After discussing with AcidJoe, Ted, etc., I decided to submit the win-win suggestions below to the CNE Casino in an effort to keep improving the poker scene in Canada. Feel free to submit your own suggestions to the CNE on what it would take for you to take a shot there next summer (
casino@theex.com & cc: theex.com). I can try to answer any CNE questions.
With $160,000 prize pool in the NLHE tournaments and the new 20/40 Limit Omaha cash games, there is a lot of money that can be made in the CNE poker room. Even Xuan Liu :cute: and a couple of pros from Australia :eek: were there this summer to try to take advantage of the value.
With the CNE Casino NLHE tournaments selling out again this year at almost 1,600 total entries, please consider the following suggestions for next summer:
1) Add a fifth table for each semi-final to generate an additional $8,000 in fee revenue. The last six players from each semi-final win a spot into the Finals, and should get some cash for having to travel back to the CNE for at least a third time. It is terrible for half of the finalists to end up as cashless losers while the top two currently get 60% of the prize pool. The flatter the payout structure, the better it is for the CNE poker economy as more players will keep coming back year after year.
2) Add back $100+$20 SNGs after the last semi-final, with 1500 chips and/or blinds starting at 25/25. This will generate $200 revenue for every SNG.
3) Apply to the AGCO to add a one-day regular tournament like the $285+$15 MTT at Casino Rama Resort. If the CNE is restricted to a maximum buy-in of $100, then the buy-in can be as low as $100 + $15
fee, generating >= $3,600 revenue for a 24-table tournament. It can be held on a slow cash game day, then the cash games will be full as each tournament table breaks, like what happens in other Ontario casinos.
4) If CNE is allowed to have > $100 buy-ins, increase the qualifier buy-in to $150+$25 (or $128+$22), with 1500 starting chips and blinds starting at 25/25. If done with #1 above, CNE's total revenue will be
$50,000.