Payout
Traditionally the payout at the Pro Tour has been based only on the finishing place with a total of US$230,795 (US$245,145 at Worlds) given out using the following pattern (for teams, indicated are the total winnings for teams of three):
| Place | Individual | Team | Worlds | Team Worlds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $40,000 | $75,000 | $45,000 | $12,000 |
| 2 | $20,000 | $36,000 | $24,000 | $7,500 |
| 3 | $15,000 | $21,000 | $15,000 | $6,000 |
| 4 | $13,000 | $18,000 | $14,000 | $5,250 |
| 5–8 | $11,000-9,500 | $11,000-9,500 | $11,500-10,000 | $4,500-3,375 |
| 9–16 | $7,000-3,750 | $7,000-3,700 | $7,000-3,750 | $3,000 |
In individual Pro Tours the payout extends down to 65th place, and to 75th place at the World Championships, while in team Pro Tours it goes to the 25th team.
In PT:Philadelphia 2005 a new payout system was tested. The tournament was run using triple-elimination (with a draw counting as a loss for both players) and each match was run with money at stake. The amount of money earned by the winner of the match increased from $100 in round 1 to $1,500 in round 12. This system had the result of distributing the money more evenly among competitors (out of 311, only 40 failed to make money) but the top finishers earned significantly less money than they would have under the old system. This layout was largely criticized by players and internet writers and has not returned since.
Read more about this topic: Pro Tour (Magic: The Gathering)