Ashley's Million-dollar chess tourney - but bring your own clocks

Tautologies are fun, but that aside, seeing that unless these "vegas poker players" have USCF ratings they get to play in the open division, it won't be "cost effective" given they need to make the top 6 to show a profit over the $2K last minute entry fee, or even top 20 if they were to take a flyer and enter earlier... and there are enough 2000+ players already to make a novice's chances basically zero.  

Even if they have a rating, they need a top 5 finish to make back the 2K last minute entry... ignoring the opportunity cost if that person has a positive expectation at poker. It isn't just that the poker pro (or even semi-pro) has to break even, he would have to win enough to make up for what amounts to a week long vacation. 

So no. Any "poker player" that sees some sort of overlay here is a fool. It is quite simply a horrible tournament from any sane gambling type analysis standpoint unless you are either a strong GM or have a true playing strength above the section you are playing in. Morons will be dazzled by the "OMG MILLION DOLLARS!!!!" BS, but anyone with any background in analysing the value of a tournament will see that this is really six seperate tournaments (really more than that seeing some players will only have a realistic shot at a division within a section, but so it goes) that happen to be scheduled at the same time with a total prize pool of $1M. On top of that, the prize distribution is  a joke given that the vast majority of the prizes are very small when compared to the entry fee, especially the 1.5K and 2K late entry fees. Hint: a $600 prize on a $1K entry fee is a loss, even ignoring expenses. 

But, morons will moron, and there are plenty of people who will be excited to pay 1K (or 1.5K soon) plus expenses to have a really good chance to win $600. It isn't that I want to see this fail out of some sort of malice as much as I'd like to maintain at least the illusion that chess players are smart, and 1500 or so entries in this thing would crush that illusion something fierce. It is a bad value as it stands now (again, strong GMs, etc. excepted), but at 1500 entries... in what world is something like 300K worth of entry fee chasing 115K or so worth of section prizes at all sane? Would anyone like to trade me a dirty quarter for two shiny nickels?  

>in what world is something like 300K worth of entry fee chasing 115K or so worth of section prizes at all sane?<

You are forgetting about the one-time pass to a room with massage chairs, free chocolates, and the chance to buy a photo of your self with the GM-of-the-week.

Oh, and remember that Will Smith his very own self has blessed this event (although he's too busy staying at home to actually attend).  Since when has Bill Goichberg ever been able to say THAT?

Oh, and don't forget the VIP room and limo service for select GMs. Even though everyone pays the same entry fee, these people are better than you and they will get better treatment and more amenities for their time and money...while your entry fee fills up their prize pool.

Snobbery, elitism, and the separation of haves and have-nots...at a chess tournament.  Again...that's not what our game is about. 

Ever heard of EULA?

You seriously think such a clause cannot be enforced? You must be joking.

EULA? That has nothing to do with your personal image. Also, since no-one has signed anything this is all meaningless and not legally binding.

I can just as easily inform them that my registration implies their tacit consent for me to use images and videos of Millionaire Chess to promote my own interests. Until someone actually SIGNS something giving permission, it's all just blather and typing. 

Almost 200 preregistered now.

Indeed, EULA has nothing to do with personal image.

However, when you buy software subject to EULA, you do not sign anything either. You have later on to accept the terms otherwise the software will not run, true, but you will get no refund if you refuse the terms.

This is possible simply because signing is not the only contractually binding act. Paying for something is legally binding, you accept the conditions that come with the sale - even if such conditions are most of the time restricted to "you pay money, I deliver goods", it is not always the case.

When you buy bus/plane tickets, you agree to obey the internal regulations of the transportation companies: for example, keeping your tickets at all times and showing them if the staff requests them.

SilentKnighte5 wrote:

Almost 200 preregistered now.

Their web site says 170

>Paying for something is legally binding, you accept the conditions that come with the sale<

I can absolutetly guarantee you that if Millionaire Chess starts using player images to sell their company, those players have legal recourse to either stop them from doing so or receive payment.  

Which is closer to 200 than 100.

MB

From a practical point of view, legal action isn't cheap, and I'm sure this clause was inserted, after approval from MC, LLC's lawyers, to make life difficult for anyone contemplating a lawsuit.

No one is suing MC over use of their likeness.

MB is suggesting that they could regardless of the clause.  I doubt that anyone would.  Just commenting on a hypothetical situation.

Millionaire Chess, as an enterprise, is already over. The entry fee rockets up 50% in a week. They don't even have 200 players. Stick a fork in them my friends, they are done. 

Oh, the show will go on. And everyone involved will have those kind of frantic, slightly-embarrassed grins that people put on when they want something to be so much more successful than it actually is. 

But the best part, the one I wish would be filmed for generations to enjoy on Youtube, will be on "Millionaire Monday."  That's when all the section winners (who patiently won their first places over a grueling four days of intense pressure and the distractions of Las Vegas, the casinos, and Maurice Ashley) proceed to lose their first place and big winnings in a flurry of park bench blitz games with players they already defeated.  

The expressions on those guys' faces, as they get up from the table and mentally count the thousands of dollars they just lost, will NOT be used for promotional material by MC...of that we can be certain :)

What software is being used that makes this a relevant post? Quick!

which public?

The thousands of casual observers (non-chess players), watching with baited breath.

this last comment by Doggy_Style is a complete non-sense

The word is nonsense, Mr. pdildo.

To be fair he is Spanish so English is not his first language. Your post is clearly nonsense though as there will obviously be millions of non-chess players watching millionaire chess, not thousands.