Weekly qualifying to The BIG One has taken place for much of the year. So far, 21 of the 50 allotted spots to the September 19-20 tournament — which will now take place online here rather than onsite at Laurel — have been won. That leaves 29 spots to fill and three months to fill them. So we’re doubling up.
Per a joint decision between HorseTourneys and Laurel Park, The BIG One will be played online this year at HorseTourneys.com. The dates will remain the same—Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19-20, 2020.
The eighth annual edition of The BIG One will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 19-20 at Laurel Park. There are a few changes that have been made to the 2020 event…but first, here’s what’s NOT changing.
When you run a contest site, some tourneys fill up faster than others. If you never guarantee prizes, then it doesn’t matter all that much, but if you prefer to be aggressive with guarantees like we do, it can be a problem.
There are some things about The BIG One that, each year, I find myself appreciating (or chucking over) only after a couple of days have passed. Here, in no particular order, are a few:
Jeffrey Harryman turned a starting bankroll of $200 into $2,214.50 to win the Laurel Champions Tournament at Laurel Park on Saturday, August 18. Harryman won a $10,000 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge entry, a cash bonus of $2,790, plus his final bankroll total was his to keep. His total return: cash and prizes worth $15,004.50.
The date has been set for the 2018 renewal of The BIG One. It’s September 22-23, and once again, it will be hosted at Laurel Park.
By John Gaspar
(John Gaspar was one of 56 contestants at the 2017 renewal of The BIG One at Laurel Park. Shortly after the competition, Gaspar wrote a lengthy recap of his experiences and thought processes during his three days in Maryland. We thought veteran players might enjoy another player’s perspective–and that those unfamiliar with contest play might find it interesting to follow along with John through the great many decisions he was faced with over the two-day contest. What follows is John’s unabridged, 8,000+ word take on The BIG One.)
Ed Peters started the second and final day of The BIG One with just $200 left from his starting bankroll of $1,000. And it went downhill from there.
A daring, all-in bet very early in the day propelled Eric Moomey to a lead he maintained throughout the day here on Day 1 of The BIG One at Laurel Park. In Laurel, Md.
HorseTourneys.com Blog 