> Oops that’s not allowed so now no one gets to go?

You sell your own ticket back to the event. Your three friends of course have their names on their tickets, so they can go if they want to.

> Or you buy tickets as a gift for someone.

Do you buy gifts to people whose name you don't even know?

I tend to buy 2-4 tickets for a show way in advance of me knowing which of my friends would go with me