We all talk about up coming tournaments, but hardly talk about which tournaments are the best (or worst) to play in and why. So lets get players replys about which tournaments you like (and why) along with tournaments you dis-liked (and why). We can try and create a ranking of the best and worst tournaments for players. Personally I enjoyed playing in the following events: (no perticular order) Thumbs up events! New Frontier - perhaps my favorite tournament, GREAT format and rules, plus live money. The smaller betting limits really made for the most stratigic tournaments I've ever played in. Las Vegas Hilton - $1,000,000 tournament - It was a legit shot for us to become MILLIONAIRS for only a $1,000 entry. I wish they made a few changes, such as offering re-buys (I hated only having one shot at $1,000 each month), but they did advance two through out each round. Stardust - I enjoyed playing with live money, I wished they would have advanced two through out the tournament in each round though. Bally's/Sheraton/Gold Strike in Tunica - All these were good and all because of one person "Adolf Lepre". Adolf knows how to treat the players and with the added $25,000 to the prize pool it is worth playing even in this Hybrid format. Grand in Tunica - Once again I wish they advanced two through out each round, but over all it was a nicely run event. I would have liked to seen strickter rules about talking during the semi and final rounds, I noiced several spectators talking to contestants during play. Blackjack Cruise tournaments - I haven't played in them since I host them, but I think they have the most fair rules and best format for the players of any tournaments currently offered. They allow players to actually play tournament stratigies and eliminates a lot of the luck factor. The guaranteed re-buys allow "ALL" players an equal chance to play again and shows no favoritism to high rollers vs the average to smaller players. Thumbs down events! WinStar in Oklahoma - You have to get drawn in to beable to play and play there requires an ante each hand. Riviera - I liked the tournament it's self, but taking about half of the entries and re-buys wasn't great. Fitzgeralds in Las Vegas - Another one of the lets screw the players events. They take in $15,000 to $20,000 and pay out only about half of what they bring in. Beau Rivage in Biloxi - Only one player advances (I hate that) and something else that I have only seen there, they offer surrender on the regular tables, but not in tournament play! Commache Red River in Oklahoma - Starting bank roll is based on the number of hours you played during the qualifying dates. If they only based the entry fees this way and started everyone out with the same starting bank roll this would be a GREAT tournament. However starting out behind all the locals isn't very inviting to me. The Prize money is often very high though. Any tournament - that invites you to play and then will disqualify you if you haven't played a certain average for a certain amount of time or haven't lose a certain amount of money within so many hours. Post what tournaments you like and dis-like the most and why and we can compare notes. Who knows maybe some tournament director will see these posts and host a tournament based on positive suggestion they found here.
Speaking of too much talking I agee 100% . speaking of the one at the Grand in Tinica. How about the player that pulled out a caculator with 2 hands to go. I filed a complaint to ne avail! THE FARMER
Wow! I didn't hear about that...LOL, I'll bet he was one of their high rollers to get by with that stunt.
Best of tourneys. Worst of tourneys. TX I like your first three, not only cause I played in em, but the way they were run. Prior to EBJ, I particularly like the live money events that the Stardust and Frontier had and I guess Golden Nuggett runs occasionally. Consistant rules. Knowledgeable, unpretentious dealers and a knowledgeable, fair "floor" for disputes. Min/max limits. 20-25, or 30 hands. Open entry so favored "house" guests don't get comped rebuys or special consideration. And LIVE money. Cause it's a different game then. You'd, as Rookie did, better bring the brass orbs which ya. Down side for me: Any accumulation tourney. one round/two rounds, infinite rounds. And any at the RIO, invite or buy in. They know too many "people"
I forgot one... Thumbs up! Imperial Palace in Las Vegas: This is a very nice tournament, affordible, offers re-buys, and is dealt with a single deck dealt to the bottom. The only draw back to me on this event is they don't play a set number of hands, they play for 40 minutes + 5 hands. I would prefer playing a set amount of hands, this would avoid stalling (which I have seen happen). All in all still a nice tournament. I can't believe there hasn't been anymore replies to this post. If you play in BJ tournaments, then you should have an opinion on the tournaments you like and dis-like and why.
Exception to the tournaments that require x amount of play. I would like to strongly agree with All the tournament picks mentioned, both good and bad, except for the case of the large casino action to qualify for tournaments by a certain deadline, such as those the L.V. Hilton frequently hosts. If the qualifications and rules are clearly spelled out for the players prior to them flying or driving across the country to enter; then that can be another great option for players. The rules must be satisfactory, as they are at the hilton, and there must be NO surprises upon arrival, (like $1000 'muligans' if you desire to buy one). The Hilton hosts many different kinds of tournaments, and I would rate most of them 'most excellent', but still cautioning against surprise rules and requirements.
Great Idea TX TX, Since we don't know who reads these posts I think your idea of good and bad tourney's is GREAT! Having Ken from GSN and Eric Woods from OK are two (2) great examples of a win-win situation and my hats off to them both! Best tourney's I attended in 2006: Gold Nugget - live event money. Reasonable buy-in with re-buys offered. I would have attended their recent January event too! Love the place and plan on being there more Aruba - Inagural EBJ tourney - very friendly and well run. Negatives - chip colors were bad (since corrected) and rules constantly changed (since corrected) Their 540 event offered re-buys (based on players request) Venetian - Invite only event. Well run with wild cards and rebuys available. Worst: Sands - AC - Accumulation format (HATE IT:flame: ). But since the Sands is kaput I don't have to worry about THAT anymore. The WSOB satellite events are evidence that if you hold it - We (BJ players) will come!) The $25,000 online event at BET21.com already has the minimum number of entries (via the satellites) so that should be a great event.
Words of caution: The Golden Nugget has just banned one of their recent BJ tournament winners from their cash BJ tables, and this individual doesn't even count cards.
Yes and No, Norm21 While I do agree with you Norm21 about having the rules clearly posted and having no surprizes, I have to disagree about the thumbs up for these events. My reasoning is that these tournaments cater to only about 5% or less of the tournament players. It is there tournaments and they can run them how they like, but when 95% of the players cannot afford to play in them I just cannot list them with a thumbs up. I have been lucky enough to have gotten to play in a few of these events, but I hate been told I HAVE to play the regular tables and at a High level or I get dis-qualified from the tournament. I'll give them side action, but I want to play based on how I feel and the way the cards are falling, not the way they want me to play and when. Now at $25 - $50, even $75 average bets (based on the tournament prize money) I can live with, but to be forced to bet a $300 average isn't cool.
Tourneys addendum: I fifth the nomination of the IP. But preliminary round or rounds..one or one and two are double deck to the bottom, then succeeding rounds are single deck. I kind of like the forty minutes and five hands. It actually works out to between 20 and 30 total hands per round with the last five. As per the stalling, the last one I attended, they were pretty good with calling time after the allowed ten seconds. And to the Megas with their required side action. In the long run, not worth it, even with the get arounds, cause a floor, or a dealer, or someone, knows someone to keep happy. And it ain't anyone from this site. Let them run their pretend tourneys. There is a lot of other good stuff available and coming to the rest of us.
