Tringo Bullies

As someone who doesn't really participate in the gaming/gambling activities in SL, I have noticed a relatively new trend that appears to be specific to places that sponser numerous tringo events. I have noticed that if someone wins a decent jackpot that they are pressured to give back a large portion of their winnings or face ridicule and scorn by the landowners, hosts, and/or their "friends."

One would think that the term "winnings" implied that you had "won" something. If you have truly "won" a jackpot, then it is by definition....yours. You have absolutely ZERO responsibility to provide any welfare whatsoever to the tringo business owner. I know that many people do contribute back to the pot, after winning, and I agree that it does make the game fun to have a nicer pot. But no one should be bullied for giving away enough of THEIR money.

I know that I am by no means an "oldbie," but I remember when bingo was the big game draw and seeing people win larger pots. There was no pressure from the landowners to give 1/2 or 1/3 back for the next pot. There were no friends of the owner calling people a "cheap c*nt." There were people who, even if they were disappointed they didn't win, would congratulate the winner and try again next time.

I used to play bingo and remember how fun it was to win a good sized pot (especially as a basic account) so that I would have some money to buy things with. I know that the landowners who engage in this practice (or allow it go on), run tringo to try and make their places popular. It would seem to me that abusing your customers isn't exactly going to make you, or your place, popular at all. People don't want to be treated like this and will go elsewhere. I know that frustration can be a natural response when you have put alot of real $$ into SL, trying to make your gaming place extremely popular, and then find that:

A) Your place is slipping in popularity

B) You have to put in more real $$ to have large pots in order to compete for players

C) People are contributing a reasonable amount, but not enough for to support your advertisments of HUGE pots

Quite frankly, none of these things are the players' fault. People contribute what they can and are willing to. If you have bought into this "we must have HUGE pots like tringo hall ABC in order to compete" mentality, then you knew what you were getting into before you started.

Either way, those who do this are their own worst enemy and, most likely, the cause of their own business demise.

Welcome to group think.

If the group thinks you should contribute back, you must!

It is because of this and just begging for money in general that causes me to think twice about playing these games. I still go, sometimes. I would play more often if this crap didn't occur though.

HP

I know that players usually contribute some back, but what I'm talking about is going a bit further. When the owners, employees, and friends of those groups start to actively pressure and swear at players who do contribute back to the pot, but not as much as these few think should have been given back; then it has fallen into more of a bully tactic. There has always been a feeling that a winner should give something back, but it's gone way beyond that. In certain places, if you win $1000L and don't put around half back the tringo thugs get nasty.

I hear you Hugsy. I play VERY rarely and to see garbage like this going on definately makes me know what I WON'T be doing when I get on SL. Why go play tringo at some place where I have to listen to some guy call a player a "cheap c*nt" because she didn't put in what he thought she should have. I don't blame the host though. The guy was a friend of the owner so it's not like the host had the option of giving him the boot for acting like this.

If this had been an isolated incident then that would be one thing, but this kind of crap is happening more and more. This just happened to be the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

Disclaimer: I'm not hacking on all tringo owners out there. I know that there are plenty who run a fun game and don't engage in, or allow, this kind of garbage to start.

I just don't play games that end in -ingo or -rivia.

who?? spill the beans, man!

The question I have, is how much does the tringo game owners pull out from the pot?

I don't play enough to see this behaviour. If it is on the rise, that will be the death of these games. And, I think an abuse report should have been filed in this case.

The idea of having just whoever in the audience donate to the pot and playing for that amount is a bad one anyway. You obviously can't trust people to behave or act civally. These games need revamped to eliminate that.

HP

From what little I've played and observed, the host doesn't pull anything from the pot. There always seems to be a tip jar though.

HP

I'd be happy to tell the story (names, places, etc.) of this little episode in world, but not in the forums.

That aside, I do want to be clear that I am not painting all tringo places with the same brush. It is happening, and getting worse, but not everywhere.

They way I see it is this. If you win, then you shouldn't be berated if you wish to keep your winnings. I have only played Tringo once on a whim and donated because I felt that was the decent thing to do. I'm sure there are some people that don't understand how these games work.

I have heard several stories about people being treated badly for not donating back to the pot. This really needs to end because unless there are posted rules that you HAVE to donate back...then how do people know.

If you win a free cheeseburger from McDonalds...I'm pretty sure they don't ask you for the bun back for the next customer...

I can understand getting miffed at someone for not adding to the pot but taking winnings. Especially if its a good player who wins alot. But, the coding of the games allow for that. Also, I haven't seen any rules that actually document how much you should pay per game (before or after winning).

If you allow people to play for free, expect people to play for free. If you want everyone to contribute to the pot, code that into the game (make people pay for their board every game). If you want people to contribute part of their winnings, then code that into the game (give part of the pot to the winner and keep the rest in the pot, and make it known that that's the rule).

Don't expect people to follow good form. You will be disappointed. Some people just don't care. Some don't even know what the good form is supposed to be.

Like I said before, the concept of just having people in the audience contribute to the pot however much they feel is a bad one. It creates situations like in the original post. Of coarse that's no excuse for the person who should have been ARed.

HP

Ok that's funny as hell.

Ok I'm the Cheap C*nt in the post. Just to clarify....I won $600L and donated $200L to the pot. I don't think anyone would see that as cheap or unreasonable. And I always tip the host too.

Maybe an abuse report is the proper way to handle this. If nothing else, neg ratings seem appropriate.

I don't recall if I neg rated him, I was in shock from the massive pot I had just won.

Oh I can so relate to this topic. I've only been playing Tringo for a few weeks. There is a host at a popular Tringo spot and 2 Tringo players I can think of that literally ridicule how much others put into the pot. One person claims to be putting back in 90% of his wins. Well good for him, but don't bitch at me when I don't put in 90%, which he has! I get sick of the host who pitches a fit about the pot and people being cheap, when she pull that stunt, I leave. I don't want to sit there and be treated like that.

Nobody makes any money from -ingo games. In fact, the owner pays money into the pot to encourage others. It's mainly for the dwell and to get people to their sim in the hope they might look at other things nearby and maybe buy from a shop.

The owner pays the hosts to host the games. The owner pays the host a certain amount to put in the pot.
The players put what they want into the pot and win the owner's money plus other player's money.

-ingo games are a money sink for owners.

Hahaha, hold on a second. Playing Tringo is free? So instead of making someone pay some nominal fee for each round to fill the pot, everyone and anyone can play for free?

Good lord. What a phenomenal business plan. This right here is why people say you can't make money hosting events. Even in the simplest terms, no one is even trying.

bull


its like winning a trophie and they ask you to give it back after a week of having it.

if you offer a prise to people dont beg to get it back. let them donate but dont pressure them. its only fair

I was at a game at Ice Dragon's, the mecca of Tringo the other day and a person won a 10,000L pot. Everyone was estatic for the winner. He tipped the host nicely and added 2,500L back into the pot with zero pressure and everyone just had a great,great time for hours and hours. Not all places act like the place you mentioned. Many people show up for the conversation with good friends and to just hang out listening to great tunes and dancing. The tringo is an added bonus.

Shame on these owners who bully their guests. I have been to a few slingo places where they actually ban you for not adding at least half and it is tacky and classless. Yes, everyone would love for winners to put in half their winnings but thats not realistic. Many who play are basic account players and gaming is their only source besides the 50L they are given every week. Imagine winning a 1,000L pot and you can finally afford that item you have been dying to buy and pay your rent for your place and some owner wants you to put in half.... Just nonsense!! All contributions are welcomed to the pot. This is all that needs to be said and whatever happens, happens. Tringo is fun!!! Stop ruining it with greed.

on the rare occasion I play tringo, I go to play and have fun, I don't go to win, I don't go to spend much money... and when people start bitching and moaning about the players adding to the pot, the fun part of the game lowers or disappears...

too many places like the one mentioned above just drive away my desire to play... when I'm asked if I want to play, I usually just kinda blow it off and avoid it because of "pressure playing"... if the hosts start the pressuring tactics, they will end up not getting a tip from me, and I suggest that others do the same, refuse to tip the hosts... and maybe then they will realize their brute force methods of squeezing out what they think is fair from the winners just do not work...

As I've never played Tringo, I guess I don't get it.

If you go to a casino, plop some money down at the blackjack table, and win $US 10,000, you're not frowned upon by other patrons of the casino for not giving half of it back to the house, verbally abused by your fellow players, and called nasty names by the card dealer.

What kind of logic is that? If I win, it's mine to do with as I please... put it in the pot, pay for college, hire hookers, whatever.

If you don't want people winning "TEH PHAT LEWTZ", then institute a cap on max winnings.


Second Life... stranger by the minute.

LF

Either this game is about winning hard cash, in which case a win is a win, or its just for fun, in which case a tiny pot doesn't matter. The organisers can't have it both ways.

In either case I totally disapprove of any pressure to put more than usual in the pot, after a win. Unless of course there is a clear notice establishing it as a condition of play, and apologising that the machine pays out more than the organisers wish to give. Abuse report every incident otherwise.

I also suggest IM'ing the creator of the game with a description of each incident. That way he can decide whether his game is being abused, and therefore to add suitable new emphasis in the instruction notecard which goes with it; or else whether he should modify the game to better meet the financial needs of his clients the game organisers. To require a minimum entry fee for instance, or only pay out half the pot at each win.

Or would either modification be too direct and honest to be desirable? Is it preferable to abuse and insult those who take the game at face value ? And to advertise bigger wins than you are willing to pay?