like I said, 50% of SBR is USA...and actually either USA is running above expectation as a whole, non americans dont play poker, or even more people from USA are here than previously thought.

anyway, this format is like having a golf tournament to decide who makes the team and then the finals are a Putt putt championship (i'm not saying 4 person tournies are worse than mtts), but its like comparing apples to oranges. sure you have to play an end game in a mtt with 4 people, just as you have to putt in a golf tournament, but these are completely different things.

there is really no good way to set up this tournament though, and i guess if you wanted "team" competitions in poker, this would have to be it. although it would be hilarious if we had teams and colluding was allowed