The future of UBT/EBJ - After the first year will UBT be hearing, "You've been Eliminated?" Well, with almost one year under its belt I feel that this would be a good time to review the success(es)/failures of Elimination Black Jack (EBJ). When one goes back and reads the early post concerning UBT in June 2006 there was a lot of excitement (and we had a lot more members posting. Aruba was the inaugural stop of the UBT with promises for big prize pools and OPEN events. August 2006 marked the opening of Bet21.com. September 2006 UBT Tour Stop #1 – 145 players in the main event $2700 October 2006 UBT Tour Stop #2 – 90 players in the main event $2700 January 2006 UBT Circuit Event #1 Barona – over 200 players for $500 April 2006 UBT Circuit Event #2 Barona – over 400 players for $250 April 2006 UBT Tour Stop #3 – 62 players in the main event for $2700 May 2007 UBT Circuit Event #3 (Venetian) – 36 players $500 June 2007 UBT Circuit Event #4 Barona – 100,000 guaranteed prize pool. Now there have been several “invitational only” UBT events (Venetian, Palms and Barona) in which there was heavy attendance but those events were not open to the public and therefore were not included in this review. The UBT television first aired in September 2006 and concluded in December 2006. Chicago Superstitions, WGN, picked up the rights to rebroadcast season one recently. The next UBT Tour Stop #4 – The Venetian July 2007. What should we expect? Well for TBJ players who have a spare $2,700 to spend in July you’ll be forced to choose between the UBT and the Hilton Million Dollar Tournament. Both are being held at that same time, July 11-15. What is going on with the UBT? Is it the venues that it is being held? Is it the entry fees? Is it the format? (EBJ). Well let’s take a closer look at some “other” notable UBT events: Announcement of a monthly UBT tours including Paris, Australia, Atlantic City, and other venues along the way – only to have to cancel/postpone most, if not all of the events. Promotion of the UBT Europe episode and award a final table seat only to cancel the Europe Deal. Announcement of a UBT circuit event in Washington in June only to cancel the event Movement of a UBT circuit event at Barona because of a schedule conflict with the UBT Palms event Moving of an upcoming UBT circuit event at Barona for unknown reasons AFTER is had been announced for over 4 months. No official representative from UBT to the premier BJT site on the Web (www.blackjacktournaments.com) nor a representative to the LVAdvisor site’s UBT. Licensing of their format to Bet21.com and UB.com and allowing those companies to stiff their customers while at the same time having software issues which lead to many a conspiracy theory. No promotion or information regarding a UBT Season 2. So what gives? Will UBT be able to learn from its mistakes of this past year or will it continue to deteriorate and go the way of the pet rock and the slinky? Some of my personal observations on this subject in the form of a report card: 1. UBT on EBJ, their product. Grade: A. EBJ is a fun game and if marketed and introduced to the masses I think it could enjoy a lot of popularity. It appeals to the younger, hyper players who want a “quick” fix. While it involved strategy it also leaves the doors wide open to “lucky plays/ers” and that will only help and encourage ploppies to give EBJ a shot. 2. UBT on marketing. Grade: C minus. While the product, EBJ, may be good, unless you get it into the hands of your potential players you have a severe disadvantage. While the TV shows may be exciting unless people can play it (EBJ) it’s nothing more than a flash in the pan. The online version at Bet21.com is, in my opinion, the easiest, best, fastest way to learn EBJ. However, Bet21.com, in my humble opinion, has hurt EBJ by the way they have treated their players. One simply has to log in at that site to see that the number of EBJ players is half of what it was 6 months ago. 3. UBT on communication. Grade: D minus. They have no official spokes person here, online, etc. People are scared enough to get involved but when you can’t speak/write to a person about your questions and you expect people to just show up and play and the casino that you’re holding your tournament in doesn’t even know about it well that’s just screwy. 4. UBT on venues. Grade: C minus. Now this grade is based upon MY personal experiences with UBT. I attended the inaugural UBT event in Aruba in September 2006 and just recently the UBT circuit event at the Venetian. So why a C minus you ask? The Aruba event was very well done. It was fun, enjoyable and if UBT would have done that event over and over again I feel that it would have been a smashing success. The problem is that event 2, St. Kitts, was held 30 days later and out of the country AGAIN. So the transportation costs/housing, etc. was too high. I had planned on attending the Barona circuit events but couldn’t make it (my fault not theirs). The first US stop, The Palms, was from all reviews an overwhelming flop. The Venetian Circuit event, in my opinion, bodes ill for the upcoming July UBT stop. Their treatment of the players and their reneging on the positive value of the seat is reprehensible and for that reason alone I will not attend any other UBT event at the Venetian. 5. Overall Grade: C. Now along comes the Hilton Million Dollar Tournament beginning in June. From what I have read this isn’t the first time that this has been done. Thanks to the members who have directed me to find out more about it (LVHMDT). While the first satellite in June should be successful I am more interested in the 2nd LVHMDT satellite. It is scheduled the same weekend as the UBT Venetian Stop. Both are similar in fees, 2,500 vs. 2,700. The winner of both events goes to the “season ending” million dollar tournament of champions. The question is which tourney will draw the best? Will the UBT be able to improve over their 68 players at the Palms? Will the LVHMDT be able to pull in 66 players while only paying out the top 5? In my opinion the issue goes deeper than that – it is simply this: Will the BJT community prefer TBJT (LVH) over EBJ (Venetian). Between now and then there are no UBT shows planned to air, online with Bet21.com there are no satellite events to win a Venetian Package (remember St. Kitts?) All UBT has is a website and the soon to launched ClubUBT.com. It is my opinion that if the attendance at UBT stop #4 isn’t greater than The Palms, or if the LVHMDT outdraws the UBT event it will be clear that EBJ is nothing more than a flash in the pan, relegated to online play only and in my opinion that would be a shame. Now before anyone accuses me of "pot stirring" or pointing out the negative let me state this: I want UBT to succeed. My purpose of this thread is to help those in a position to make changes see the forest from the trees. I want those that CAN make a difference to look around, to wake up and smell the coffee. I've got ideas, lots of them (as do other members here) but unless they are wanted/solicited or if the powers at UBT don't care then why should I bother? Are there ways/methods/ideas that could help UBT? Sure and this site is a great resource. But until UBT decides to communicate and seek assistance – well I hear there is space in the one-hit wonder Hall of Shame!
Maybe Im wrong here, but hasnt it only been 7 or 8 months sine EBJ started? No pun intended here, LOL, but this post is pure pre EBJ illation! BTW, I think the Palms was changed to fit in with the recent Barona game. It sounded like they moved it so joep could play in Barona then Palms. Then of recent they moved the next Barona game to a weekday event. This was, my guess, a move that was made to fill the casino during days with more vacancy. The Barona game has been a sucess via the game floated to players and walk ups as it is an invite/open event. If they are going to have 400 players why do it on weekend? The moving of the game to weekday tells me it is a success at Barona.
