This is so though

Arch...

I happened to catch your last round ....I dont know that you could have done any better....you just got bad turns...

Its certainly not that you were outplayed....the winners got really lucky that you didnt catch at least one hand b4 elimination...

That said....I think you are placing too much value on the secret bet....in your position (and since the weasels were playing off you;-))and since you had position on the last bet .....I would have used the secret bet earlier...perhaps you could have tricked one less experienced player to over or under bet.

When guys are playing off you it sometimes becomes necessary to make the move after the button pass, but...it can also work to make a strange move on the button....they see you bet and follow you right off the cliff...except that hopefully you have a reserve plan that saves you in the nick of time...perhaps you get the turn, perhaps you can surrender out...all sorts of combos to break out of your losing position...

Im pretty sure I read a Ken S article somewhere where he advised that (in your position) you should go for > BR position or bust out trying...I think thats what you did....

Was there value to saving your bullets for the last round...???? Yes ...but as for the secret bet there was less value ....its value was earlier to trick BR 1,2 or 3 into second guessing your catchup bet (or was it a min bet??). And perhaps giving you a chance to shift the numbers a little and put you closer to the other 3...

I really dont think you did anything wrong and further I dont think holding off would have greatly improved your odds...these guys were all ready and expecting whatever number you needed at hand 25...and they would have surely covered it....unless of course you turned them or min bet and one was dumb enough to give you low...lots of if's there...

I hear all the numbers about 2 step progressions and such...but Im not convinced of the value...or the numbers....then again it's my cynical and pesimssestic nature....I look at a two step progression as 2 chances to lose...

Therefore I often choose to go for it with a one shot catch up...

So....I would have played as you did...but I would have tried to trick a misbet from one player by secret betting min...at some key point...or maybe secret betting the turn amount I needed and hope for some cards...its the luck part working in conjunction with the skill part...sometimes they come together ..sometimes not.

Second I would have saved my last shot for when the button passed...

But Im not sure that any of it would have increased your chances over the plays you made....It was a quite good game that ended badly for you....the very last place to not qualify...

As I was watching I was even yelling at those cards...lol

Its no consolation but that was the first free roll I didnt even qualify to play in....and I tried enough times and got very close too many times to mention...but no cigar...

And as an entry to one of my most boneheaded moves....in the previous freeroll I qualified... but showed up a day late to play because I mismarked my calender...duh

It was a heart breaker Im sure....considering starting with the TEC point game to the point you were at was LOTS of time! But bad cards beat you ...not bad play...


Better luck next time....Paris in Spring time is great I hear!

 

Interesting idea, but who would go for it?

Using the secret bet on the button when you're not on the elimination hand or the hand before. Never thought of a move like that to throw my opponents off, but in this case it may have merit because I still had last position on the elimination hand and nobody else had a secret bet. Food for thought, Rando.Thank you

I'm sorry you missed the event. I sympathize with you with you because I qualified "in extremis" the Monday before after numerous failures. I now consider as an accomplishment of sorts the fact that I finished 7th in the final event, having advanced through eight consecutives playing rounds (counting the two events, one with 816 entries and the other 1170) and being the last eliminated on the 24th hand in the ninth round.

Its so tough! Personally, it's the most grueling I've been in. Considering that it took close to 4 hours to complete play, the winner not only has to be lucky, but also be a damn good player, which is obviously the case of Leftnut and Stubbs...and also the gentleman at my semi-final table who was BR1 and eventually won the event.

 

Masterstroke

Archie

Ken S famously used his SB on the EH-1 heads-up against Hollywood Dave and achieved a swing which set him up for the win.

It has been discussed here - http://www.blackjacktournaments.com/bb/showthread.php?t=2887

Cheers

Reachy