[mxp2004]

It should probably be noted that the Borgata Poker Open Main Event (a WPT tournament) starts on 9/16. The Borgata is holding a supersatellite for the ME on 9/15, apparently the same day as the Showboat tourny. The buy-in for the Borgata supersatellite is $250 + $30.

Also, for what it's worth, Borgata's "$50,000 Friday" tournament may be a good analogy for what Showboat is trying to accomplish. Borgata's Friday daily costs $250 + $30 to enter, and it typically draws over 300 players. First prize usually exceeds $20,000. I've been there on Fridays when the number of players has exceeded 400 and first-place exceeded $30,000. Heck, I played in Borgata's "$10,000 Wednesday" tournament last week, and it drew 457 players.

So the demand is out there in AC for a good tournament with a fair structure (as the Borgata tournies always are). Can Showboat pull this off on the same weekend that WPT is in town for the Borgata? Who knows, but one thing that makes me skeptical is Showboat poker room management. It frequently has problems running its daily tournaments with only 100 players, as many posters here have noted. I'm not sure the Showboat is ready for a big field tournament.