The Depressing Financials of Winning

[Aslan]

This evening, I bowled pretty well at league night. Because I bowled so well Friday...I got in a fair amount of side pots, brackets, etc...

Here is the cost breakdown...should be similar from bowler to bowler:

Linage: $22
Mystery Score: $1 (I only hit this once and it was one of TWO times I didn't get in)
Side Pot: $3 (Normally don't get in...but would have won two sidepots Friday had I BEEN IN...so...)
Brackets (x2): $6
Card Game: $3
Strike Ball: $5
50/50: $5 (I only do this because the ladies from my old team run it)
Diet Coke: $2.25 (no drinking tonight, drank last night and got a migraine...besides, I was focused on performance tonight)

That equals (if my math is correct): $47.25

Now, tonight, I missed the first game side pot by 6 pins...but I won a card game (Four of a Kind (7s)) and I won both brackets:

Card Game $21
Brackets (x2) $36

Total Winnings: $57

Subtract Tips: ($1 for drink, $2 to card game guy, $5 to bracket folks) = $57 minus $8 = $49 net winnings

That means...tonight...I bowled...didn't eat nor consume alcohol...and my "take" was $1.75.

And thats the financial dilemma that IS bowling.

Mystery Score, Strike Ball, 50/50, and the card game...low liklihood of winning...but you can make $$-$$$$.
Side Pot and Brackets...higher liklihood of winning (if you have a decent skill set)...but even on a 'good' night...you might win a few brackets and one side pot...thats about $55.

So, on a 'average to good' night...like tonight (for me)...I won just enough to cover all of my expenditures...but I'm not 'making money'...and had I had a couple gin and tonics or some chicken fingers...I'd been $10-$20 in the Net Minus.

Food for thought.

[Mike White]

Of that $22 for lineage, (should be titled League Fee) some portion is earmarked for the prize fund, and depending on how your team did, you're destined to receive some of that money back at the end of the league.

Just because you didn't physically receive the money that night doesn't mean you can't consider it money won.

Put it in the column labeled unrealized earned income.

[RobLV1]

Tuesday golf game at Rhodes Ranch:

Starbucks on the way: $6.54
Greens fees: $45.00
Lost bets: $9.00

Total Cost: $60.54

Total winnings: A great day with two of my best friends. I came out way ahead! Golf, like bowling is recreation, not a way to make money.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

Don't feel bad lol

Last night I bought 20 brackets for myself ($100), 4 brackets for someone else ($20), mystery doubles ($15), and side pot ($10) for a $145 total. I got back a whole $30 at the end of the night lol

Clear 12/20 bracket after first game then lose them all second game while shooting the lowest game of season (182) smh

[Aslan]

I agree with both of you fine gentlemen. And bowling league night for free isn't to be complained about.

It just seemed strange to me that in order to "really" make money bowling at the league level...you either got a:

...a 0.025% chance of winning mystery score
< 6% chance of winning 50/50
...a roughly 7.5% chance of winning strike ball (and striking)

And thats being generous. In order to take home the same (or similar) totals from what I would call, 'performance-based' gambling...you'd need to really win most of the brackets...with a lot of people in brackets...and take all 3 side pots. If you did that...you 'might' clear $150. Still not the totals listed above...and in this particular league you'd need to shoot something like a 268 handicap, 213+ scratch, 268 handicap. For higher average bowlers with little handicap...thats something like a 260-213-260 (733 series).

...AND, THAT would be a 244 average...which means you'd get zero handicap...so now you need a 268-213-268...and to do that day in and day out...you're talking a 249 average bowler. Thats simply impossible given the highest average in this league is 235 and the highest average in the entire Orange County USBC last season was 238. That leads me to point out that...if you have a 226+ average...for GOD SAKES...take a step. Sport leagues, Travel, regional, PBA, etc... Granted....thats an entirely other dead horse, but 226+..even on a house shot...I actually am "sad" in the rare times I see it...because I think it detracts from how good the person is. You see them have a high game and you have the same reaction you would if a 6'4" 24-year old just scored 60 points in a middle school basketball game. You're not "winning"...you're "hiding"...but, thats a whole other thread...

So...back to the original point...let me ask you (all) this. If that math is remotely accurate...and you have limited funds...what strategy would YOU use to maximize your profits and minimize your losses? For Example;

You may look at those numbers and say...well, if I have $50 minus $21 = $29. Do you take $1 out for mystery, $8 for 50/50, and $10 strike ball...and just not participate in the other 'games'. Or, do you keep the $1 from mystery...and spend the entire $29 on strike ball?. According to my math, strike ball is the highest odds of winning AND one of the 3 highest payouts.

The problem with Option #2 (above)...is it's based on a 50% strike rate. Thats my 'above average' night. If you lower it down to say 35% (my most nights)...now you're closer to 4.5% chance of winning strike ball (because your ticket needs to be drawn AND you need to strike).

[Mike White]

I agree with both of you fine gentlemen. And bowling league night for free isn't to be complained about.

It just seemed strange to me that in order to "really" make money bowling at the league level...you either got a:

...a 0.025% chance of winning mystery score
< 6% chance of winning 50/50
...a roughly 7.5% chance of winning strike ball (and striking)

And thats being generous. In order to take home the same (or similar) totals from what I would call, 'performance-based' gambling...you'd need to really win most of the brackets...with a lot of people in brackets...and take all 3 side pots. If you did that...you 'might' clear $150. Still not the totals listed above...and in this particular league you'd need to shoot something like a 268 handicap, 213+ scratch, 268 handicap. For higher average bowlers with little handicap...thats something like a 260-213-260 (733 series).

...AND, THAT would be a 244 average...which means you'd get zero handicap...so now you need a 268-213-268...and to do that day in and day out...you're talking a 249 average bowler. Thats simply impossible given the highest average in this league is 235 and the highest average in the entire Orange County USBC last season was 238. That leads me to point out that...if you have a 226+ average...for GOD SAKES...take a step. Sport leagues, Travel, regional, PBA, etc... Granted....thats an entirely other dead horse, but 226+..even on a house shot...I actually am "sad" in the rare times I see it...because I think it detracts from how good the person is. You see them have a high game and you have the same reaction you would if a 6'4" 24-year old just scored 60 points in a middle school basketball game. You're not "winning"...you're "hiding"...but, thats a whole other thread...

So...back to the original point...let me ask you (all) this. If that math is remotely accurate...and you have limited funds...what strategy would YOU use to maximize your profits and minimize your losses? For Example;

You may look at those numbers and say...well, if I have $50 minus $21 = $29. Do you take $1 out for mystery, $8 for 50/50, and $10 strike ball...and just not participate in the other 'games'. Or, do you keep the $1 from mystery...and spend the entire $29 on strike ball?. According to my math, strike ball is the highest odds of winning AND one of the 3 highest payouts.

The problem with Option #2 (above)...is it's based on a 50% strike rate. Thats my 'above average' night. If you lower it down to say 35% (my most nights)...now you're closer to 4.5% chance of winning strike ball (because your ticket needs to be drawn AND you need to strike).


If you can calculate the expected value of each of those options, it's pretty easy to figure which ones are good, and which ones are to be avoided.

Take the lottery as an example, yes you could win millions, but if on average every $2.00 ticket is worth $0.80, fairly quickly you'll stop considering the lotto as an investment.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

Not totally sure what the strike ball is but aside from that (since i don't know it), I'd say get as many brackets as you can. Just from what I have seen the past couple years with brackets if you can shoot onbyour average you're usually good for clearing 50% +/- of the brackets each game. Just using this past week as an example for me.. my "magic number" is 220 which is the league handicap since I'm currently averaging over that. Anything below that start going below 50% clearing and above that begins to increase %.

I was in 20 brackets. First game i shot 225. Cleared 12/20. So 60% shooting 5 pins over the handicap. 2nd game took a bomb and lost them all with 182. You have a better chance at beating one person each game (bracket) than randomly being paired with someone else and beating the rest of the pairs. I have won the doubles 3-4 times this season and I think the lowest score I had to shoot to do it was 250+. I have also lost doubles shooting 278 because the partner didn't do anything. At the end of the day I'm going to get into the doubles every week because at the end of the day it's only $15 and if you catch one it'll pay for a few weeks worth of entires.

If your center has Keglers Cash, look into doing that. It's average based on what you have to get (strikes/spares) and pays 10x what you pay in.

[ep1977]

I play all the brackets each week but in this league lately they have been dominated by a handful of guys that get 65-74 pins of handicap. This week I lost in 2 finals to the same guy who got 71 pins and shot 40 over his average. Tough to beat these guys.

[RobLV1]

Best option: if you can't afford it, don't bowl!

[mc_runner]

Man I wish I was in leagues that did brackets. We do a 50/50 raffle in one league that I get into, and card games. The other league does 1 card game across the league (as a higher avg bowler you can win a bunch on that) but that's it. Summer leagues do more, and the mixed league may be a no no next year, just want to be more competitive.

[fordman1]

Cost is usually the price of winning money.
We pay $10 for a high have with H\C pays all 3 games. Last week $165
We pay $10 for scratch high 1st & 2nd paid last week $139
3rd game special $5 scratch paid $153
Perfecta H\C $5 must use 2nd game last week paid $196
H\C totals $5 last week paid $185
Mysteries cost $4 and pay $204
Progressive cost $2 and this week will pay $1000 with $200 carry over. Only can pay $1000 by law.
Lucky digit will pay a $1000 usually after 4-5 weeks. Many times 3 weeks.
Lucky strike pays on average 200 per week if no one hits it will be more. Must get 2 strikes.
All brackets are scratch 4 have a minimum of 211 average. 8 have under 210 average.
50/50 usually pays about $275.
Very expensive to bowl. But you can win a lot.
The league only has 3 teams over 1000.
We have a 10 pin drop rule and 1\4th are under that.
We have only 23 teams this year because one dropped 3 days before we started. The 4 on a waiting list had already committed to other leagues by then.

[foreverincamo]

We had a guy throw the first 300 of our season, and he lost the jackpot to a 329.

[fordman1]

That's why you have H\C and scratch.

[ep1977]

We had a guy throw the first 300 of our season, and he lost the jackpot to a 329.

That sucks! A few weeks ago I shot a 311 with handicap in game 3 and lost all of my brackets.

[foreverincamo]

Pretty sure our jackpots are all handicapped, but I'm not 100% sure. With all the other ways to bet, brackets, Texas Holdem, strike jackpot, mystery score, clean game pot, we can't do separate jackpots. Especially with a huge majority averaging under 190.

[NewToBowling]

If you're into bowling for money you're doing it wrong. Pickup another sport

[fordman1]

Most is just fun money not trying to make a living. Over the years there have been bowlers who made more money as amateurs than a lot of the pro's did. Chris Barnes did really well as an amateur.

[drlawsoniii]

This post sounds like a very entitled rich kid complaining that his new 300 series BMW isnt an M5...

[Aslan]

This post sounds like a very entitled rich kid complaining that his new 300 series BMW isnt an M5...

Well, no. But, yeah, that would be terrible to have a 300 series that isn't an M5.