailed level—and be familiar with the policies and procedures, but unintentional errors are not punished severely. These are events that protect the interests of all players by providing event integrity while also recognizing that not all players are intimately familiar with Professional-level event structure, proper procedures, and rules.

• Professional • Professional level events offer large cash awards, prestige, and other benefits that draw players from great distances. These events hold

players to a higher standard of behavior and technically correct play than Competitive events.

* Disqualification

MAGIC: THE GATHERING® TOURNAMENT RULES

• 5.2 Collusion and Bribery • The decision to drop, concede, or agree to an intentional draw cannot be made in exchange for or influenced by the offer of any reward

or incentive. Making such an offer is prohibited. Unless the player receiving such an offer calls for a judge immediately, both players will be penalized in the same manner.

• Players are allowed to share prizes they have not yet received in the current tournament as they wish and may agree as such before or during their match, as long as any such sharing does not occur in exchange for any game or match result or the dropping of a player from the tournament. As an exception, players in the announced last round of the single-elimination portion of a tournament may agree to divide tournament prizes as they wish. In that case, one of the players at each table must agree to drop from the tournament. Players are then awarded prizes according to their resulting ranking.

• The result of a match or game may not be randomly or arbitrarily determined through any means other than the normal progress of the game in play. Examples include (but are not limited to) rolling a die, flipping a coin, arm wrestling, or playing any other game.

• Players may not reach an agreement in conjunction with other matches. Players can make use of information regarding match or game scores of other tables. However, players are not allowed to leave their seats during their match or go to great lengths to obtain this information.

• Players in the single-elimination rounds of a tournament offering only cash and/or unopened product as prizes may, with the permission of the Tournament Organizer, agree to split the prizes evenly. The players may end the tournament at that point, or continue to play. All players still in the tournament must agree to the arrangement.

• Example: Before the semifinals of a tournament (in which first place gets 12 packs, second place gets 8 packs and 3rd and 4th get 4 packs each) begins, the players may get permission from the Tournament Organizer to end the tournament, with each player receiving 7 packs.

Points Rank

9 1

6 2

6 3

6 4

3 5

3 6

3 7

0 8

Prizes

8

4

Prizes

4

3

2

2

Prizes

3

2

2

2

1

1

1

Booster Players Points

11 1 12

6 4 9

3 6 6

4 3

1 0

53

Booster Players Points

11 2 12

6 4 9

3 6 6

4 3

1 0

64

16 Players 17 Players *Paired-down always wins

Prizes before/after Playoffs

Before

• People can leave• Ranking matters

After

• Ranking is the start• Playoff matters• IDs

Prizes after Top 8

Moving on…

Let’s make a Tournament

Gettem while it lasts

From top to bottom, till all boosters are gone…

18 points (6 wins) gets 10 Boosters(Can’t have 17 points)16 points gets 8 Boosters15 points (5 wins) gets 7 Boosters14 points gets 5 Boosters13 points gets 4 Boosters12 points (4 wins) gets the rest (if there are left)

Boosters Points Name Rank

8 16 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

4 13 Lotan, Raz 2

4 13 Ben Ner, Amir 3

4 13 Guterman, Dean 4

4 13 Orel, Eyal 5

3 12 Simchi, Omri 6

3 12 Ayalon, Guy 7

3 12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

11 Danieli, Niv 9

11 Amiaz, Rom 10

11 Kaplun, Daniel 11

10 Arroyo, Oran 12

9 Havron, Boaz 13

9 Faran, Ido 14

9 Hackmey, Daniel 15

9 Cohen, Elnathan 16

9 Etinzon, Nadav 17

Gettem while it lasts

Pros:

People know the prize structure in advance.

Usually works well.

Saves us calculations during the event.

Gettem while it lasts

Cons:

Requires us to decide the number of rounds in advance/have plans for different number of rounds.

Might require adjustment.

12 points might get more prizes than 13-14.

Prizes might run down very fast:

Boosters Points Name Rank

18 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

15 Lotan, Raz 2

15 Ben Ner, Amir 3

15 Guterman, Dean 4

15 Orel, Eyal 5

12 Simchi, Omri 6

12 Ayalon, Guy 7

12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

12 Danieli, Niv 9

12 Amiaz, Rom 10

12 Kaplun, Daniel 11

12 Arroyo, Oran 12

9 Havron, Boaz 13

9 Faran, Ido 14

9 Hackmey, Daniel 15

9 Cohen, Elnathan 16

9 Etinzon, Nadav 17

Boosters Points Name Rank

10 18 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

7 15 Lotan, Raz 2

7 15 Ben Ner, Amir 3

7 15 Guterman, Dean 4

2 15 Orel, Eyal 5

12 Simchi, Omri 6

12 Ayalon, Guy 7

12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

12 Danieli, Niv 9

12 Amiaz, Rom 10

12 Kaplun, Daniel 11

12 Arroyo, Oran 12

9 Havron, Boaz 13

9 Faran, Ido 14

9 Hackmey, Daniel 15

9 Cohen, Elnathan 16

9 Etinzon, Nadav 17

Boosters Points Name Rank

10 18 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

6 15 Lotan, Raz 2

6 15 Ben Ner, Amir 3

6 15 Guterman, Dean 4

5 15 Orel, Eyal 5

12 Simchi, Omri 6

12 Ayalon, Guy 7

12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

12 Danieli, Niv 9

12 Amiaz, Rom 10

12 Kaplun, Daniel 11

12 Arroyo, Oran 12

9 Havron, Boaz 13

9 Faran, Ido 14

9 Hackmey, Daniel 15

9 Cohen, Elnathan 16

9 Etinzon, Nadav 17

1Point=X Boosters

• 16+13+13+13+13+12+12+12+11+11+11+10+9+9+9+9+9+8+8+8+7+7+6+6+6+4+4+3+3+3+0+0+0=265 Points

• 265 Points = 33 Boosters• 1 Point = 33/265 Boosters = 0.1245

Boosters

• At least 9 points for a booster( 9 Points = 1.12 Boosters)

Boosters Points Name Rank

1 16 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

1 13 Lotan, Raz 2

1 13 Ben Ner, Amir 3

1 13 Guterman, Dean 4

1 13 Orel, Eyal 5

1 12 Simchi, Omri 6

1 12 Ayalon, Guy 7

1 12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

1 11 Danieli, Niv 9

1 11 Amiaz, Rom 10

1 11 Kaplun, Daniel 11

1 10 Arroyo, Oran 12

1 9 Havron, Boaz 13

1 9 Faran, Ido 14

1 9 Hackmey, Daniel 15

1 9 Cohen, Elnathan 16

1 9 Etinzon, Nadav 17

16 remaining boosters

1Point=X Boosters

• 16+13+13+13+13+12+12+12+11+11+11+10+9+9+9+9+9=192 Points

• 192 Points = 33 Boosters• 1 Point = 33/192 Boosters = 0.17

Boosters• 9 Points = 1.54 Boosters

(Rounded down = 1 Booster)

1Point=X Boosters

• 16+13+13+13+13+12+12+12+11+11+11+10=147 Points

• 147 Points = 28 Boosters• 1 Point = 28/147 Boosters = 0.19

Boosters• 10 Points = 1.9 Boosters

(Rounded down = 1 Booster)

1Point=X Boosters

• 16+13+13+13+13+12+12+12+11+11+11=137 Points

• 137 Points = 27 Boosters• 1 Point = 27/137 Boosters = 0.197

Boosters• 11 Points = 2.16 Boosters

(Rounded down = 2 Booster)

17 out of 33Boosters Points Name Rank

7 16 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

2 13 Lotan, Raz 2

2 13 Ben Ner, Amir 3

2 13 Guterman, Dean 4

2 13 Orel, Eyal 5

2 12 Simchi, Omri 6

2 12 Ayalon, Guy 7

2 12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

2 11 Danieli, Niv 9

2 11 Amiaz, Rom 10

2 11 Kaplun, Daniel 11

1 10 Arroyo, Oran 12

1 9 Havron, Boaz 13

1 9 Faran, Ido 14

1 9 Hackmey, Daniel 15

1 9 Cohen, Elnathan 16

1 9 Etinzon, Nadav 17

Lets try 12 out of 33Boosters Points Name Rank

7 16 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

3 13 Lotan, Raz 2

3 13 Ben Ner, Amir 3

3 13 Guterman, Dean 4

3 13 Orel, Eyal 5

2 12 Simchi, Omri 6

2 12 Ayalon, Guy 7

2 12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

2 11 Danieli, Niv 9

2 11 Amiaz, Rom 10

2 11 Kaplun, Daniel 11

2 10 Arroyo, Oran 12

What about just the Top 8?Boosters Points Name Rank

8 16 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

4 13 Lotan, Raz 2

4 13 Ben Ner, Amir 3

4 13 Guterman, Dean 4

4 13 Orel, Eyal 5

3 12 Simchi, Omri 6

3 12 Ayalon, Guy 7

3 12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

1Point=X Boosters

Pros• Fair (Prizes according to points).

Cons• Can only be done at the end of the event.• Long and Tedious.

Linear Standing

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Rank

10987

Boosters 654321

Sum of Boosters

Linear Standing

• Sum of boosters in known• Number of players Eligible of prizes is decided• The payout “calculates” itself easily!

Linear Standing

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Rank

Y

Sum of Boosters

Area = Base * Height * 1/2

Boosters = Rank * Prize * 1/2

33 = 11 * Prize½ * 66 = 11 * Prize

Prize = 6=6

Linear Standing

Y

Sum of Boosters(27)

27 = 10 * Prize½ * 54 = 10 * Prize

Prize = 5.4((Rounded down

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Rank

6

Linear Standing

Y

Sum of Boosters

Y=6Y=5.4

Y=4.8Y=4.5Y=4Y=3.3Y=2.8Y=2Y=2Y=1

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Rank

Linear for top 10Boosters Points Name Rank

6 16 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

5 13 Lotan, Raz 2

4 13 Ben Ner, Amir 3

4 13 Guterman, Dean 4

4 13 Orel, Eyal 5

3 12 Simchi, Omri 6

2 12 Ayalon, Guy 7

2 12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

2 11 Danieli, Niv 9

1 11 Amiaz, Rom 10

Linear Standing

• Elegant.• Easy and fast to calculate.• Can be calculated at the start of the event.• Less fair (same points get different prizes, or

different points get the same prizes).

Escalating Standing

The golden ratioφ = 1.6180339887

“The number of boosters for each rank is 1.61 times bigger than the last”

E.g.: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 …

Escalating Standing

Sum of Boosters-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1.618^ #last – 1) * 1.618Prize (#last) =

Prize #8 = 33 / (1.618^8 – 1)*1.618 = 33 / (46.97 – 1)*1.618

= 33 / 74.396 = 0.44357747225

Escalating Standing#8 0.44357747225#7 0.44357747225 * 1.61 = 0.71#6 0.71 * 1.61 = 1.16#5 1.16 * 1.61 = 1.879#4 1.88 * 1.61 = 3.04#3 3.04 * 1.61 = 4.91#2 4.91 * 1.61 = 7.96#1 7.96 * 1.61 = 12.87

12.87+7.96+4.91+3.04+1.88+1.16+0.71+0.44 = 32.97

Ta-Dam!Boosters Points Name Rank

12 16 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

7 13 Lotan, Raz 2

4 13 Ben Ner, Amir 3

3 13 Guterman, Dean 4

1 13 Orel, Eyal 5

1 12 Simchi, Omri 6

0 12 Ayalon, Guy 7

0 12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

5 remaining boosters

Ta-Dam!Boosters Points Name Rank

13 16 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

7 13 Lotan, Raz 2

5 13 Ben Ner, Amir 3

3 13 Guterman, Dean 4

2 13 Orel, Eyal 5

1 12 Simchi, Omri 6

1 12 Ayalon, Guy 7

1 12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

In summary (Top 8)Escalating Linear Boosters per

pointsGettem After playoffs Points Name Rank

13 7 8 8 --- 16 Ben Zaken, Aviad 1

7 6 4 4 11 13 Lotan, Raz 2

5 5 4 4 5 13 Ben Ner, Amir 3

3 5 4 4 5 13 Guterman, Dean 4

2 4 4 4 3 13 Orel, Eyal 5

1 3 3 3 3 12 Simchi, Omri 6

1 2 3 3 3 12 Ayalon, Guy 7

1 1 3 3 3 12 Mandelboim, Ido 8

What answers did we get?

• Is there a difference between Reg and Comp ?• What’s the difference ?• How far do we stretch the prizes ?• What’s a nice 1st place prize ?• Do we give prizes before or after playoffs ?• What should the prize structure look like ?