Cherokee is in the planning stages of the next tournament series for February. What could Cherokee do better during these tournaments that would make them more appealing to you as a player? Rick has posted before that Cherokee is open to suggestions for their tournaments, and is willing to make changes to their tournament rules for player satisfaction. Just as an update on the Cherokee tournaments hosted last week: The main event had just under 100 participants. The 2nd round winners received $500 each, and first place took $15,000, second paid $3,440.
A few suggestions First off, let me make it clear that I have never played in Oklahoma, let alone at your casino. So I can't comment on playing conditions. However, I looked at the CALENDER posting for your tournaments and found 3 areas that seem to me may need a little tweaking. There may be more since I did not do a detail examination of the rules. 1) The tournaments seem to me to be too close together. If you spread them out a little more, say once a week or every other week, the players may be more likely to play. Having them close together may make the players feel like it's a "job". If they are spread out, players can plan and look foreword to attending. 2) Some of the tournaments are on weekdays. People do work and turnout may be poor simply because the potential players cannot get off work. Saturdays and Sundays usually work best. 3) The tournaments have different payout schedules as well as entry fees. This may be confusing to the players and may turn off some. For example: Some of the tournaments "chop" the prize money equally to all that make the final table. Then why even have a final table? Do they still play and if so is it just for fun? These are just some of my thoughts. Good Luck.
<<Just as an update on the Cherokee tournaments hosted last week: The main event had just under 100 participants. The 2nd round winners received $500 each, and first place took $15,000, second paid $3,440. __________________>>> Lucky you guys. This is what BJT needs, affordable games that yield well on a consistent basis. Consistency of the game events is a must to tune table skills, playing an internet game isnt like the live game. We need to play multiple live tournaments per year. Someone help us. tia.
Here's my suggestion's... Wildwood, like I have suggested, I would recommend multiple events but 2-3 many even 4 but over no longer that a 4 day period. If your intent is to draw players in from out of state, you need to give them a good reason and value for the travel. Also try and host the events over a weekend Fri.-Sun., even a Monday if held over a long hoiliday weekend. I would go with the best possible rules, which would allow the players to use more strategy and eliminate as much of the luck factor as possible. Rules such as: 1. No more than 6 players per table, with two players advancing (minimum) from each table in each round. This allows for the lucky player who catches a hot streak to advance, but still gives a strategic player a chance to advance as well. 2. Have a lower maximum bet, no more than 1/3 of the starting bankroll. Most tournament players hate out playing the table the entire round only to lose on the last hand to some player who goes all in and hits a BJ. 3. Play more hands, 36 is a great number, each player would get the button 6 times (if they all stay till the end). This is useful for two reasons, (1) more hands played make the game more strategic and (2) it will allow more regular table play, which is what you want anyway. 4. Offer 3/2 BJ, Surrender, and Splits up to 3 times, DD after splits, except on Aces (only once), and insurance (no even money). 5. I would deal all DD up; this will avoid any misdeals, (on a down card that is exposed it is burnt). 6. I would start with a small amount of chips, I prefer $500, but no more than $1,000 and offer limits of $5 -$10 for minimum bets and $200 - $300 for maximum bets. 7. If possible offer daily satellite events for at least a month before you main event where your locals and not as big of players may win their seat into the main event for a smaller entry. This would add additional 30 or so players into the main event. I would also offer a full day of satellites the day before the major events start, this will draw several players in a day earlier for a chance to win the cheaper entry fee. Perhaps offer nighttime satellites tournaments before each main event. This will surely keep the players down in the casino, which is what you want. 8. Offer a fair prize amount to all! Don't just offer a top heavy 1st prize, that ends up being almost a winner take all event. Don't chop the pot; ask the players if they want to chop the pot! Chances are they will, but it should be the player’s choice, not the casinos (for the main events anyway). 9. Keep the entry fees down as much as possible; the majority of players prefer the $300 to $500 entry fee range. It is high enough to make the trip worth it and not to high to out price them, plus you add in the all the additional satellites and other major events it starts to add up. 10. Allow the players time to play, don't tell them they only have 10 seconds. Give them about 20 - 30 seconds for all but the last 5 hands, than give them 45 seconds. They are playing for (hopefully) a lot of money and they don't want to be rushed. 11. Enforce the rules you set, don't set a starting time and then make an exception for one of your high rollers, call around for them to show up to their table. This makes players very upset. Also be consistent with the rules, make sure any issue that may come up is handled the same way every time. 12. This is always a good thing, ADD MONEY TO THE PRIZE POOL! By adding an extra $10,000 - $25,000 to the prize pool will draw in lots of players. From the “Field of Dreams”: “Built it and they will come”!
Tex: "Wildwood, like I have suggested, I would recommend multiple events but 2-3 many even 4 but over no longer that a 4 day period. If your intent is to draw players in from out of state, you need to give them a good reason and value for the travel. Also try and host the events over a weekend Fri.-Sun., even a Monday if held over a long hoiliday weekend." In poker we have events that last for a month or longer with gradually increasing buy-ins until the final event which is usually $10,000-25,000. So if you want BJ to grow like poker don't you need to start and copy scheduals that are sucessful. And you idea about spreading the prize money down the ladder is a very good one, again copy poker. Use satellites for people to enter the larger events and don't drag a tourney out, there is no reason for a BJ tourney to take 3 days, get the tourney over and start another. Again copy poker.
Current Tournament Rules Our current tournament rules are: 1. Blackjacks pay 3:2 2. Late Surrender is offered 3. DAS, Split 3 times to make 4 hands. Aces can be split up to 3 times, No DAS, and Aces are dealt 1 card only 4. We play 24 hands, chip count after hand 20 5. In the main events players start with $1,000 and betting limits are $10 to $500. Smaller events players start with $500 and betting limits are usually $10 to $250. All bets are made in increments of $10. 6. The 2 highest chip counts from each table move on. 7. A target and a max of 6 players per table 8. Wild Cards may be taken if all 6 spots are not filled in the following round 9. We do have a time limit on the betting of 10 seconds. (Time limit will be changed for the February events for the final 4 hands to 30 seconds). 10. All tournaments are dealt with 6 decks and hand shuffled. All cards are dealt face up. 11. If a dealer deals out of order, a supervisor will attempt to recontruct the hand in proper fashion without backing up the cards. If the hand cannot be reconstructed, the supervisor will call the hand dead. All bets will remain the same as a new hand will be dealt. Our standard prize pool is as follows: Prize Pool #1 (Doesnt pay any round winners) 1st - 45% 2nd - 20% 3rd - 15% 4th - 10% 5th - 6% 6th - 4% Prize Pool #2 (Pays 2nd round winners) 1st - 45% 2nd - 20% 3rd - 10% 4th - 6% 5th - 5% 6th - 4% 2nd Round Winners - Split 10% evenly
