I have been out of the game since World's and have been able to sit back and read these posts without reservation or discrimination.
It always appears that when Pokemon tries to become popular again, the forces at large find some way to bring it back to Earth before it can get launched. I remember when it first started, you couldn't find a card and Charizard's were 80.00. Then they tried to get rid of the 15+ crowd, not realizing that they were telling parents that we don't want you to play, but continue buying for your children. You can't choke the system and then hope it will flourish.
Now they have spent all of this time trying to gt everyone to play competitively, and now people are coming out to play. In such numbers that the cuts are so big in some areas that they have to play into the night to get done. I understand the TO/PTO's plight. It is NOT fair to them to have to run tournaments that late, but...... to limit city tournaments to TOP 4 will certainly turn players away and eventually they may drop from Pokemon. This is a time when PUI should still be promoting the same atmosphere and let the PTO's choose (up to a TOP 8 for cities) and not mandate a TOP 4 cut.
I will follow the guidelines as provided by PUI. It does not mean I agree 100% all the time with them. It is tough to tell a crowd of 30 or more that the topcut will only be T4. JMHO
Well put, Keith. It is tough. And if the PTO decides that the tourney should be TOP 8, depending on the turn out, then he should be able to choose. Larger tournaments demand a larger cut.
But, from a points perspective, the best "points" result usually lands at the x-1 who does not make the cut, for all but one cut players take a loss before the end of the event.
I bet of you asked all of those X-1 players if they would rather miss the cut, 100/100 will say no. These players are competitive, they come to play, they want to win.
At a time when Pokemon is becoming popular again, this is one thing in the system I would not change. Leave the TC to the PTO/TO depending on the turnout. JMO