Ho Chunk (Wisconsin) 11-13-10

The Ho Chunk is having a BJT on 11-13-10. First place is a trip to Aspen. I asked several players if that can be exchanged for cash and those I asked said they didn't think so. I and others have no interest in going to a ski resort. So my question is:

Can cash be exchanged for the trip?

 

Probably not

I don't think so. First place also includes $1500 cash. Second place is $2500
cash so if you and me are on the final table we'll both be trying for second?

Billy C

 

It's all yours. The prize money is not enough to justify my travel. If first place paid all cash instead of a trip that I don't need then I would reconsider.

 

Now wait a minute

Is it air fare and accommodations? What the hey!? Sitting around the fireplace with a beverage, ogling the luscious ladies ain't half bad!

No one said you had to go break a leg.

 

I'd recommend event-----if not distance prohibitive

Yes, all of that is included. Even so, the $2500 for second place looks far more attractive to me.
As Monkey says, the management sucks at this place and customer service is non existent. I can't believe they were dumb enough to "choose" a ski trip for first place. Had to be available to them at little or no cost and this is how they're making use of it.
On the other hand though, the tourney staff is one of the best I've seen at many tournaments over the years. They run their events very well.
Side play isn't bad for video poker players. They offer 99.73% NSUD games. Open blackjack is "fair" at best. Slots are slots. Attached hotel rooms are very nice and restaurants and bars are quite good.
Side play is never required to play in their tourneys.

Billy C

 

HO Chunk

I find the table game is really decent there, it"s one of the
best $25 shoe tables around, you can trust the players at least!!!!!

 

What kind of trust?

Does "trusting the players" mean they don't steal your chips OR they hit hard 16 against 10's?

Billy C

 

Isn't this the same joint that has a BJT with first place being a Harley motorcycle? I'm afraid that I wouldn't be interested in any BJT like this, even if it was in my own backyard - but not entirely for the reasons noted here so far.

Casinos have a bad habit of overstating the value of merchandise prizes rather steeply when they "W2G" or "1099" the winner, principally because they get a fatter tax write-off. There was a notorious case some years back - I don't remember the casino or the date - that had a new car available to the lucky winner of a low-denom bank of slot machines. That car sat there for at least a couple of years before someone finally picked it off. The casino issued a tax form for the sticker price of the car, and the winner squealed because it was absolutely not a new car any more. The whole thing ended up in court and the casino lost.

In this case, it's easily possible that HoChunk picked up the Aspen trip cheap through a discounter or similar. Let's say they paid $3,000 for it. They can look through full retail vacation pricing websites and find someplace which will sell the same trip for $6,000. They pay $3K, they issue the winner a tax form for $6K (plus the cash bonus). Perhaps that isn't what is happening here but a casino will rarely miss a trick like that if the opportunity is present.

 

You're right, my friend. Same casino that has the "Hog Wild" tourneys with first place being a Harley.
If I'm on the final table tomorrow, my goal is SECOND place ($2500 cash)

Billy C

 

I don't believe that is true. The amount a business can "write-off" for tax purposes, when giving away merchandise, is their cost or "basis" of the prize given away - not the current value. The value put on a 1099 or W2P does not determine the amount the company can "write-off". If there is someone out there that has a solid grasp on tax law, please chime-in - ptaylorcpa comes to mind.

 

Biking to Aspen?

The guy that usually buys the Harleys won the ski trip! (Dale Harding)

Billy C

 

Cheers and NO Jeers

I should also give credit where it's due. Besides the advertised prizes, Ho Chunk also put all entrant names in a box and drew for a 50" HD TV. A real nice bonus for some lucky lady.
Instead of the set-up food they used to have, they now give a free buffet ticket to each entrant. Can be used anytime that day (breakfast, lunch or dinner).
Their tourney staff (all female) did it's typical great job running the event. It's difficult to understand how well they run their tournaments when they have so few of them. This was without their regular director (Trish) who was sick.
I'm not usually on their bandwagon for anything but have to admit that they did a fine job. I didn't see ANY dealer mistakes either.
Guaranteed prize pools are also a plus when entries are low (it appeared so).

Billy C

 

Made a trade!

The individual that won this event has two bad knees. He was able to trade the ski trip (supposed value of 3k) for a Caribbean cruise (supposed 3.3k value) by paying the $300 difference.
He still got the $1500 cash, too.

Billy C

 

Five days ago Dale beat me in the first round by pulling an Ace when he hit his 19 on the last hand. He didn't make it past the next round. They didn't even have a full tourney. My reentry round only had six players at my table...and I still couldn't advance.

I used to play in HoChunk tourneys all the time...when they held them on the weekends. Made it to the final table probably half a dozen times. Then they pretty much stopped having them and instead go with the weekday ones. I missed the one in November because they do a lousy job of advertising and I had forgotten about this site.

Hopefully I'll get to a few of the weekday ones but it's difficult as I have to drive 3 hours.