COULD SOMEONE EXPLAIN CONTESTS TO ME, PLEASE

[pktruckdriver]

I know of some of the contests out there, NTRA, NHC and others, right?

You have to join some of these to play right?, which ones?


What is this purpose, other than win, is to get a spot at the big tourney at the end of the year, right. How many try's do you get, and how much to do it.

Yes what does the average tourney player expect to spend each year, and what could he win , if an average player, say top 10'ish or so??

What is the Super Bowl of tourney's or is there more than one?? NHC or NTRA or some big casino in Vegas or DRF, we could go on and on, right?

It is very hard to find a place for all this info, I find pieces here and there, but could someone please help me figure this out, or explain it in laymans terms.

Thank you

[pktruckdriver]

It seems that this post is dead here, no responses.


Then where will I get responses/answers to these questions?

[njcurveball]

If you want to play a contest to "get lucky", find one that is live bankroll, no maximum.

Look at the first few races and bet your whole bankroll on a bomb horse. If you win (and usually someone does), you bet the minimum and sit the rest of the day while the others try to catch you.

Even better if you find one that allows exotic betting. Even the best handicappers betting to win cannot catch someone bombing a big trifecta.

Tournaments with fixed amounts and limited bets are much tougher to win, which is why the two biggest money tourneys use that format. Many players complain about them and people getting lucky at the end taking shots on longshots, but that is what this game is all about.

Takes a lot more strategy and handicapping ability to win a tourney with a fixed number of bets at a fixed amount than one where you can walk in, bet your whole bankroll on the longest shot on the board and then just sit and watch the others try to catch you.


Jim

[pktruckdriver]

By The way Thanks Jim.


I was really curious about all the different type's , the sponsors, which ones lead to Vegas?

Things like
1. What does it take to enter, normally? $ or $$$$
2. Winners get ,prize money and trip to Vegas, or what?
3. what type of contest?
(this is where I need help to explain the different types)
4. Are there many different Contests in Vegas?
5. Is contest playing profitable at all
(of course that means you're in til the end, most times)
6. Is there an elite set of players, always there?
7. which software does well at these tourney's
8. Does one have to join assoc/Org to play in these
contest?
9. Best place to find out and sign up for the big contests?
10. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things, please let me
know about it.


This is some of the stuff I was interested in knowing and finding out to study this area a little more.

I mean look what happened in Poker the last few years, man, 8 million$$$$ 1st prize.

Wouldn't that be nice?

[Donnie]

1. Can be from as little as FREE for online "lottery" type contests (BRIS) to I think the most expensive is a $10,000 buy-in.
2. Depends on the contest. Sometimes it is just for an entry to the big ones in Vegas (WSH and NTRA). Sometimes the winner of the local contest may make from $10-$20K. In the live bankroll contests you keep what you make, plus sometimes there is prize money and a trip involved as well.
3. Sometimes a live bankroll...you actually make live wagers. Sometimes a mythical $2 Win/Place bet on a set number of races. Sometimes it is any type of bet the player wishes to bet. Sometimes it is more important to have more winners than anyone else at the end. Sometimes it is most important that you have a higher ending bankroll than everyone else. Sometimes you can put your bet in a minute before post time. Sometimes all your choices have to be in before the first race goes off.
4. See #3 above....
5. If you are good at building a bankroll, you at least keep the moeny you make for that day, even if it is not enough to qualify for a winning trip. You really need to check the prize structure. Check out the prize structure for the WSH vs. the NTRA. The WSH drops precipitiously after the first 2 or 3 positions.
6. Ohhhh yeah. Some people chase the qualifying contests all over the country. Some do it because they are retired and it is fun for them. But you will meet many very nice people over and over if you participate in enough contests.
7. HTR seems to help many of the subscribers from there. John Buckley has won the Gold Coast Summer Classic 2 years in a row ($80K top prize each year). He is going for a three-peat in another week. Ken Massa finished 2nd at last year's NTRA and Rich Goodall was the winner of the NTRA this past January, another HTR subscriber. Between KM and Rich= $650,000 in prize money stretched one year apart. Not saying there aren't other softwares that aid in tournament play. Just talking to what I know!
8. There is a Tour going on for the NTRA.....you should sign up cause you may win $2 Million dollars if you win it all!
9. Go here.... http://www.homebased2.com/forums/ .....then scroll down to the Tournaments and Qualifiers discussion. That should keep you busy for a few days! Noel Michael's Tournament Contest book is a great read to help plan out a strategy, but make sure the contest data is not "dated". A few years old the book is now.
RULE #1= ALWAYS READ AND UNDERSTAND THE RULES OF THE TOURNAMENT BEFORE YOU ENTER!!!
And Good Luck!!

[pktruckdriver]

Thanks Donnie

Very good info and I went to the websites you suggested, awesome stuff.

Also it seems that to be a regular in the top 20 of these contests that one thing is a common thread and that is HTR software.

Now I was wondering if anyone on this board travels the contest circuits regularly, and if that circuit's a profitable possibility, that is if one stays within the top 50 or so, preferablly better, like top 20 or so???


Again thanks Jim and Donnie

[pktruckdriver]

6. Ohhhh yeah. Some people chase the qualifying contests all over the country. Some do it because they are retired and it is fun for them. But you will meet many very nice people over and over if you participate in enough contests.
7. HTR seems to help many of the subscribers from there. John Buckley has won the Gold Coast Summer Classic 2 years in a row ($80K top prize each year). He is going for a three-peat in another week. Ken Massa finished 2nd at last year's NTRA and Rich Goodall was the winner of the NTRA this past January, another HTR subscriber. Between KM and Rich= $650,000 in prize money stretched one year apart. Not saying there aren't other softwares that aid in tournament play. Just talking to what I know!
8. There is a Tour going on for the NTRA.....you should sign up cause you may win $2 Million dollars if you win it all!
9. Go here.... http://www.homebased2.com/forums/ .....then scroll down to the Tournaments and Qualifiers discussion. That should keep you busy for a few days! Noel Michael's Tournament Contest book is a great read to help plan out a strategy, but make sure the contest data is not "dated". A few years old the book is now.
RULE #1= ALWAYS READ AND UNDERSTAND THE RULES OF THE TOURNAMENT BEFORE YOU ENTER!!!
And Good Luck!!

I WANT TO BE A CONTEST CHASER, BUT DOES ONE NEED TO BE LUCKY OR JUST GET THE RIGHT SOFTWARE?

Thanks Donnie Great Info