Four Winds, Michigan - Monthly

A Calendar post was made a couple of weeks ago about a monthly tournament at Four Winds Casino (Michigan) starting 6/2/09. This kind of surprised me since they never had any BJTs in the past. I tried to access their web site to verify this event but their site is so poor I got tired of waiting and disconnected. Does anyone have verification of this event? I hate to travel there for nothing.

 

Nice timing. I was actually prowling thru their site just before seeing your post. You didn't miss anything in the site, there is no mention of the BJT. But I did find an email addy and sent them a request for schedule and rules.

 

Thanks for looking into it, LeftNut. I'll be out of town over the weekend but I'll be looking forward to any information you can muster.

 

Four Winds Kind of Tourney

At Toolmans behest, I traveled the long winding road into the woods, I guess it's a forrest, but for the trees, to the elegant Four Winds to investigate this 5K monthly starting June 2.
Yes, indeed, according to the rotating, changing signage there is a 5K first tuesday of the month tourney for a $60 entry fee, with registration starting at 5:30 and play begining at 7:30. The signage said ask for details at any BJ Pit.

Well of course everyone at both pits was surprised to hear about it, except to say, ya, there it says it on the sign. I was directed to the host station, where they had it on the computer, but with no details, cause it was a marketing department deal and while they were advertising it, they hadn't passed on any details to anyone else. Does look like 8 deck as that's what most tables are, with shoe and discard tray.

They have held invitationals about twice a year according to a couple a dealers, who really didn't know anything about them.

Someone was supposed to call me about a week ago with details, but no ringy dingy yet.

Unless they change their minds between now and June 2, there will be something.

I'm a thunkin I'll show up and see, but that drive into the venue almost makes one want to turn around before it's too late. Except the narrow, winding lane and a half road makes it impossible to back track, unless you have a Hummer.

By the way, their MUST WIN slots are low end now $500. I forget the middle, but high end is 100K. They are tied in with all the other Berman run properties for that.

If you go, look for High Limit Room. Tourney Pit is next to it. If you go, GOOD FORTUNE to you and don't mess with the Indian Karma.

 

Noman, it's interesting that you found no one in the pit with a clue, as this is what I just got back from Four Winds:

Thanks for your e-mail. The rumors are true, Four Winds Casino will be holding Blackjack tournaments on the first Tuesday of each month, starting June 2. Tournaments will begin at 6:00 Eastern, with registration beginning at 5:30 Eastern. The entry fee is $60, and for a full tournament, the prize pool would be $5,000. Visit the pit for complete details.

I sent back another email, politely thanking them for the info and asking again if someone could send the rules.

 

Noman

Those are 6D games.

Nice casino but not the best in Michigan. But maybe the best Buffet.

CP

 

Four Winds

Yes creeping panther the info you got is exactly whats on the signage, But no one in the pits knows anything bout it. I got a call back telling me June 2. $60 entry fee. $5,000 monthly tourney. Now it's in the poker room. And in pit 2 it's 8 decks, where theyve heldthere invitationals, internationals, alss, issles, however. FIRXT Tuesddaaayevery months so for, even dough it ain't stareted yet. Rules will be made up as they go.

 

Maybe this is why I haven't gotten a callback yet about the rules. Still hoping to, this is easily the geographically closest BJT that I've seen since getting into the game. Problem is that I refuse to waste the time and expenses playing either accumulation or "all tables one advance" - even if it is that close to home. Either of those formats ramps up the luckbox factor far too significantly. Hopefully I'll hear something back and can share it here.

 

Thanks to everyone for their efforts. Sounds like they are still in the "organizational" phase of getting this event going. Should be well dis-organized at best.

I doubt the rules will be available in advance. Consider yourself lucky if the rules are available when the tournament starts. I had a situation like that happen to me once. The Tournament Director said the rules will be given orally when we sit down to play. That was fun!

As accumulation format goes, every one should get use to it and learn the strategies of this format as it applies to BJ. We must keep in mind that casinos run tournaments - be it BJ, slots, pai gow, 3 card poker, craps, or whatever - for promotional purposes and not for our convenience/preference. Accumulation format has virtually always been used for slot tournaments and can easily be adapted to other types of tournaments as well. Unless something radical happens, accumulation format will grow in popularity among the casinos since it is the easiest to administer and players grasp the concept faster - although the strategy for BJ accumulation eludes most players.

 

Well, they still haven't returned my call, but if things are as you guess, that might explain it!

I'll just bet it was fun! :laugh:
What amazes me is that they hope for a great turnout when they can't even figure out rules and etc. in advance.

Granted, they run them for promotional purposes, but the success of any promotion is immediately handicapped when they stick in some B.S. rule that turns off many of their potential entrants. It makes me shake my head in wonderment when a casino injects silly rules and/or severely limits the player pool, then whines later about how they run BJT's but can't seem to get a good turnout.

Obviously, they can run 'em any way they wish, but we always have the choice whether to attend - or not.

 

Four Winds

Got a call back from the VIP host. Monthly $5,000 BJ tourneys every first Tuesday, as previously stated, starting June 2. Registration,as previously stated, starts at 5:30 Eastern, play as originally stated, begins at 7:30 eastern. $60 tournament fee goes to prize fund, no registration fee. Dat's what she said. Have fun and good luck.

 

Grrrrrrrrrr

Great. Just great.

Got a callback on this one. It's one round of 1-advance table elimination, creating a pool of 14 winners (wild cards will fill in the 14 if not a full starting field). Then those 14 play an accumulation round, and that's the end of that. Payouts to top 7, or less if not a full field.

I was just so tickled that there was finally going to be a BJT close enough that it didn't involve a 5+ hour drive OR an airline ticket. Dammit. What a shame. :cry:

 

Not sure if this means you will be there or not.

 

Hey Lookie!

So it's the reverse of what we think it should be. Sit down. Noodle it. And go play if it's in range. Hey? $5,000 top prize up for grabs within walkin distance. (And depending on entries, not a bad return for $60.) With enough turnout and possible side action, maybe somethin else better will develop. In the meantime for the paupers in the rust belt its a chance. The 5K would be on 100, so more that play more that pays. Who knows, a good turnout here, puts pressure all across Ill, In and Mich. Come on Left Nut, you can't practice your ten pin that much during the summer.

 

Quickie responses

Toolman - nope, I won't be there. Deb's thinking about it. I If she goes, I may be there earlier in the day, but the timing of this event was intensely inconvenient towards other plans. I was willing to suck it up and play even though it would likely mean a nearly all-night drive afterwards, but not with those staggeringly awful rules. If I can show up earlier in the day, I'll try to look up someone who is involved in planning the BJT so that I can thank them for their considerable efforts, then very politely explain why their rules are unpopular and won't help them fill the field.

Noman - It's not a $5K top prize, it's a $6K total prize fund - and that's totally based on entries.

P.S. I retired from the tenpin game 5 years ago! :laugh:

 

I doubt you'll have much luck changing their mind about rules. Since this tournament is on a weekday they probably set it up to be over quickly so 1) players can get home at a reasonable hour to go to work the next day and 2) get eliminated players out of the tournament early so they have time to give the casino side action. Given the location of the casino and lack of prior tournaments in that geographical area, I doubt there will be many seasoned players there that know the difference between good and bad rules. They'll be there just on the hope that lady luck will shine on them. That being said, I do wish you luck if you do talk to them.

 

Agreed, they may not listen, or even want to hear it. But it could very well be that they are "winging it" & simply don't have that much experience in the nuances of hosting an attractive BJT. If the motivation is to get it over quickly in order to get the players back out on the casino floor, then I could point out that it won't work too well if the players don't show up at all!

 

Leftnut

The new Tourney Director at Four Winds:celebrate :joker:

Well....... you never know!

CP

 

Left Nut

You are correct sir! 6k based on entries.

Side note: Though most would probably know. Must present your W-Club(players card) at time of entry, so save time and get one before 5:30 registration.