Arena Tournament Pairing Algorithms

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ajgreen

It seems to me like something changed in the last several months where the pairing algorithm in Arena tournaments really tries to avoid pairing high-rated players against significantly-lower-rated players. This keeps leading to tournaments where <1000 players are winning the arenas with significant scores despite never playing the stronger players, and strong players never get a chance to put an end to the lower-rated players' winning streaks. Is this intentional?

justbefair
ajgreen wrote:

It seems to me like something changed in the last several months where the pairing algorithm in Arena tournaments really tries to avoid pairing high-rated players against significantly-lower-rated players. This keeps leading to tournaments where <1000 players are winning the arenas with significant scores despite never playing the stronger players, and strong players never get a chance to put an end to the lower-rated players' winning streaks. Is this intentional?

Arenas were always that way. Players are paired with players of similar ratings. 

ajgreen

Interesting. Maybe it’s just more obvious following an influx of players since COVID and Queen’s Gambit?

andrew47221

it is unfair. the low rated players play only with the ones with almost the same rating as you or lower. because of this, some players may lower their rating to play with some weaker players and win like this the tournaments. am i right?

andrew47221

maybe a possible fix would be to be an new algorithm that whould first pair the players with the closest points maked, not the closest rating.

justbefair
Andrei-Cristian2009 wrote:

maybe a possible fix would be to be an new algorithm that whould first pair the players with the closest points maked, not the closest rating.

That's what regular Swiss system tournaments are run like.

Winners are paired with winners and so on.  If you win four rounds, you will be paired with someone who has three and a half or four points. If you have lost all your games, you will be paired with someone who has a similar record.

Arena tournaments are different. They are quite popular.

andrew47221
justbefair a scris:
Andrei-Cristian2009 wrote:

maybe a possible fix would be to be an new algorithm that whould first pair the players with the closest points maked, not the closest rating.

That's what regular Swiss system tournaments are run like.

Winners are paired with winners and so on.  If you win four rounds, you will be paired with someone who has three and a half or four points. If you have lost all your games, you will be paired with someone who has a similar record.

Arena tournaments are different. They are quite popular.

then maybe at least there should exist a points(earned in the tournament) limit between the players

BaroneLeFou

it is absolutely idiotic and that is all there is to say tbh. You can be the 1st on the leaderboard and still be paired with the last third of the arena just because of your rating. Logic went in the trash

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