Currently there is not a word, even after registration is closed, if 4-th place will get a ticket or not.
I played accordingly, as i was sure 4-th place paid, and was satisfied with 4-th place. However I`m feeling misleaded by this "confusing wording" and especially that lobby "Places paid: 4" was not changing at all, it shows 4 constantly with no changes depending on entrants as you said.
I consider it to be your fault in "wording" and "places paid" title, that lead me to finish 4-th without making any efforts to finish 3-rd for ex.
What can you do about it?

What is your username?  We can take care of it here in the forum if you prefer.  We would rather keep your information private but we are not sure who you are.  We take care of our players all the time even in situations of misunderstanding, therefore what is your username?

if this was supposed to fix my problem it didnt