In a message dated 6/10/08 11:07:09 AM US Mountain Standard Time,
misscraps@aol.com writes:
···
You were also limited by a $500 max bet situation, which Bob forgot to
mention. This means even if you won hand #1 and #2, you now had $1500, but
you
couldn't plunge bet all $1500 on hand #3, you were stuck with betting a
limit
of $500 on #3. In 7 hands, the likelihood is that you are going to lose at
least 4 of 7 (on average) I would guess, so you have to be pretty lucky to
win
6 of 7.While maybe Jeremy shouldn't have aided any one player, he really did no
harm if he just gave general advice at the beginning for everyone to bet
heavily
to win in this one type of tournament. He was just trying to be helpful
I'm
sure. I also heard him telling people that you probably would need over
2000 to be in the finals, based on his previous experience.The prizes were pretty pitiful here, something like $75 for 3rd, $100 for
2nd, $250 for 1st, if I remember.
*****
Brian wrote in his first post:
As someone with a bit a recent BJ tournament experience (LOL), I'd have to
agree wholeheartedly with Bob's assessment of the situation with the dealer
helping the novice player. True, the stakes were quite low, but that's not
the
point. Somebody will still take serious umbrage at such help, specifically
the guy who was "on the bubble" for that final table. That dealer is
probably used to dealing regular BJ on a casino table, where such proffered
help
doesn't really affect any of the other guests. This situation isn't unusual
when using experienced casino BJ dealers to deal a tournament. The cruise
line
casino manager should have a friendly chat with that dealer. I'm sure his
intentions were pure but he could have innocently caused hard feelings with
other guests.
In "real" BJ tournaments, not only are the dealers forbidden from offering
advice to the players, but the players themselves could actually get tossed
from the tournament for having well-meaning friends in the crowd shouting
such
advice.
- Brian in MI
*****
Well there are deffinitely two camps. I will pitch my tent with Bob, Brian
and Richard.
It is unfair to give some contestants an advantage over others. It doesn't
matter the benefits or circumstances. How about next time playing a slot
tourney the guy next to you gets an extra five minutes?
Blackjack tourneys are a game of honed skill. This particular tourney
featured a split format. Accumulation to get to the final table then elimination to
cash. This hybred style does exist outside of cruises.
The fact that the max bet also was the starting bankroll really favors a
skilled player, especially when in elimination mode.
Bob knew he needed $1225 to qualify. He just needed to win his first three
hands and then beat everyone else at the last qualifying table. In
accumulation format you set a goal, bet max, and reach that goal or bust out trying.
Hopefully there was a random way to decide seat assignments at the final
table. Betting last on the last hand is a huge advantage. I hope Jeremy did not
also give favored treatement in the money round too.
****
OBTW, I don't think Brian has spilled the beans on this site on just how well
he (and Deb) have done the last couple of years playing tourney BJ. Visit
Ken Smith's BJ tourney site at, http://www.blackjacktournaments.com and hit the
forums. Brian uses a more colorful handle over there. Just look for the
winner from the monthly qualifier for Winstar Casino in May. He gets to go back
and try to win the real money in August. Winstar is the first exit from
Dallas on the Interstate in Oklahoma.
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