Question for poker room managers, floormen, and dealers

[youtalkfunny]

For years, cardrooms have used tournaments as "loss-leaders"--daily events that didn't drop enough to cover the expenses involved (labor, drink comps, etc), but got people to come into the room--and hope that some of the players decide to stick around and give the live games some action.

My question: is this marketing tool obsolete?

In my opinion, tournaments aren't drawing ANYBODY to the rooms, except for players who will play in tournaments ONLY.

Those of you who work in a poker room know that the following exchange is common:

PLAYER: (walks in) You guys having a tournament today?
BRUSH: Sorry, it started an hour ago. You're too late for that. But I have a seat available in every game, at every limit imaginable...
PLAYER: No thanks. When's the next tournament?

At the room where I currently work, we have daily tournaments that draw anywhere from 40-100 players, and I swear that they don't do ANYTHING to enhance the bottom line (the drop). Players get busted from the tourney, and they're running out the door, on to the next tourney.

I've suggested to my superiors that if we're going to hold these events, let's do it for profit! Instead of offering a $20+5 (plus re-buys) event, let's make it $20+20! Why provide dealers, floormen, tourney directors, chips, tables, surviellance, security, and FREE DRINKS for $5 per head?

Again, maybe this was a great idea one time in the past, but the explosion of tournament poker has made this "loss-leader" stuff obsolete, IMO.

To the shock of absolutely no one, my suggestions have fallen on deaf ears. The toughest policies to change are the ones that make bosses say, "But that's the way we've ALWAYS done it!"

One last thing: if you're thinking "...but the tourneys draw players onto the property, so they must be a good thing," I would counter that if these players won't give you any action in the POKER ROOM, that would make the odds astronomical that they'd give you any action anywhere else in the casino.

Opinions?