Treasure Island Harris Michigan event, July 9-10, 2022

this one just popped up 250 buy in limit to number of participants. Island Resort and Casino HARRIS, MICHIGAN

 

Hey everyone this is Harris Michigan in the UP not Minnesota!

 

Here is link to info on this tournament.
https://www.islandresortandcasino.com/events/blackjack-tournament

Yes, this tournament is in the U.P., my neck of the woods. Billy C if you are back in WI probably not a real far travel for you. Same goes for Jonny21. I should mention I got backed off from playing blackjack there many years ago.

 

Not a lot of info there. This could be within my driving range for a tournament if the format is any good.

 

Looks like Kewadin casino in the Soo is also having a blackjack tournament on June 10th-11th 2022 but is not as big as the Harris one. This might be a closer driving distance for you. I believe the $150 registration includes a hotel night. See link.
https://www.kewadin.com/gaming/tournaments/sault-ste-marie-tournaments/

 

Thanks. It is closer, but the prize pool is too small to warrant the drive.

I miss the Kewadin tournaments of a few years back. Well run events, decent prize pools and lots of great memories playing with friends from this site.

 

Are you sure, Gronbog? Entry fee is $250 (doesn't include room) and IF they would fill the 105 ceiling for entrants that's $26,250.00 and the casino is kicking in another 10k.
Caveat is that I don't know whether or not they are paying back 100% of entry money. At any rate, a purse that is potentially $36,250.00 USD is serious money, I think.
Besides that, it would be nice to see you again. It's been a while.

Billy C

 

Billy, I was talking about the Kewadin Sault tournament. Did I miss something?

 

You didn't miss anything. I did. Sorry!

 

FYI. I talked with people at Island Casino (Harris/Escanaba) today. Was told that the $250 entry fee breaks down like this: casino keeps $30, dealer tips takes $20 and $200 goes into prize purse. So, a full event (105) yields $21,000 plus casino added 10k would total a $31,000 purse.
I couldn't get an answer on prize breakdown (number of places paid and how much) other than it's dependent on number of entries. Needless to say, I'd like to know and have more info to pass on.
Bottom line is that, because of the dearth of BJ tournaments anymore and my hungriness for them, I've entered both the Soo and Escanaba and I'm hoping to see many familiar faces at both events.

Billy C

PS: Forgot to say that the normal room rate of $120 is reduced to $80 for entrants. Give reservation agent promo code #10620.

 

From "talking" with a number of past tournament players within the last week, I'm quite impressed by the amount of enthusiasm for these two events (Soo and Escanaba).
Like Gronbog, I can't justify driving to the Soo moneywise because of purse size but I have a new car that I want to put some miles on and my loan for a tank of gas has been approved.
I really won't be shocked to hear that Escanaba may hit the ceiling of 105 entrants. Sounds like several of our Minnesota friends will be there (damn, they're good players).
Bottom line, I think, is that we all hunger for tournaments and a possible $31,000 payout is an attractive incentive.

Billy C

 

This alone goes a long way toward convincing me to come to Escanaba.

Almost fell out of my chair laughing.

You got that right. I just talked to them on the phone and they're going to try to email me the full rules. But they did tell me:

• Saturday session times are 10am, 1pm and 3pm, $3,000 in tournament chips, 21 hands.
• Sunday semi-final is at 11am, $5,000 in tournament chips, 21 hands.
• Sunday Final is at 1pm, $10,000 in tournament chips, 28 hands.
• Number of players playing and advancing at each table depends on the number of entries.

It's looking more and more likely that my wife and I will be coming.

 

Here is the best I could get from them. It seems that the person on the phone didn't describe things to me quite accurately. It looks like the rounds are a combination of timed sessions and fixed number of hands with limits increasing.

 

I signed up. They used to have a weekly tournament many years ago, and over time they instituted some very unusual rules, such as letting people buy their way back into a round after they had busted out.

I am excited to be playing again in a live tournament but do not expect things to necessarily go smoothly. Looking forward to seeing you folks again after all this time. Jonny

 

Good to hear. It's looking like we'll be having a reunion of many players from tourneys long gone by. I know some, that you're all familiar with, that have already signed up but I won't "out" people for courtesy reasons. I'm looking forward to all of this, as well as the event itself.

Billy C

 

I'm in. See you all in July!

 

Billy C, when you come to MI bring your debit card and a smart phone and you can play the BetRivers online welcome bonus. It's an easy $25o win which you can do in a half hour to an hour. Heck, you will probably win enough to pay off that gas tank fill loan. See link.
https://mi.betrivers.com/?page=promotions&promotion=deposit-match

 

Thank you, sir. Are you going to participate in either bj tournament?

 

No, I won't be going to either tournament.

Here are the reasons. Not sure which one carries the most weight.
1) I'm still a little afraid of catching the covid even though I had my shots and bringing it home to my wife. All my kids also had their shots and they all ended up getting the covid anyway.
2) As far as the Escanaba tournament goes, I have been backed off from blackjack there so probably I wouldn't be allowed to play anyway. However, I'm still good with the Kewadin casinos.
3) I would mostly likely be just pissing my money away. I have only played a handful of blackjack tournaments in my entire life and I'm not very good at them. I played my first blackjack tournament back in May 2010 at Hinckley and it was only because they offered me a half price entry fee and a free hotel room. I had to buy in again to make it to the next round. However, I few years ago the casino I meet you at was offering small weekly blackjack tournaments for a month and I did make it to the money round, but never came in first place.
4) I don't enjoy traveling anymore, and a trip as far as the Soo wouldn't be much fun. However, it would be nice to meet up with you folks, but I don't think I would recognize you in the casino even if I saw you. When my son was going to Lake Superior State University at the Soo I got down there quite often, but those days are over.

PS. I would recommend you play the Escanaba tournament before you play any blackjack. I know of someone else who told me he got backed off from blackjack within just a half hour of play there.