Here is a hint that got me into a semifinal round one time and almost got me into the semifinals this past weekend at the Goldstrike. Always show up for the semifinal round and be sure that all the semifinalists show up to take their seats. In accumulation format, the rules generally state that if a person doesn't show up to take their seat in the semi final round that the seat will be filled by the next highest score on the list. Once I was on the bubble and just missed the cutoff, but because one person didn't show up and I had the highest score of the people still around, I got the seat given to me. (That person showed up when the session was about over and was angry when he found out that he had the wrong time noted because his watch was set to a different time zone.) This past weekend, there were actually four people who didn't show up to play the semi final round! You would think that would be impossible, but the tournament was so unorganized that evidently these people didn't check their scores, didn't know the time that the semi's were going to be played, or didn't even realize that there were more rounds to be played. (This was an invitational only combined slot and blackjack tournament, and it was obvious that a lot of the people had never even sat at a blackjack table before, which explains why the four no shows probably happened). Unfortunately this weekend even though there were four seats empty my zero in round two had dropped me from 26th place to 56th place with the top 36 advancing which didn't get me close enough to the bubble. Once I pointed out the rules to them, they decided they had to call the names out in order over the PA system in the playing area and four people had stayed around just long enough to claim a seat before they got to my name.
ptaylorcpa, Are you talking about the Gold Strike in Tunica or somewhere else? I saw no calender posting about this event.
Tunica It was a combination Blackjack and Slot event with a bonus if you won both events. I received an invite and I had forgot all about it.
$1,000,000 My dad got an invitation somehow, so I tagged along. At the welcome party a host was going around being friendly, so I asked about playing too. She got me in. I don't think this was one for the blackjack crowd, it seemed to be mostly slot and craps players who got invites. If you won both the blackjack tournament and slots you got a million dollar bonus. Needless to say they didn't give the million away.
For the most part, I've stopped going to the Gold Strike tournaments for 2 main reasons: 1) Their rules leave a lot to be desired and whatever rules they have are poorly administered. 2) As of late, they pay the prize money 1/2 in cash and 1/2 in promo chips. This has the effect of only paying out less than 3/4 of what is advertised. So if they say the prize pool is $50,000, it's expected value is less than $37,500. This doesn't set well with me. If I see $50,000, I expect $50,000 will be paid out. Now take these 2 problem areas and add in my traveling expense and time, it's not hard to come to a conclusion - why bother? This is not to say I'll never be there again. It's just that I usually have better things to do than to go to Tunica just for the Gold Strike tournament.
to each his own! Everyone has an opinion and mine is after my last Harrah's tournament, I will most likely never play in a Harrah's tournament again. Because of; No rooms, no garanteed rebuy, which created a near riot by everyone fighting to get in line for 1 of the 70 rebuys, $100 bad promo chip for a 1 day early entry, extra room $99 real money. Gross mistreatment of some players. No welcome party. etc. tgun
This is why... The reasons mentioned above along with the so many events changing over to VIP events just for the high rollers and the barring of players is all the reasons I started the TBJPA. Now I will admit, that should any casino hosting one of the TBJPA/TBT tournaments want to add additional to the prize pool, I wouldn't have a problem with the promo chips, as long as they were added on top of the normal prize pool.
