Would you have agreed????

Last night I visited my local casino which has only been open some two months and they are trying to encourage decent no limit tournies each evening and holding various promotions.

One they currently have ongoing each Sunday in October is a £20 + £2 rebuy (£3000 guaranteed if at least 40 players enter). With 10 minutes registration left there were 35 players, but after some local cajoling of some slot machiners and roulette players who play holdem occasionally, we actually ended up with 42 entrants thereby qualifying for the £3000 guarantee. The rebuy period lasts for some 90 minutes and from past experience the normal prize pool would have been circa £2000.

It was then that some bright spark suggested that as soon as the tournament started all 42 players should agree to chop the pot of £3000 thereby each recieving £71.42 - a profit each of some £49.42 without a hand being dealt. We could then arrange some cash games or small sit n go's for those who wanted a game.

A check with the staff showed there was nothing in the rules to stop this although they obviously weren't keen and tried to persuade us against it.

The idea built momentum and the slot machiners and rouletters were especially keen. It fell apart when one couple (man and wife) said they were not up for it and could not be persuaded otherwise. They didn't really give a reason, just said they wanted to play the tourney.

I was busted out in 28th place and lost my £22. (didn't have to rebuy) which is fair enough as I went to play the tourney in the first place but I wondered what other cardschatters thought of the proposal and whether or not they would have agreed.

I would of played. Why settle for £71.42 when you have the chance to win a lot more. I mean it's the big wins that make up for all of my small losses. If I didnt have them I would be broke by now.

I would not have agreed for the simple reason that if everyone did this then the casino would stop offering this tourney and it would hurt you in the long run. I think the idea of the chop was very shortsighted.

I wouldn't have agreed to the idea for the simple fact that I'm one of the few here who enjoy playing re-buy tourneys, I also like to play poker and giving 22 for 71.42 when I could possibly make 5x that, appeals to me a whole lot more.

Sorry but I disagree with the replies so far. I was up for the chop for a number of reasons. At a casino I am there to try and make money (if I can have a fun time at the same time all the better) . If someone came up to me in the street and offered me £49 -- No catches -no come back-- I wouldnt say no thanks I would rather take this £22 in my own pocket and go and gamble it and try and make more than that £49. It makes more sense to take the £49 and try and win more money with that. (and keep my £22 in my pocket).

As for the casino not running similar promotions in the future, that particular promotion finishes at the end of the month anyway. They would change the rules in future tournaments to say something like chopping the prize pot is not possible till the final table or something like that. even if they didn't do that, there are other casinos. I am not there to give them money if I can help it.

I'm a little surprised at the replies so far but in the interest of a good honest debate I have to say "you are wrong"

How can you say that they are WRONG? This is a matter of opinion and there are no right or wrongs.

I wouldn't settle for the deal either. My reason being I went there to play poker not make chop deals!!! and if I ran that casino I would never allow this to happen to, because I think it will eventually keep the real poker players away and never to return? maybe the "Chop Me" people will come and try to make more deals like this, but the hardcore poker player wants the big prize right? I know this for a fact that when I am in a casino to play poker I want maximum return on my money and that requires playing the game out and if I go busto before the money oh well, try again

OP,

Were you (honestly) more or less skilled than the majority of the field?

If you think you were less skilled than average - go find a better game.

If you think you were more skilled than average - taking the deal is -EV as your expected return is more than your equity share of the prize pool.

Exactly, in my opinion they are wrong. lol

In truth JeeDub, I wanted to make a provocative statement to provoke a heated response and raise the intensity of the debate. I was expecting to get one from Shinedown, MrSnake or JimboJim but I welcome your input.


By the way you haven't given your opinion as to which side of the fence you are. Dont you have one or are you just a fence sitter.

This is a fairly easy decision. Considering the a nice % of the field are gamblers from the BJ Roulette Slots then you can consider most of them dead money. Basically any decent player here has an equity above the average pot. I play here every time, or else the how do you win the gamblers money, you dont, they go blow it on red on the roulette wheel. IE YOU dont get a chance to win it

In honesty Dorkus, on that particular night, I would say I was mid range, possibly a little above.

They run a £5 re-buy on another night which attracts a lot of newbies and inexperienced and that may have been a different decision for me because I generally do very well on those nights. (came second in that one the following night). I think I still would have chopped and then looked to take on the newbies in a cash game or sit n go.

Ok, fair enough. In my opinion with such a large overlay and the fact that you felt you were above average player at the time, the deal would not be too attractive. If you are there to play the poker tournament, then play the tournament. Also, I agree with the casino not taking it well and the fact that they may not be so generous with thier promotions in the future. I know you mentioned that there are other casinos around, but why would you take away one of your options. The more places there are to play and places who treat thier poker players well, the better. Some people dont have the luxury of having several casinos around them in which to chose from. All in all, the more respect you show the casino managers the more they will respect you and the poker players who play in thier casino.

now that i see this..............................I'm in a re-buy at the moment, and out of a field of 1837(start) and 69(now), im sitting 11th in chips, so my first comment still holds for me.

Tough one, would have been tempting to take money + invest it in another game!

at the same time if going to play a big Tourney...want to play it....either ways a winner

What odds will you give me that the original suggester of cutting the prize money will be very soon asking the casino when are they having a freeroll and whats the feckin password?

ROFLMAO

not only that, but he will sign up(as on here), make one post(comment, question etc) and will never be seen again!

absolutely not.

personally i think chopping in any MTT before 6 players left is just just way way too negative.

Any half decent player should be snapping at the heals to play the game with such an overlay.

I have to agree with the majority trescofanno1.

Going to the casino to play in a MTT and then it being brought up to chop it before the first card is dealt doesn't make sense. Yes, you would have doubled your money without doing a thing, but why did you go to the Casino in the first place? To play a tournament.
And at what risk? It may desuade the Casino from not offering these type of Guaranteed type of tournaments in the future. So why shoot yourself in the foot for double the money? Yeah, I know you said there are other Casinos out there, but why did you go to this praticular casino? You maybe felt more comfortable there? Maybe because of this particular promotion they were running?
I like doubling my money for not doing anything but the investment of the 22 to possibly win alot more than the 49 chop is +EV.

BTW, getting involved in a ring game after this if the chop would have occurred could have resulted in a bigger loss than the 22 investment.