3 seats in WSOB at HO-CHUNK (Wisconsin)

Ho-Chunk

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

Monkey and tool hit it right. I didn't take the time, misread or had spots on my glasses when I read the Ho Chunks official flier on the qualifiers. Also didn't have or understand the total number of finalists for the major event.

Thank you all for setting me straight. Maybe I'll see you there on one of the three dates.
 
Canceled?

I called to sign up and the woman said that due to circumstances beyond the casinos control all WSOB tournaments at HO-CHUNK have been cancelled.
 
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Ho Chunk - "CANCELLED"!

I just contacted Ho Chunk and confirmed, the WSOB qualifiers have been cancelled (all three of them).

At first they put me through to a recorded message saying that they were still on, but I called back to talk to the marketing department who confrimed sea7bass last post.

ALL 3 HO CHUNK WSOB QUALIFIERS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED!

Only reason given: "Due to circumstances beyond the casinos control"!

I was told they are going to give the 3 spots away, just some other way.
 
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Wow! I wonder how they worked that out with GSN? A refund was in order I assume. This is definitely a nasty development.

Thinking ahead, it is clear that WSOB 2007 needs a well-conceived marketing plan. I hope GSN is paying attention. This idea CAN work, but postponing the release of the details until the last possible moment and later really makes it tough. Next year, I want my two sites to be part of a marketing push for this, done right, and done early. I'm sure everyone in the blackjack community agrees. We're all on the same team here.
 
KenSmith said:
Wow! I wonder how they worked that out with GSN? A refund was in order I assume. This is definitely a nasty development.

Thinking ahead, it is clear that WSOB 2007 needs a well-conceived marketing plan. I hope GSN is paying attention. This idea CAN work, but postponing the release of the details until the last possible moment and later really makes it tough. Next year, I want my two sites to be part of a marketing push for this, done right, and done early. I'm sure everyone in the blackjack community agrees. We're all on the same team here.
Click to expand...

Has anyone contacted GSN to see if they were pulling the tournament all together, due to the low turnouts at the casinos, or what the cause might have been? This could definately hurt all of the casinos reputation as far as the blackjack tournaments are concerned.
 
BYE BYE WSOB for me

I too talked to the Ho-Chunk. They confirmed the worst scenario. Their reason of "circumstances beyond our control" doesn't fly with me. I think it's due to lack of entries. They were very upbeat about the satellites when I signed up 3 weeks ago and now it's gone - come on.

It they held the satellite with the few entries that are signed up, the cash prize money would exceed the entry fees. My best guess is that they just decided to eat the $150,000 (3 satellites) and cut their losses. I think the casino rep I talked to slipped up because she gave a hint that the 3 WSOB seats will be given away "by a different means". Don't know what this means, have to wait an see.

This kills any hope, however small, of me getting to the WSOB finals. Other satellites are too far from me - can't justify the expense. I can only hope they don't blow up the Stardust too soon. My options for good money tournaments are diminishing.:mad:

Without knowing the reason for the cancellation, drawing conclusions as to the satellites' dismay is impossible. That being said, let's hope GSN and satellite hosting casinos learn by experience. It would be a shame if WSOB goes back to invitation only. Just have to wait and see.

Also, lessons can be learned by the UBT & 2MBJT (if it's still alive).

GOOD LUCK to all that are playing in the other WSOB satellites - wish I could be there.

PS: To those who play at the Ho-Chunk, they are adding new tournaments for January and February with a grand prize of a new car. So I guess its not a total loss. I will post whatever I know about this on the CALENDAR.
 
WSOB still a go!

The WSOB lll is still on. If you go back and read my post again, I wrote that Ho Chunk was still giving their 3 WSOB seats away, only not through the scheduled qualifiers.

From my understanding GSN has a location for this years site (hopefully GSN will annouce it soon)and they are working on booking for next year as well.

I do agree that the marketing could be a lot better for next years event.
 
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Oooohhhh, bummer!

I wonder how they plan to give the three seats away? I'll find out next time I'm there. At least they're restoring the monthly tournaments. Why couldn't they just change the prize structure to adjust for the low turnout and give those who've already signed up a chance to back out? :confused:
 
Low turn out doesn't look good

I speculate this cancellation is an attempt to save face. I'm probable only one of 2 or 3 that signed up for the 3rd satellite. Imagine holding a tournament where you can only fill the final table. Quite an embarrassment.

It's like having a war and nobody came. Why bother?

Monkeysystem: About that picture ...
 
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I just received the call from the Ho-Chunk tournament office that the January 21st tournament I had registered for was cancelled "..due to circumstances beyond our control...". They did offer me 2 comp nights plus buffets. I causiously accepted ... and was told the table games manager would call me Tuesday with the details. I plan on telling him to forget it. I'll take my black chip live table action to a Chicagoland casino "... due to circumstances beyond my control"! I might change my mind if he'll comp my airfare and rental car UP FRONT.

Since my 1-card miss at the top prize of $1M at the MDBJ3 in May, I've had a growing hunger for a big tournament. (I went into the final hand in second place and finished 5th for $10K.)

The rush of advancing in a tournament far exceeds any max bet in live BJ play. I guess I'll have to wait for the boys to get the $2M BJ tournament lined-up.
 
Ho-Chunk cancellation:

Gosh darn it.
Shiite, Sunni and Kurd!
Part of my initial misunderstanding of equity in the HO's (which again Monkey and Tool straightened out,) was cause of inadequate info. Now, I was ready to register Friday, till all this current info.

Me thinks. someone, everyone panicked. There have been very few of the some 30 tourneys I've gotten in that have been booked two weeks in advance. But all of them filled before the start. Or at least with adjustable payouts.

It boils down to: Establishing the parameters, the format and promoting it acurately from the beginnning.

All the really knowledgeable tourney pros have discussed it back and forth, but I cannot see why something modeled on the Hilton's format can't work. And by that I mean, they set the bar, said what you had to do and then took the risk to gaurantee it. And stood by what they said and promoted.

Not to belabor the point, but,.... put it up, promot it, be consistant and follow through......somebody.
 
Reasons for failure

My thoughts about Ho-Chunk's WSOB Satellite failure:

1) Lack of promotion:
Generally, the only people who knew about the satellites were those who played in their monthly tournaments in Nov. & Dec., 2005. Their signage within the casino can only be described as anemic. I am on their mailing list but never received a flier about the event. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest, I give their promotion efforts a 1.5 - and that's being generous.

2) Not understanding their customers:
BJ players at the Ho-Chunk are mostly nickle and dime players. They are used to playing in their tournaments for an entry fee of $20 to $60. All of a sudden the Ho-Chunk is charging $400 to enter a satellite. Yes the equity was there and anyone advancing past the first round (2 advance per table) was getting $400 minimum in prize money but for their customers to risk $400 was probable asking too much.

3) Lack of description:
The anemic literature that they did have did not entice one to play. From my personal experience of talking to some of the regular tournament players there, the players were focusing on first prize being $1,000 cash. "$1,000 for a $400 entry fee - I don't think so" was a response I heard often. Ho-Chunk should have stressed that first prize was a seat in the WSOB worth about $25,000 which gives a real chance (not 1 in 10,000,000) of winning over $500,000. The rest ($1,000 cash and hotel room for the WSOB) should have been secondary. Granted that marketing is not my forte, but they should hire someone who can improve their marketing (maybe a first year college marketing student :laugh: )

Now I was shocked that the turnout was so low. I'm only offering these thoughts in hindsight and I'm sure there are other reasons for the failure. My point is I hope the Ho-Chunk and other casinos learn by their mistakes. We can always hope the future will be better.
 
Marketing

I agree with everything toolman said. Ho-Chunk didn't do nearly enough marketing to induce customers to part with $400. I never saw a newspaper or television ad.

In retrospect it may not have been possible to host a tournament in central Wisconsin in which they could recoup the $150K payola GSN charged.

A marketing study is in order here. The tournament offered positive equity, yet they didn't get enough takers. All you needed was to win a 2/6 table and you got your entry fee back, yet hardly anyone was interested.

I think most tournament players don't analyze tournament equity any more than they study tournament play principles. Such players can afford $60 to take their shot at winning a nice prize, and having fun all afternoon doing it. But $400 caused a case of sticker shock. Serious players did this equity analysis and signed up for the tournament - all couple dozen of them.

Casinos is other parts of the country that kept the entry fees lower by hosting events in which you have to go more than once didn't fare much better either.

I don't know the answer. I'm not a marketing manager. :confused:
 
Cancellation of Ho-Chunk WSOB info

I talked with "Tom" in mgmt at Ho-Chunk tonight and was told that the WSOB satellite tournaments there were cancelled because Ho-Chunk could not finalize their agreement with the Game Show Network over the three seats. I was told that it was not an issue of having a low turnout. Draw your own conclusions.

He said that they will be having a tournament January 28 with a $100 entry fee and a truck as grand prize.
 
3 WSOB Seats

Just for the record, Ho-Chunk no longer has the three WSOB seats. An earlier post suggested they still had the seats to give away, but that's not the case.

They couldn't reveal any more information about why they abruptly cancelled. They had almost fifty players signed up for the January 7 satellite by the time they cancelled.

Here's a speculation: Their contract with GSN gave them an option to pull out of the deal if they didn't get a specified minimum number of players registered by a certain specified date.
 
WSOB Qualifiers, YUK

Monkeysystems,
Not as a pun but GSN has handled this supposed open to the the world televised tournanment worse than a monkey humping a football. The execs in control at GSN must be prior employees of a state highway system where 6 people in suits watch 1 laborer dig with a shovel. No wonder 90% + of GSN's televised shows are at least 20 years old. I am considering cancelling my attendence for WSOB qualification tournaments I have entered, it seems to be a mess with no direction or seeminly anyone in control. What a shame that I may spend $500 to attend a qualifier and then find out it doesn't count, I'm sure GSN is not reimbursing participants for airfare etc. when the qualification tournaments are cancelled.
 
Straight anwser's would be nice.

When I called to confirm Ho Chunk had canceled the WSOB qualifiers, I was told they would be giving the seats away in a different way.

Now I read where their saying they are not or that they don't have the seats?

Why would Ho Chunk advertise (what little they did) about hosting and giving away WSOB seats if it wasn't a firm deal?

With all the HORRIBLE CASINO MARKETING DEPARTMENTS around, it looks like HO CHUNK wins the BONEHEAD CASINO MARKETING AWARD for 2005 hands down.

What are the circumstances beyond the casinos control that would cause them to cancel the WSOB tournaments? If they are like most other casinos they have to present their tournament formats in for approval well in advance. I may call the state police (or whoever handles the gaming up there) to get the truth (if we ever do).

I was never planning a trip up there, but I know several that were and think this STINKS for those players.
Bottomline is they were the ones advertising the WSOB qualifiers, was it all a scam? Did they never have the seats?

As of now I think Ho Chuck should give away 3 seats if only to save face.

I can't fault GSN for this, it sounds like this one was all in house screw up and falls squarely on Ho Chunk. I thought of several circumstance why the tournaments could or would have to be canceled, but they all fall back on bad marketing at Ho Chunk.
 
Hit the nail

TXtourplayer:

Keeping in mind that I'm the "toolman": I think you hit the nail right on the head :laugh:
 
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