blonde poker forum

Here are the selections:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aia1Hxq-NDNWdGgwNUR2cWFmdVNsU1JYWElyb21BMGc


I am pleased to announce this year's Blonde US Masters Tipster Competition.


The rules are as follows:

1. Entry is open to everyone upon payment of a £25 entry fee to me. I will PM my bank details to everyone who has expressed even a remote interest (see next post). Payment must be received by me before 9am on Thursday 5th April. If you are interested, please indicate below or PM me.

2. Each entrant will pick one selection in each of the categories below. The selection must either be for a £2 win or a £1 each-way bet. Winnings will be settled on the basis of the prices that I will post by mid-night Tuesday. These prices will be taken from SkyBet or other sites if these markets are not available on SkyBet.

The categories are:

Top US player
Top British Isles player
Top Continental Europe player
Top Aussie
Top Asian
Top South African
Top Debutant
Top senior player
Leader after round 1


3. The organiser reserves the right to substitute other markets if prices for these markets are not available on Tuesday.

4. The place component of an each-way bet will be decided using 1/4 the odds for a win. The number of places paid in each market will be determined by me when I post the lists on Tuesday and know how many runners there are in each market.

5. I will be using http://www.masters.com/ for the purpose of deciding the result of each market.

6. Entries must be sent to me via PM by 9am on Thursday 5th April. I will then make everyone's selections available via a spreadsheet to which I will post a link on this thread by 10am that day.

7. The winner will be the person who makes most profit (or least loss) over the course of the tournament.

8. Each person may enter the competition up to 3 times at a cost of £25 per entry.

9. My decision is final in all matters (until proven otherwise).


Have fun.

Those who have expressed an interest so far are:

bobby1   (x2)          PAID SELECTED
tikay      (x2)            PAID SELECTED
claypole                   PAID SELECTED
horseplayer              PAID SELECTED
Karabiner                 PAID SELECTED
Horneris                   PAID SELECTED
The Camel               PAID SELECTED
Chompy                  PAID SELECTED
Bazzaboy                PAID SELECTED
Alverton                  PAID SELECTED
TheDazzler              PAID SELECTED
typhoon13             PAID SELECTED
MajorMajor             PAID SELECTED
DUNK619              PAID SELECTED
Dubai  (x3)            PAID SELECTED
Royal Flush
Acidmouse
Silo Graham
ACE2M

Excellent news, Vince, thanks.

I will nudge Flushy about this, I'm sure he will want in, & I'll mention it to a few others.

I am assuming that prize payouts (winner only, 1st & 2nd etc) will depend on how many entrants we get. Be neat to get 20 or so runners.

Thanks.
I should have mentioned that payouts will be as follows:

1-10 entrants
1st 100%

11-20 entrants
1st 75%
2nd 25%

21-30 entrants
1st  60%
2nd 30%
3rd 10%

>30 entrants
tba

£25 PAID.

Vincent......

If the number of entrants are low, will you consider allowing us to "Multi-Entry" - perhaps allow more than one entry from those who wish?

I'd be up for making 2 Entries, possibly 3, which can only be of benefit to the Prize Pool.

Absolutely, I hadn't thought of that.
I just didn't think that people would be that degen - I should study my audience more closely.

New rule: People may have up to 3 entries.

No selection for "winner"?

In obv.

The reasoning was that if you had a selection in each of the (nationality) categories you would already effectively have a winner choice and picking the same player again as overall winner would skew the results too much if you hit the jackpot. Not sure if it matters much but that's the decision we came to.

Good luck.

Too much logic for 8.30am for my liking.

yep

Shipped.

Thanks a lot for running this Vince.

In, yup

Thanks, you're welcome.
Received.

In obv, Shallow will be in as well

In

IN

If we have agreed that "multi-entries" are acceptable, I'll take 2 more entries, but I don't want to be the only one who does it, so I'll hold off for now.

I will have two please, will ship later today.

Thanks

I'll be publishing the list of players (with associated prices) for each category later today.

i will have one entry please

will send money tommorow

Thanks Vince, look forward to that.

Don't forget everyone, UP TO three Entries are permitted.

I almost won the Cheltenham Tipsters Thread by just selecting my horses alphabetically, which just shows, with a bit of luck & anyone can do OK.

I might use a variant of the "stick a pin in" tactic for The Masters, too.....

I'm interested, will look at the markets and probably ship monies Wednesday

It's time for you to make your selections.

The list of prices for each of our chosen categories is available here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aia1Hxq-NDNWdGttMnh6ck5sblJzVmZUZkplaDJZUGc

You need to choose one player from each category and indicate whether it is an outright or each-way selection.

You have until 9am on Thursday to send me your choices by PM. I also need to have received your entry fee by the same time.


Several of the categories that we chose for this competition do not have markets available at any bookie as far as I can see. Therefore I have made a slight deviation from my intention stated in the rules above. I have created prices for each of the markets by using the "Outright Winner" prices (as on SkyBet at midday today) and adjusting these to create a (near) 100% market for each of our categories.


For each-way bets, the number of places that pay for each market will be as follows:

Top US player                                  5
Top British Isles player                  3
Top Continental Europe player          3
Top Aussie                                  2
Top Asian                                          2
Top South African                          2
Top Debutant                                  3
Top senior player                          2
Leader after round 1                   8

In all cases, the place portion of the bet will be settled at 1/4 the odds of the outright price.

If anyone has any questions/problems relating to this competition I'll be happy to answer them on this thread or via PM.


Good luck and enjoy.
   

I'm a bit confused now Vince, all of those markets are available with almost all the firms. The problem with converting the BF outright book into sub books at 100% is the place part of every market is massive value.

I don't think 8 places on the end of round leader is a good either as because the prices are to 100% the place returns on 8 places mean you could pick one of the outsiders at the vastly inflated odds , nick a place at a qtr the odds on 8 places and virtually have a lead that mean someone else is going to have to pick a load of actual winners in other categories to catch you. The lower down the list in your end of rd leader prices the bigger the difference with the firms prices. In effect, the comp could almost be over if someone picks the end of round leader winner using the list you have used.

I'm happy to go with whatever you want, it looks like its been made a lot more complicated tho than say just using the Skybet ( or any other firms) lists and taking their place odds too.

In do i send to the same place i did for cheltenham

Right, thanks.
I'll look into it. The markets definitely weren't available at 1pm today - well not on Oddschecker anyway. Having checked now, many of them appear to be. I guess that I should have just waited a while longer. If everyone can be patient for a while, I'll have a think.
Cheers...

Yes, thanks.

no probs mate, I have just seen your PM from last night , sorry I didn't reply sooner.

Please keep quiet, Mere is thinking..........

OK, nobody has sent any selections in since I published the list of prices.
Therefore, I am going to scrap the prices that I have published so far and we'll start again along the lines that Phil has indicated.
I'll take the lists from published prices.
I'll let you know when it's sorted.

Dammit, I have already spent hours & hours selecting mine.

I shall need a new letter of the alphabet now......

Vince whats the rules for Liverpool ( grand national) meeting please TIA

I'll let you know when I've made them up!

I have amended the odds for each of the markets.
They are now inline with the odds offered by SkyBet (where available) and other bookies where SkyBet do not have prices.

25 sent

I will also use the same each-way criteria as Skybet (or other bookies).

The revised each-way options are:

Top US player                                                   Top 4 places paid at 1/4 odds.
Top British Isles player                                       Top 3 places paid at 1/4 odds.
Top Continental Europe player                          Top 5 places paid at 1/4 odds.
Top Aussie                                                        Top 2 places paid at 1/3 odds.
Top Asian                                                         Top 2 places paid at 1/3 odds.
Top South African                                             Top 2 places paid at 1/3 odds.
Top Debutant                                                   Top 3 places paid at 1/4 odds.
Top senior player                                             Top 2 places paid at 1/3 odds.
Leader after round 1                                       Top 5 places paid at 1/4 odds.


Hopefully that completes the re-organisation.
Apologies for any confusion.


I will be offline for the rest of the evening. If there are any further issues, please post on here.

Since no objections have been raised since I posted the amended prices, I am going to assume that they meet with general approval.
Here is the link to the spreadsheet with the prices:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aia1Hxq-NDNWdGttMnh6ck5sblJzVmZUZkplaDJZUGc

Cheers.

payment sent just now (one entry) for some reason i am unable to alter my reference this morning online so it should so "000000 INTERN 9270" (whatever that means)

thanks mere very good of you again will send entry shortly

and entry sent via pm

Entry sent

I'm not sure if there are any players from The Republic of Ireland but I'm assuming that:

British Isles=GB+I for the purposes of this event.

Yes.
Mr. Harrington is the only (Republic of) Irishman in the field.

Dustin Johnson withdrawn

People can amend their entries up until 9am on Thursday.

For clarification, I will be using dead-heat rules to settle the each-way bets.

In, sent as per PM - thanks again for organising this, top man

You're very welcome.

sent by PM mate, once again thanks for taking the time to run the comp.

cheers

You're welcome.
Entries received and entered.

Can u PM me your details please mate

Done.

Is Europe top 5? In a 15 runner market?

Good point.
That appears to be a typo.
However, since people have already entered their selections, we'll have to stick with it.

A reminder to people who are still intending to enter, all selections and entry fees need to be with me before 9am tomorrow morning.

Has anyone made more than one entry, Vince?

Phil has had two.

how many entries?

looking forward to this

i would like to thank mere for all his work with these "events" quite remarkable really

thanks again

You're very welcome.

At tikay's suggestion (I'm accepting no blame) we decided that each person could buy up to three entries. Only one person has availed himself of this "opportunity".

I wil have 3 entries but prefer random selections. Don't want anyone bigger than 200s as generally that means 2000s. Is there anyway you can do me 3 totally random lucky dips? I'm sure you can come up with a formula/spreadsheet ;)

Done.
I'll assume that you want all outright selections unless I hear otherwise.

Do buck up, that took you 2 minutes to do!

I've got a system. ;)

Win only 19-1 or less, 20-1 or more ew. Will send later, if havent remind me pls. Post who I've got

It's not about finding the winner Dave just in case you didn't realise, well not exactly.

You've made some rather "brave" selections;

Sean Ohair   e/w   
Paul Casey   e/w   
Thomas Bjorn   Win   
Adam Scott   Win   
K J Choi   Win   
Trevor Immelman   Win   
Brendan Steele   e/w   
Bernhard Langer   Win   
Charl Schwartzel   e/w

Jason Dufner   e/w   
Darren Clarke   e/w   
Alvaro Quiros   Win   
Jason Day   Win   
Hideki Matsuyama   Win   
Rory Sabbatini   Win   
Robert Garrigus   Win   
Randal Lewis   e/w   
Matt Kuchar   e/w

Matt Kuchar   e/w   
Graeme McDowell   Win   
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano   e/w   
Geoff Ogilvy   Win   
Ryo Ishikawa   Win   
Louis Oosthuizen   Win   
Corbin Mills   e/w   
Mark Omeara   Win   
Hunter Mahan   e/w

Yeah I meant win only for each market

 Had to google some of the selections to see who on earth they are

What order are the markets in please?

Watch one of these waltz innnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Top US player
Top British Isles player
Top Continental Europe player
Top Aussie
Top Asian
Top South African
Top Debutant
Top senior player
Leader after round 1

You were lucky, you nearly had Sandy Lyle for top British until I realised he was 201/1.

entry 2 and entry 3 dont look to bad

if somebody hits a big first round leader price there going to be very hard to catch

yes, I might have made an error including that as you are right it will take some catching but I suppose if you pick a winner in something thats as difficult as that you prob deserve to win.

shipped

Received.

Good morning Vince.

My TWO entries have been sent to you via both e-Mail, & PM.

I have sent the additional £25 this morning by Bank TX.

Apologies for the last minute entries. Designing an algorithm* which was guaranteed to produce a winner took longer than I expected, but my top secret computer programme, combiuned with my deep expertise in alll matters betting, eventually produced the players which will best perform, at the most cost-effective prices.

*All rights pending.

PS - Please note that if you make ANY mistakes in the running & management of this competition, you will be sentenced to run the Grand National Tipsters Competition.

Have a good day.

As you know, we've already had a slight mishap.
Good luck with your tips - you may need it.

They are startlingly original.

Entry closed.

Here are the selections:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aia1Hxq-NDNWdGgwNUR2cWFmdVNsU1JYWElyb21BMGc

I will also add this link to the first post so that people can find it easily.

There are 19 entries so the prizes will be:

1st     £356.25
2nd    £118.75

Good luck.

if anybody could grab that first round leader it will be very very very hard to peg back as the other selections are quite regular

i agree though if anybody does grab that they deserve to win it

Good Luck everyone

I am struggling to see how I will fail to win this.

Incredible selection policy.

O'Meara has withdrawn pre tourn with a sore neck, what are the rules regarding this?

There are no exceptional rules for this, I'm afraid.
It just counts the same as making a bad score.

Nooooooooooo I assumed we would get the unnamed favourite (i.e. Couples)

 :'(

That might have been a good rule (and there was an explicit equivalent rule for the Cheltenham competition) but I didn't make such a rule this time unfortunately. Sorry.

I'm sorry Vince and not just because I picked MOM in the senior list but non-runner you lose is just a bad ruling.

How would you feel if you had bet on a horse or the highest scoring batsman and that rule was applied?

I wouldn't be overjoyed but the rules have been listed since I started the thread and I feel that it would be unfair to amend them once the event has started.

Goooo on BUBBA

Sigh - thought I'd nail that at one point, on the board though even if it is 1/3 stake at 1/4 odds lol

I'm dreading seeing the Spreadsheet today. My infallible system falled.

You were the only person to score on the Round 1 selections.

If the positions after round 1 held until round 4, the table would look like this:

Tipster   Total
tikay-2   130.59
Chompy   48.66
Dubai-2   37.50
bobby1-2   28.16
TheDazzler   19.07
tikay-1   14.50
claypole   10.75
Dubai-3   8.66
Karabiner   8.66
Dubai-1   7.50
The Camel   7.50
Alverton   5.00
MajorMajor   5.00
DUNK619   3.67
Bazzaboy   1.44
horseplayer   1.44
bobby1-1   0.00
Horneris   0.00
typhoon13   0.00

Hold!

Blimey, you are keen sir

I was hoping that the table would look a little different, obv.

I can sense an incredible warmth for Ben Crane amongst the entrants.

Tikay's write up in Timeform.

'blistering early pace'

Due to a "feature" of the spreadsheet I allocated a couple of wins incorrectly.
It doesn't affect the placings in the table but here are the amended totals:

Tipster   Total
tikay-2   130.59
Chompy   48.66
Dubai-2   37.50
bobby1-2   33.49
TheDazzler   18.46
tikay-1   14.50
claypole   10.15
Dubai-3   8.66
Karabiner   8.66
Dubai-1   7.50
The Camel   7.50
Alverton   5.00
MajorMajor   5.00
DUNK619   3.67
Bazzaboy   1.44
horseplayer   1.44
bobby1-1   0.00
Horneris   0.00
typhoon13   0.00

Thanks to bobby1 for spotting this.

If the positions after round 2 held until round 4, the table would look like this:

Tipster   Total
Dubai-2   61.50
Alverton   27.41
MajorMajor   26.70
Chompy   24.66
bobby1-2   21.91
TheDazzler   17.52
tikay-2   17.24
Dubai-3   13.16
claypole   12.25
The Camel   10.00
tikay-1   9.78
DUNK619   9.00
bobby1-1   9.00
typhoon13   9.00
Karabiner   8.66
Bazzaboy   2.88
horseplayer   2.88
Dubai-1   0.00
Horneris   0.00

Rigged.

Thanks for noticing.

I'm pretty chuffed with where I'm sitting. Need Jacobsen to do something special!

Good luck.
All to play for.

If the positions after round 3 held until round 4, the table would look like this:

Tipster   Total
The Camel   43.00
bobby1-2   28.16
Karabiner   27.29
Dubai-3   27.16
tikay-1   20.78
TheDazzler   16.29
horseplayer   14.88
MajorMajor   9.00
Chompy   8.66
tikay-2   5.93
Alverton   5.00
claypole   3.25
Bazzaboy   2.88
Dubai-2   0.00
DUNK619   0.00
bobby1-1   0.00
typhoon13   0.00
Dubai-1   0.00
Horneris   0.00

Here are everyone's selections so you know who to rail and anti-rail:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aia1Hxq-NDNWdGgwNUR2cWFmdVNsU1JYWElyb21BMGc

Cripes, the cream is rising to the top now!

I'd be top if it were not for Camel, bobby, Methuselah, & Dubai.

Note, by the way, that both Dubai & I used the "pin" method. Food for thought....

For the Cheltenham Tips Thread, in which I think I cashed, I used alphabetical, & my two entries in this were alphabetical, & longest names. Infallible system. Almost.

Come on Peter Hanson!

What's going on, is there no "as it stands" table with three holes to go?

Sorry, been far too occupied watching the coverage.
Adam Scott has helped six people including you, obviously.
Matt Kuchar could still do good things for Dubai.
It's too close to call!

The final table is:

Tipster   Total
bobby1-2   56.40
The Camel   45.00
MajorMajor   31.24
Karabiner   28.46
Alverton   22.00
tikay-1   20.78
Dubai-3   15.16
TheDazzler   10.79
Chompy   8.66
tikay-2   5.93
DUNK619   5.24
bobby1-1   5.24
Dubai-1   5.24
claypole   4.69
horseplayer   2.88
Bazzaboy   2.88
typhoon13   2.50
Dubai-2   0.00
Horneris   0.00


Please let me know if you have any complaints/objections.

Congratulations to bobby1 and The Camel.

Yup, the cream duly rose to the top, well done Phil, and Keith.

Big thanks too, to Vince, and his magic spreadsheets, and hard work.

I'd like to withdraw from the competition if it's not too late?

Well played Phil and Keith, and masterful spreadsheetery from MereVince.

tikay's dealing with the refunds.

I don't know about cream rising to the top Tony, look at what my other line made up.Just lucky to get some good results all in one entry.

Thanks for running the comp Mere, I'm on holiday this week so keep hold of the cash for a few days and I will throw some darts at the Aintree comp with it next week.

cheers

Well done to winners and Vince

I think 3rd should get a min cash!

I should bill Sang-Moon Bae for £300+.

If he pars the last two holes I scoop da loot.

Thanks for running the comp Mr Novice, good fun as always.

Will loads of kudos do instead?