They Shoot Horses, Don't they.
We've beat this dead horse for as long as my adled memory serves.
TX gives a good arguement.
That's why for the last time I'll come back to UBT. As in the Hilton Mill. Put your money up and play. It's a level playing field. No invites, no casino favorites, no high rollers only. The format in the Hilton for the three years it ran was consistant. The only variable was the number of entrants per month and yes that varied, giving a certain advantage, per number of rounds, in certain months. But who knew when?
So many other tournaments are so varied. KOOL. Play accumulation and elimination, play live money, play crazy eights. That's the problem in supposedly trying to determine THE TOP. There is no consistancy.
Many folks have had success over the years in a variety of tourneys. Perhaps knowing how to play an assortment of tourneys makes one an all around PRO.
But(and I don't begrudge anyone who got a special invite to any tourney. Been there, failed at that,) There is a difference from playing and winning in a series of minis's, if one is allowed to play and going for the GOLD RING in an even playing field event, for big money.
Maybe to get the plane off the ground, certain adjustments had to be made, but once its in the air, to fly more than fifteen seconds, consistantly, there has to be an adherence to gravity defying rules.
Confusion still exists with Harrah's Mill maker. Different sites with different minimum entries and requirements even for entry. GSN's auditions or NAME recognition. GSN's Indian Casino fiasco. Certain locations went ahead with a competion, certain sites just awarded spots.Yes, UBT's select invites, initiallly.
But,UBT isn't casino regulated, yet. Pay and play. Against the top and the bottom. And just because the first specified competition is in ARUBA, doesn't mean, there won't be subsequent monthly tourneys at sites in the continental U.S. albeit not necessarily at casinos.
Off casino sites, where lawful, take the casino management out of it. Until a casino can see the value in hosting the event. Why is Harrah's(RIO) hosting the WSOP. Why did they buy, retain rights to the name when they bought only the name from Binion's? They have to hire a gabazillion dealers, discount rooms to the on line sites winners, for what? To have too many people strolling through their casino and hotel property for a month and a half? Don't forget the amenities they are giving away to the players daily. I don't think it's a loss leader.
And a truely competitive BJ tourney doesn't have to be reality TV to succeed. Just portrayed realistically, with a huge money payout.
Don't forget, when the WSOP started out the competitors put up the $10,000 entry on their own(or through partnerships or silent backers), except the first couple times when the best of the best, around 10 participants wanted to see who was the best.
The bigger money supposedly comes from TV, but in actuality it's the competitors money funding the prize pool. I don't see a major corporate sponsor doubling the prize pool for the privelage of advertising on the TV event. It's not the Buick, Toyota or Pet Smart open of Black Jack, yet.
Well I rambled on way too long and maybe that signifies how convoluted the transition from the past to the present to the future really is.
Good fortune to all. And to all who win a big bucks BJ tourney...you deserve it.