Author Topic: Ever Bowl a Mega-Buck Event? (High-Roller, Mini-Elim, TAT, Hoinke?) (Read 1919 times)

Ramtart · « **on:** January 24, 2005, 08:40:56 AM »

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone out there has bowled a Mega-Buck tournament in Las Vegas. I'm curious to know what your experience was like.
Would love to hear from you guys as I am bowling my first next month at the Texas Station for the TAT. Also, any other kind of advice would be greatly appreciated!

With that in mind...

1. Which Mega-Buck Tournament have you bowled? (Hi-Roller, Mini-Eliminator, True Amateur Tournament, True Amateur Challenge, Hoinke Series, etc.)

2. How much did you spend on squads or entry fee?

2b. Did you bowl any of their sweepers or "Free or Bonus," Squads?

3. Was the tournament sponsored by a ball company and did you receive a free ball? Were there Demo Days and did you get to talk to the ball reps? Free Drilling for balls given away?

4. Which Hotel did you stay at and how much did you spend for the room.

5. Did you participate in brackets?

6. Did you Qualify and if so, how high did you place and how much did you make?

7. How were the tournament conditions? Were you prepared for anything and everything?

8. Would you participate again?

9. Was it well organized

10. Did you cross pairs with a bowler who became a famous pro or a top-amateur bowler in the U.S. or Internationally?

Thanks for participating!
--------------------
Ram
S.F. Bay Area, California

Edited on 1/25/2005 9:32 AM

Ramtart · « **Reply #1 on:** January 25, 2005, 08:35:51 AM »

TTT
--------------------
Ram
S.F. Bay Area, California

Pinbuster · « **Reply #2 on:** January 25, 2005, 09:01:06 AM »

I have bowled an Eliminator event about 10 years ago and super bowl high roller 5 years ago.

The eliminator cost me around $700 the high roller around $300.

I bowled in â€œsquadsâ€ but not any of the sweepers. At the eliminator I go thru 3 rounds of an early bird tournament and made $450.

Nothing at that time with free balls.

I stayed at the tournament site. At Samâ€™s town for the Eliminator and Showboat for the high roller. We got favorable rates and paid around $35 a night. But we knew a pit boss at the Showboat and got a casino rate there.

No brackets.

I got thru 2 rounds at the Eliminator and got $500 back there. I won my first two matches at the high roller but lost my third round match 196 â€“ 202 so no prize money there.

It was pretty much what I expected. I knew the shot would be flat and you had to play deep. Lots of OB. If you cut a shot short it was gone left generally missing the head pin. I have seen a lot of matches lost with a bowler needing a 6 or 7 count, they cut a shot short trying to hit the head pin and the next thing you know the ball is taking out the 4-7-8 for a 3 count. I watch last summers high roller and the shot appeared to be easier, not easy, but easier. But you still see some ugly games.

I might in the future. Particularly a senior event. I realize I canâ€™t keep up with the kids.

Mine were well run.

You see all types, Sonnefeld, John Gaines, Rentari, Kretzer, Dino Castillo, etc. But they tend to do better in the sweepers than in the main tournament.

Rev_O · « **Reply #3 on:** January 25, 2005, 09:33:28 AM »

I bowled to Super Bowl High Roller in 95. Made it to the 4th round. In the sweepers, I crossed with Patrick Healey Jr. once, and Chris Barnes another time. Don't remember what I spent for a room, but it was my 1st trip to vegas, so I really didn't care! I made a few bucks in the sweepers too.!!
--------------------
Rev-O

Track International Amateur Staff Member
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/nagyiii/detail?.dir=5406&.dnm=9e95.jpg&.src=ph

mrfjmt · « **Reply #4 on:** January 25, 2005, 11:16:28 AM »

quote:

1. Which Mega-Buck Tournament have you bowled? (Hi-Roller, Mini-Eliminator, True Amateur Tournament, True Amateur Challenge, Hoinke Series, etc.)

High Roller, Mini/International Eliminator, TAC/TAT.

quote:
2. How much did you spend on squads or entry fee?

Varied. I shot a couple of High Rollers when it was a "one (loss) and done" format with a $1000 entry fee. The others were in the $200 range for the first qualifying squad, which got you a handful of free squads and other extras.

quote:
2b. Did you bowl any of their sweepers or "Free or Bonus," Squads?

See above. Paid for a couple of sweepers, but never many since I'm a house hack and never had a great look at megabuck events (no push in the middle and dry to the edges? What are they thinking?!?!

)

quote:
3. Was the tournament sponsored by a ball company and did you receive a free ball? Were there Demo Days and did you get to talk to the ball reps? Free Drilling for balls given away?

The only one I went to where I got a "free" ball was the True Amateur Tournament a couple of years ago when they gave out the Killer Instinct. Other tournaments may have given out balls, but you had to bowl multiple qualifying squads, thus raising the price of that "free" ball to whatever the cost of 3-4 qualifying squads was.

quote:
4. Which Hotel did you stay at and how much did you spend for the room.

During my 1st High Roller, we stayed at the Four Queens in downtown. But as of late, I usually stay at the California or Main Street Station H/C's in downtown. Room cost? Well, let's just say that I pay for my rooms at those places in a different manner than most people do.

quote:
5. Did you participate in brackets?

A few. Like Bob, I did it just to try it out, not in hopes of making my tournament there. I had more fun betting on "horses" there - putting in some people I knew who had better looks on the condition than I did.

quote:
6. Did you Qualify and if so, how high did you place and how much did you make?

I got my money back in a Roller and made a little in the last International Eliminator. But back then, these didn't have qualifying events. Your entry fee got you directly into the main tournament. I haven't had any success in making the main event from a qualifying squad.

quote:
7. How were the tournament conditions? Were you prepared for anything and everything?

Megabuck tournament conditions are tough. But as with any condition, someone will have a good look on it and make it look easy. And sometimes, the condition is pretty easy! IIRC, last January there were something like 2-3 800's shot in qualifying at the Mini Eliminator. I didn't bowl it, but others said it was a "point off the corner" shot. A few years ago, it seemed like most of the megabuck events had very dry conditions. With the development of new oils, that has changed some. Last January's TAT played much tighter than I had expected. Previous years, the first squads after oil were booming wet-dry, and the oil seemed to dissipate rather than carry down. Last year, the conditions just got tighter as the day went on (up to a point, of course.)

Prepared for anything and everything? HAH!! I think that's almost impossible to do. Sometimes, somewhere, someone lucks out and matches up perfectly to the condition that a particular megabuck events offers. That's pretty rare for most of us though, so I'd go to a megabuck event with a very open mind and the willingness to drill up something on the spot.

quote:
8. Would you participate again?

At this point in time, no. Like I said, I'm a house hack who's happy to spray the ball a couple of arrows and still get close to the hole. That won't make the cut in most megabuck tournaments. In the future, maybe, when money isn't important. IMHO, you have to go there with the thought that money isn't that important. As with gambling, if it pains you to lose it, don't bowl megabuck tournaments.

quote:
9. Was it well organized

Yes. Eddie McWilliams does a fine job with the TAT (TAC) and was responsible for being the first to "give away" a ball with your first qualifying entry, forcing everyone else to follow suit to an extent. I've never had a bad experience in any megabuck tournament I've participated in.

quote:
10. Did you cross pairs with a bowler who became a famous pro or a top-amateur bowler in the U.S. or Internationally?

Rudy Kasimakis (during a practice session), DJ Archer, Mike Wolfe, Vinnie Atria.

dogman666 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 25, 2005, 11:37:25 AM »

Bowled the Super Bowl Hi-Roller last 5 out of 6 years. Normally get comped but payed the "bowler" price at SamsTown of around 50 a night during the tourney so I would be close. The rooms at SamsTown in my opion are very nice considering you are off the strip. If you are going to do more than just bowl I would suggest staying there during or close to your squad times and go somewhere else (Downtown is cheapest and closest to Sams Town) for Vegas fun. Storm has been running the tourney lately and I got a free ball for making the VIP finals. Unfortunately they made you drill the ball and use it for the finals and the ball didn't match the lanes. Cost is 250 if you get your money in early they will also throw in 3 VIP's and the Super Bowl party is a hoot. Played the brackets although sparingly, I'd rather hit a one armed bandit than play this two-armed fool! In the main event I one the first match last 3 years only to run up against 247, 256, 257 in the second game. My 235 against the 247 was the 2 highest loser out of over 500 games. Ran into Rudy Revs, Kretzer, Sonnefeld and some great house hacks that found out that they were just that!

Author Topic: Ever Bowl a Mega-Buck Event? (High-Roller, Mini-Elim, TAT, Hoinke?) (Read 1919 times)

Ramtart

Ever Bowl a Mega-Buck Event? (High-Roller, Mini-Elim, TAT, Hoinke?)

Ramtart

Re: Ever Bowl a Mega-Buck Event? (High-Roller, Mini-Elim, TAT, Hoinke?)

Pinbuster

Re: Ever Bowl a Mega-Buck Event? (High-Roller, Mini-Elim, TAT, Hoinke?)

Rev_O

Re: Ever Bowl a Mega-Buck Event? (High-Roller, Mini-Elim, TAT, Hoinke?)

mrfjmt

Re: Ever Bowl a Mega-Buck Event? (High-Roller, Mini-Elim, TAT, Hoinke?)

dogman666

Re: Ever Bowl a Mega-Buck Event? (High-Roller, Mini-Elim, TAT, Hoinke?)