I'm slightly surprised at the lack of "chatter" about this event being it's only a week out. Anyone know how many entrants so far? I talked with a host there a couple days ago but didn't think to ask. The 25% increase (from 12k to 15k) for the guaranteed 1st place is a nice incentive that will hopefully boost the field. Billy C
I'm surprise also, it"s hard to believe we don"t get more entrant"s from Dubuque or the Quad City area!
I've considered Meskwaki tournament, but don't think I'm ready for a major. Planning to play in Prairie Meadows Monthly on Saturday in Altoona, IA, then drive to Tama to watch Sunday rounds. Haven't had enough experience with chip play.
Website says registration opens at 11am, tournament starts at 1pm, limited to 126 entrants. $35 entry fee. "Over $4500 in prize money". No mention of re-buys. I've never been there. Planning to play in it vs. Meskwaki due to my lack of experience and relatively close proximity to Tama, so I can then watch the big guns play in the Mesk.
I"m playing at Meskwaki. been there the last 5 years its alot of fun and a alot of great players,friends!! I was considering going to Prairie if it was at nite time. Hopefully see you Sunday!
RanDom, do not let your lack of experience scare you off from playing in a bigger BJT, especially when you're so close to it. I had a lot less experience than you in my first live BJT appearance and did pretty OK. Others here can say similar things.
LeftNut is absolutely rite step up and youll"ll learn a great deal from being involded you can find a trick or two or capitalize on someones mistakes
I too, agree with Lefty and FBJeffy on this. I'm sure you can still get in the Tama event and being you don't need a room it's only $200 (includes welcome party and meal and breakfast both days) which is probably a better value for you in the long run than the other smaller event because you'll gain valuable experience and meet a bunch of nice people that can benefit you in the future. You shouldn't feel intimidated. It's not like you're up against a field of pros. Typically 90% of the entrants there are just average players without tourney skills. You can probably count on one hand the amount of truly good players that will be at Tama this time and if your luck is better than theirs you wouldn't be the first rookie to make a big score in tournament play. Hope to see you there! Billy C
I agree wholeheartedly. The very fact that you're on this website means you've probably read some literature on strategy. And that makes you better than average in this tournament already. If you can afford it, go for it. Unfortunately I have to work that weekend...
+1 .... I say you should just jump in. With one notable exception, and for the most part, the events I've played over the years have been somewhat sparse on skilled competitors. They are out there, but they are also easy to spot when you do run across them. In fact, more often than I run across a skilled foe, I run into folks who have played a few tournaments, have seen some crazy plays and who therefore play crazy throughout because they think they're supposed to. These people end up hurting themselves more than unskilled player would. Most of these folks will bet big and double on the final hand, even if they don't need to. You will also see a lot of comped in high rollers who are generally just aggressive and who sometimes don't care whether they win or lose. Last but not least are those who think it's all luck and have no real strategy. If you know about bet correlation and you know to prefer the low over the high, then you're already ahead of most of your opponents. Having said all that, I do find more skilled opponents in blackjack tournaments than for other games. The baccarat players I have encountered seem more interested in tracking the pseudo-patterns in the previous hands (which gives you valuable information on how they choose which side to bet on). On the final hand, they all bet max on one side or the other. The roulette players almost universally are fixated on spreading a large number of bets in patterns across the entire board or in a given sector. So much so that they don't notice when you correlate their bets.
Big Thanks to FBJeffy, LeftNut, BillyC, Monkeysystem and gronbog for all your positive comments of encouragement. It is truly appreciated. I had actually signed up early for Mesk, and was definitely considering playing after reading what you all had to say. But, I cancelled my spot Thursday night and I don't know if I can properly express my concerns, but I'll give it a shot: I'm not afraid of the competition, I'm afraid of my own ability to transition from playing almost exclusively in small, live action tournaments to chip play. I am so conditioned to betting as if my own money is on the line (as it IS in live action) that I'm not sure I can switch to "Go Big or Go Home" with chip play. I KNOW that any remaining chips are worthless after the last hand! But I don't know if I will bet accordingly on the last few hands when I'm in the heat of the battle. I failed miserably at my one attempt at a chip play tournament at Four Winds in MI in April (which was before learning basic strategy and counting) and I just feel I need some fresh experience in a smaller, chip play tournament before trying a major. I hope to learn a little by playing at Prairie Meadows on Saturday then learn more by watching Sunday rounds at Mesk. Best of luck to all of you, and thanks again for taking the time to tell me how you feel. RanDom
Fair enough. There are very few live money events around these days. At least, I've never run across one. Perhaps you could start a thread under Tournament Strategy and educate us on some of the differences as you seen them. I know that there are others here who have played them (Billy C for one) and I'd be interested to read what you all have to say.
Sorry it took so long to post this. The Meskwaki event was typically pleasurable again. Well ran by nice tourney staff and dealers. Only BJTers cashing were Cadillac Tim and myself and that was only $200 apiece for reaching the semifinal tables. 92 total original entrants but a large contingent of rebuyers due to the low cost of $50 for almost unlimited rebuys. 1st paid the guaranteed 15k, 2nd was slightly under 5k and on down through 7th place. We missed not seeing Badger Bob this time as he was off dealing with health issues. Looking forward to seeing him at their next event which is tentatively scheduled for around April 17-19, 2015 (not Easter Sunday like last year) Billy C
