You are both brainlets. There were only 16 spots for people who wanted to pay to enter, and it filled in less than a day. For reference, other large events had a 1 to 2 week signup window. Day 2 and there are now almost as many people on the waitlist as spots originally offered. There is undoubtedly more people that want to play than what event organizers anticipated. It doesn't matter if it doesn't reach 128 players. It's about letting all the people who want to participate a chance at entering. Don't stifle event participation for no reason.