What Incentives/Prizes do your centers have?

[1VegasBowler]

One of the centers I bowl at came up with some really nice incentives & prizes for the bowlers.

1) If you strike out in the 10th frame for all 3 games you get a $50 house award. (Limit 2/season)

2) Bowling Ball Jackpot. (For averages of 140 or better) There are 4 designated frames in each game where you have to have either all strikes or all spares. No combinations. If you can do that for those 12 designated frames you get your choice of a new Brunswick, DV8 or Radical ball. (For the 10th frame it MUST be on the first ball. Filler frame does not count.

(For averages 139 & under) - You have to have 9 or better for all of the designated frames.

Limited to 1 ball for every league you are participating in.

What does your house do??

[JaxBowlingGuy]

We have a strike pot and spare pot based on your average. 169 and below has 4 frames a game they have to spare or strike. 170-190 has to match 3 strikes and game and over 190 has to match 4 strikes a game

Also have Kegler cash which is also average based where you match spares and strikes and pays 10x your entry.

[ep1977]

None of the houses I bowl in do anything for the bowlers. The leagues themselves run various things like strike jackpot and others but the house has nothing to do with any of it. All the house does is raise the lineage every single year.

[bowl1820]

They just changed the ones here.

strike in the 16th frame (6th frame of the 2nd game) get a free drink.
in practice managers count ( throw at full rack leave certain pins combo) get a pizza
shoot exactly a 200 game get a cookie
shoot 300 get a meal,drink & dessert
game ending in "16" choice of cookie,brownie or fries.

players pass for $21 unlimited open bowling

with your reg. rewards card (free) you get $40 rewards cash on it for every league you bowl.
plus you get rewards cash for every dollar you spend.

the preferred reward card (I think it was $15) gets you more, plus they put rewards money on it for just getting the card.


Now if you talking about what games the house runs.

We have Strike Pot, high game handicap, scratch, brackets

[classygranny]

I bowl at two Brunswick centers (Bowlmor).

We get a league card. Good for 2 free games per week, and 10% discount on food/beverages (not alcohol).

In the summer they did a pass for $35, bowl up to 3 games a day for 3-4 months.

[LOUVIT]

We have a strike pot. based on average of course, you have to strike in specific frames in all 3 games to win it. It's up to like 400 now. I may just get in soon since my average is so low I may have a shot. For some reason I am still a good pressure shooter....lol..last week they announced some awards for games and series, I don't know what that was about but they announced a 505 series and I just laughed and said really I can't even beat that....lol

I wish there was a high game pool like we used to have 1 or 2 bucks a game just to give you something to shoot for. I'm just too lazy to start it.

[RobLV1]

Score 111 in the 7th frame and you get your choice of a free well drink at the bar, or a free game of bowling.

[Mike White]

Score 111 in the 7th frame and you get your choice of a free well drink at the bar, or a free game of bowling.

If the bowler was participating in a USBC sanctioned event, this kind of incentive/prize could be in violation of USBC Rule 15.

Rule 15 – Gambling
A member of USBC, while bowling in USBC competition, shall not participate or be involved in the
operation of any gambling scheme which is in violation of any applicable law, where all or part of a
score bowled in USBC play determines the winner.
Contests or schemes which threaten the integrity of the game and/or entice a player to bowl beneath
his/her ability are strictly prohibited.

[1VegasBowler]

If the bowler was participating in a USBC sanctioned event, this kind of incentive/prize could be in violation of USBC Rule 15.

Rule 15 – Gambling
A member of USBC, while bowling in USBC competition, shall not participate or be involved in the
operation of any gambling scheme which is in violation of any applicable law, where all or part of a
score bowled in USBC play determines the winner.
Contests or schemes which threaten the integrity of the game and/or entice a player to bowl beneath
his/her ability are strictly prohibited.

I don't see where this becomes an integrity issue or where it entices a player to below beneath their ability, because good bowlers want to be in the 100's by the 6th frame.

So I'll ask you this. Would you intentionally go for the 111 in the 7th as a 200+ bowler?

Common sense dictates you won't. Why? Because the best case scenario has you finishing at 201, and if your average is higher than that in a handicap league, you're taking a chance on your team losing points for the game and possibly for the overall total.

Personally, it's not worth the risk. I'd rather bowl the best that I can, and if I happen to have a 111 in the 7th, so be it. But I would never do it intentionally. EVER!

[Mike White]

I don't see where this becomes an integrity issue or where it entices a player to below beneath their ability, because good bowlers want to be in the 100's by the 6th frame.

So I'll ask you this. Would you intentionally go for the 111 in the 7th as a 200+ bowler?

Common sense dictates you won't. Why? Because the best case scenario has you finishing at 201, and if your average is higher than that in a handicap league, you're taking a chance on your team losing points for the game and possibly for the overall total.

Personally, it's not worth the risk. I'd rather bowl the best that I can, and if I happen to have a 111 in the 7th, so be it. But I would never do it intentionally. EVER!

No matter what your average is, if you find yourself with 103 in the 6th, and you just left a 6-7-10 split, the 111 in the 7th incentive makes you decide which is more valuable.

Try for the 6-10 pins, to have 112 in the 7th, or try for the 7 pin to have 111 in the 7th.

Sure, at the beginning of the game you want to have more than 111 in the 7th, but things don't aways go the way you want.

I shown you one example of where the incentive could alter your decision to achieve a lower score.

Other examples come from the USBC itself.

You've shot scores of 205, and 205 for the first two games, and in the tenth frame you strike and then leave a 10 pin. If you pick up the 10 pin you shoot 206 otherwise you shoot a triplicate which USBC awards a "prize". Either way your team will win the game.

You are incentivized to do less than your ability.