This isn't directed at anyone in particular, I'm just curious about the mentality because I've never gone to a contest that I didn't believe 100% in my soul that I was going to win brisket. Maybe it's the way I'm wired (Even the first one I ever cooked at my very first contest).
If you aren't buying the meat that you feel gives you the best chance to win because you are admitting that you don't have a chance because you don't know how to cook a brisket properly, why stop saving money there? What is another $100 in the scheme of things for a contest?
Why even go if you are admitting defeat before you even leave your house? Why not spend the money on a class? And if you are going to contests that you know you can't win just for entertainment, you obviously have money to burn so why not buy the product you want?
This isn't a wagyu/non-wagyu question. If you are compromising on your meat, whatever it is you prefer, before you leave the house due to your own admitted lack of ability, take a class, buy 10 briskets with the money you save from not competing and learn how to get it right.
Just my two cents. Learning at a competition is expensive and even then, you want the best meat just in case you luck in to something! So spend the extra money and buy a Snake.