Originally posted by Jon Munck:

Personally I disagree with the policy that people can't move into a top 8 position due to absences. But I think that's only because no one has presented the downsides or exploits of eliminating the policy to me.

It eliminates the possibility of tournament-fixing. I don't need to be THAT good if I can just pay several better players to “drop me in” to the top 4/8.

In an abstract, competitive sense: the 5/9th player's performance was not good enough to make the playoffs. The fact that one player left does not change the actual standings. WER still identifies that player as 5/9th place, they just happen to be 4/8th from the top due to the drop.

I am unsure if this practice is common, but I always announce top 4/8 before posting standings after the last round of Swiss. At that point, practically speaking, the cut has been made. Thus, dropping a player to admit the next into the playoffs is prohibited by the MTR.

Edited Daniel Lee (April 7, 2016 12:07:18 PM)

Originally posted by Daniel Lee:

the 5/9th player's performance was not good enough to make the playoffs

I follow your logic, but it's hard to support that argument when the difference between 8th & 9th (and often 10th, 11th…) is a small difference in Opponent Match Win percentage.

Originally posted by Daniel Lee:

I always announce top 4/8 before posting standings after the last round of Swiss

My practice was always the exact opposite - post standings, wait a few minutes (in case of errors), then make the cut. And once I started awarding prizes based on Swiss instead of Top X results, I also would ask each of the Top X players, in turn, if they wished to continue … and then make the cut, after any drops.

d:^D

Thanks Scott, I was already pretty sure that my way is a fine way, now I know that the master himself uses the same procedure :)

Also, especially with PPTQs or GPTs where few plan to attend, this makes sense to award prizes based on Swiss, then have those who care about the spot or byes “duke it out” amongst themselves. It also discourages ID's, since there is much less incentive to draw.