notroman
* Ace Member *
I know I have a low rating to be playing open, but that isn't what I based my decision on. It was the fact that it was my time to step aside and let the other AMs get a crack at winning.
I realized there were tournaments that I was playing crappy in, and still finishing in the top 5. There is something wrong with that. You should have to play well to earn your spot in the cash. Plus, I realized that with many of those poor finishes would have put me in the bottom cash in open. Therefore, I would be getting my money back.
Now, I am far more satisfied and proud of myself finishing last cash in open, then I was winning advanced (with the exception of my first win).
Last point. I got way too many discs that I was never going to use.
You're in Arizona, though. It seems like a lot of the AZ players move to open soon to let other 930-some players have a chance at winning Advanced. The reason behind it I think is because a lot of tournaments in Arizona only have Open, Advanced, and Intermediate divisions. All the Novice and Recreational level players end up playing Intermediate, so those with a conscience move up early to Advanced. All the Intermediate players moving up make the Advanced players with a conscience move up to Open. Those that choose to stay in their division and not move up end up being peer pressured by others to move up.
I never understood people that run tournaments that way, but to each his own. I would never move to open if I was a 960-something rated player here in Illinois. That's just asking to donate your money to the higher rated pros.
I guess the local open field has a lot to do with the decision to move up to open as well. There are enough 980-990 rated pros here that people with a 960 rating would be dumb to move up. If someone with a 970 rating plays Advanced here, that is normal. If that happens in Arizona they are called baggers. There are a lot of 970-990 rated ams in Charlotte. Here in Illinois they'd be called baggers. In the Charlotte area there are a lot of strong 1000+ rated players in the open field that keep the 970-990 rated players from moving up.