> Thanks, but one other question: Do these points actually affect the competition, or are they just to compare the players?

There are two basic effects points have:

1. They determine your ranking at the end of it, so you can say what rank you finished at when it's over.

2. They determine your ranking *during* the game, which affects what players you are pitted against during the elimination rounds. So the higher you can climb in the rankings, the theoretically weaker your opponents will be.

That said, it is not necessarily a good strategy to try to maximize your ranking throughout the game. Some of the money you spend is investing in the future, rather than preparing for the next immediate battle. (For example, enchanting equipment is a cheaper temporary increase for the next fight, but investing in permanent strength/constitution upgrades may eventually be cheaper in the long run.) A lot of times, the players on top throughout the game start getting beaten around the quarterfinals by players just behind them who built up for the longer term.