On Oct 15, 7:22?pm, Charles Brenner <challambren..._at_gmail.com> wrote:

> On Oct 15, 11:57?am, gaze..._at_shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack)

> wrote:

>

>

>

>

>

> > (I have my reasons for posting this as a new thread; don't bother flaming

> > about it)

>

> > I wish to add that this sort of thing is a classic demonstration of how

> > talking about "averages" and "the average person" can be meaningless, in

> > terms of it actually being about any specific person - i.e., the implication

> > that the "average" will in fact be instantiated in a large number of actual

> > people. ?Insert usual comments about the bell curve assumtion here.

>

> > I.e., the $1K figure, which I heard in the mid-90s, is probably high for

> > most people, but probably somebody (or a few somebodys) way overspent, thus

> > bringing up the average.

>

> > I guess what I'm really curious about is: How would one even go about

> > calculating this? ?How did anyone come up with the $1K figure in the first

> > place?

>

> The trick is to do your accounting based on total masterpoints issued

> rather than by a survey of recipients.

>

> To start with, consider nationals. Estimate the total number of

> masterpoints issued (several ways to do this), the number of people-

> sessions of play (closely related to the reported table count), daily

> expenses for a person including a daily apportionment of some guess as

> to travel cost. Obvious addition and division gives the per-

> masterpoint cost for Nationals points.

>

> Regional, sectional, and club per-point cost can be estimated

> similarly. If all numbers are in the same balllpark you're done. But

> if for example the club cost is quite disparate, then you need to

> guess what proportion of points won are club points and take a

> suitable weighted average.

Stats for all recent tournaments (I think from the 2004 NABCs up, also

regionals and sectionals) are available at the ACBL website, often

including total masterpoints awarded, total players, and total tables

in play.  I sampled a few NABCs and found that they awarded about

100,000 MPs each (actuals varied from 93,000-115,000) and had between

about 5,500 and 7,500 attendees.  Top winners got about 300 points, I

assume they were the winners of the premier events.  They do have

table count per session in the reports of actual session results but

that would have to be added up to get a total that would relate #

player-sessions played.  So some actual data does exist that could be

used if one were curious enough to try to study.  You'd still be left

with guesstimation and debate over some parameters like travel, food,

and entertainment costs.

--

- Jon Campbell

Ottawa Canada