There isn't not yet a clear number of participants. Several tables are maybes and I have no idea how many of them will end up playing. Right now, I believe we on track for right about 13 tables. First place will get 10k buy-in plus 1k in travel. Once we get to 14, we will have enough for second place to win a $1,000 buy in plus $500 travel money. As number of winners increase we will award prizes to third and so on. Before play I will go over the prize breakdown. The other money goes toward costs, renting out the room for two days, plaques, beer, cards, poker chips etc and buying the buy-ins in Las Vegas.

The last chance table will place one player for every $1100 buy-in raised. I project three tables to play the night before including the New Orleans tables, and have counted them in our current total of 13.

The second chance tables will play concurrently to the final table when there is space. It is for the people who lost at the last chance table or got knocked out of the final table. It awards a 1k seat to the same event second place will get, plus travel money. Last year 8 played at $200 a head, for 1 1k seat and $600 travel. It will be similar to that format and run as a sit and go. We will not be running cash games. Harrahs is a couple of blocks away for that. All of the winners have to play in the WSOP. If they can't their spot goes to second place. I'll be buying the entrys in person this year in Las Vegas, but will send out checks for the travel money in advance of the tournament.

As for the tournament structure. Both the last chance table and final table will follow the structure for secondary WSOP circuit events. The WSOP site has a breakdown on there, look under any of the $500 buy-ins. I may increase the number of chips everybody gets depending on the final total and its likely the blind rounds will be a little bit quicker (20 minutes vs. 30 or 40 minutes). The last chance tables should last 2 to 3 hours, and the final table has lasted as long as 5 to 6 and as short as 3.5.

The final table will play on two tables and merge once we get to 10. If necessary I will balance the tables.

Guys keep the questions coming.

LAST CHANCE TABLE

It's getting near that time... I will update this post as people get back to me so please scan down the blog and check in here to make sure you are accounted for should you reply yes...

Table Captains, friends coming down with winners coming and past winners RSVP for a spot in the last chance table, first come first serve:

In so far:
Taylor Ainge
Martin Tyson
Bryan Hjelm
Friend of Jared Scott
Mike Durbin
James Gaffney
Adam Zanelli
Greg Rauch
Matt Wallin
Friend of Ross Wallin
Friend of Ross Wallin
Friend of Sam Eden
Friend of Sam Eden

That same night I'm doing the New Orleans Table:

In so far:
Eugene Dudek
Ray Belvin
Scott Eddins (+2)
Bill Phillips
Kyle and Casey Hufft

And if numbers can handle it an alumni table from my school, most of them table captains themselve, but they've requested their own table:

Eric Johnson
Rory O'Brien
Sean Martin
Scott Forestor
Matt McCullen
Ed Brancati
Blake Heggestad
Surprise Guest

I will mix and match as necessary but right now it looks like we may have a core for three tables and at a minimum we'll get two. Please let me know if you should be added to either list.

Structured Payout

From Taylor Ainge:

I structured the tournament for 18 players with $125 buy-in. This let me pay the winner $1100 entry and $500 travel 2nd place got $600 and 3rd place made $300. Our group said the additional payouts helped them decide to play instead of winner take all. Just a thought for any table captains struggling to put a table together.

Update...

Couple more table winners this past weekend and looking to have two more this week. I've updated the first post down below to reflect it.

Still need some help with the Delaware table. I think Mike is planning on getting a evite out and trying to do it during the Xmas holidays when several friends return home. I'd like to thank Matthew Halt, Thomas Cahill, Keith Giliberti, Greg Sawka, and Robert White for helping out so far. If we can just get a date together I think it will be a go as we have so many people interested but keep running into time conflicts.

Also, the Jersey Shore table, I'd like to thank James Gaffney and Sean Martin for their efforts as they are experiencing similar problems filling it out. If anybody knows anyone who can travel from Philly or NYC or Delaware even I will update you with their date.

Really hope to have a couple more tables come through for us.

One more quick tip about the evite, trick I learned from my promoter days.

Send it out in stages:
First to your definites. Also, email them and get them to reply yes quickly.
Second, after you have a lot of yeses, send to your maybes. They see a list already half filled with yeses and there is momentum for them to join.
Finally send to the people who you know will be nos, but they know other people who might like to play.

An event is all momentum. You get 5 nos on there before a yes has arrived and nobody wants to join in on the lameness. You get 8 to 10 yeses and everybody wants to join. Worked for me in organizing parties and events so it should be the same for a poker tournament. I of course forgot that when I sent out my evite for the New Orleans table this morning and sent it to everybody at once. Another positive of staged inviting is the people that are definite nos a lot of times don't want to go against the crowd and won't even vote, they just won't reply which is good because it doesn't drag down the momentum.

Evite is the Way to go...

Table Captains... I was talking to Jeff Kiley in DC who now is probably going to get two tables because of such a positive response to his Evite. If you are struggling to meet numbers you should consider it. It works well, because it has all the information of where and when the table will be held and it is a very easily forwardable link. Plus, people see the momentum of it being put together and join in. Plus, when they forward it on to a friend it is simply more tangible.

Here's a link to his page:
http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?event=LNQMFYVFPRUTFUOCOVVR&inviteId=CLHMPXZTLWIVHZVAQPWN&showPreview=false&x=561667841

As he mentioned it takes two minutes to put together and looks official. Something I used to utilize all the time but for whatever reason didn't consider it for poker night.

Logo?

Hey, if anybody's an artist, I'm looking to make up a logo for our little tournament. Maybe a skull with a Dollar sign missing from the forehead or anything else if ya'll are creative. This is a feeble first effort of what I was shooting for, could always have a background of the Dead Man's hand crossed behind.

Tip for those with only 7 or 8 interested and how to get it done with a short table...

From Eric Johnson:

"Just an fyi, the rebuy/add-on was a total success in my opinion. We did it for $60, with the option of either a rebuy OR an add-on for 2/3 of the original chip stack (it came to 2000 in chips, which was 10x the big blind at that level). Only one person was busted prior to the end of the 4th level, after getting Ks busted by a set on the river. Everyone else added on and it helped shorter stacks make bigger moves afterward and stay healthy. I would recommend that other tables adopt this method of playing, especially as we were only 8 handed so the game still only lasted about 5 1/2 hours and we were able to raise the $1100 buy in and give Ross $500 for hotel and flight. A 10-handed table would have been another $400, so would have made it possible to give 2nd place a small payout too. For tables like Austin, where they have upwards of 25 people playing, this might enable them to generate enough money to get another extra spot in the Finals. Same perhaps for Eddie up in Westchester."

Updates below.

Hey guys, I will just edit the table information below, rather then putting new posts up until we get there. Now at about 10 locks, so we really need to play a couple more tables and we'll be good to go.

THE TABLE SITUATION--FIRST POST!!!

Very liquid situation. Nantucket2 now moved down to a fairly confident. And Austin1 now a borderline lock. Really hope we can get to at least 12 or 13 to cover costs. Thanks everybody for their hard work. I know how much of a nightmare this has been for some guys this holiday season. Seems like some players are afraid of coming back to the Big Easy. Don't worry hurricane season is over and we've no plans to put people up in the Superdome.

Okay folks, we are almost there we just need a little push and some help from each other (refer to the red section). ALSO, IMPORTANT IF YOU CAN'T HOST A TABLE THIS YEAR PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I HAVEN'T HEARD UPDATES FROM MANY OF YOU.

I've split the tables into several categories, locks, fairly confident, don't know/haven't heard back recently, and zero chance.

Locks:
Nantucket 1: Adam Zanelli, Winner Jay Hanley
Last Chance Table: Me, New Orleans Jan. 12th
NYC 1: Robert Pollaro, Friday Dec. 2nd Winner: Joe DeMarest x
NYC 2: Eric Johnson, Sunday Dec. 4th Winner: Ross Wallin x
Cleveland 1: Seth Briskin/David Akers: Scott Jared (100)
New Orleans 1: Me, Jan. 12th.
Metro NYC: Ed Brancati Jan. 1st
Washington, DC: Taylor Ainge, Dec. 9th: Dave Stickney
Washington, DC: Kyley, Dec. 13th Dan Rush x
Washington, DC: Kyley, Dec. 13th Avi Katzoff
Houma 1: Eugene Dudek, December 14th: Brad DuPlantis x
Austin1: Martin Tyson, December 7th: Larry Jones
Austin2: Martin Tyson, December 14th: Brad Fleet

Fairly Confident:
Nantucket2: Adam Zanelli
New Mexico: Sam Eden
Austin3+4: Martin Tyson
Metro NYC2: Ed Brancati, Jan. 2
Jersey Shore, Sean Martin/James Gaffney:
Wilmington, DE: Mike Durbin looking to reschedule closer to Christmas. Thanks to everyone who have helped try to make this staple happen. December 10th

The Maybes/I haven't heard from recently:
David Akers/Seth Briskin/Chris Childress CLEVELAND2 (unlikely)
Sam Eden, DENVER (1)
Mike Lambert, Cleveland (?)
Martin Tyson, AUSTIN 3 or AUSTIN 4 (won't be the same without 3 or 4 Texans)
Jeff McAboy, WASHINGTON, DC (~1 may need to merge)
Eugene Dudek, HOUMA2, December

No Go:
Matt McCullin, ATLANTA, GA
Dan Rush, WASHINGTON, DC
Edward O'Brien, HOUSTON, TX
Keith Gilberti, PHILADELPHIA, PA
(thanks for getting back to me guys)

Obviously, if we get a few of these maybes to happen we are in great shape and it will give us some wiggle room with the fairly confidents. Please get back to me on this if especialy if the status of your table has changed. Also, fill free to let me know if you are a few short and we'll see if we know anybody in your area.
I'll be updating a blog with this information and will send out that address to you in a little bit

Good luck and let me know if you need any help, or if you have any friends that won't to host a table that can definitely do it. We need to get some more locks.

Please feel free to call me if you need any help or have some suggestions.

Thanks guys. I'm looking forward to the 13th of January, should be a great weekend.