OnePass 21st Birthday Poker Tournament - Event Details
 

Hi Everyone,

Our OnePass 21st Anniversary Poker Tournament is coming up, and in preparation for this, I wanted to post some details for FlyerTalkers who’ll be joining us (regardless of whether you’re playing in the tournament).

For those of you unfamiliar with this event, our OnePass 21st Anniversary Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament will be held August 6-10, 2008 in Las Vegas at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino. The winner of the tournament will win 21 million OnePass miles – the largest single frequent flyer prize in history. Runner-up prizes ranging from 50,000 miles up to 1 million miles will be awarded to those who finish in 40th place or better. For more information about the event, please see our online registration page. Registration is $821 or 70,021 OnePass miles (50,021 for Continental Chase cardmembers), which includes 4 nights of hotel accommodations and other special events. There are two ways to register:

1. Pay with money. Register at continental.com and follow the instructions for buying your package from the Golden Nugget. Your registration won't be guaranteed until you've contacted the Golden Nugget to buy your $821 Poker Tournament package (call 1-800-634-3454 and provide Registration Code TB2M63).
   
   
2. Pay with miles. Go to our OnePass Online Auction site and buy your Poker Tournament package for 70,021 OnePass miles. For our Continental Chase credit card holders, we have some discounted 50,021 mile auctions as well. Continental Chase card holders will see both the 50,021 and 70,021 mile auctions when signed in – in these cases be sure to select the lower amount!

For those of you joining us, there will be events on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for our FlyerTalkers (regardless of whether you’re in the tournament) above and beyond the tournament itself:

1. Thursday - OnePass Birthday Party Reception. On Thursday evening, August 7th, we’ll be having our OnePass Birthday Party reception from 7:30pm to 11pm at the Golden Nugget in the Grand Ballroom. There will be food, liquor, and live entertainment. Dress code is business casual (please, no shorts). This reception, which is for poker players and their guests, will also be open to any FlyerTalkers (+ guests) not playing in the tournament who RSVP in advance (no need to RSVP if you’re playing in the tournament).
   
   
2. Friday - FlyerTalker Happy Hour (UPDATED). On Friday evening, August 8th, we’ll be having a FlyerTalker Happy Hour from 6pm to 7:30pm in one of our Spa suites at the Golden Nugget. Dress code is business casual (same as Thursday night). This happy hour will be open to any FlyerTalkers (+ guests) who RSVP'd in advance. To access the Happy Hour suite, please go to the Spa Suite elevators between 6p and 6:45p, and look for one of my colleagues wearing a OnePass 21st Birthday shirt.
   
   
3. Saturday – Airline Update/Q&A with Continental Executives. On Saturday morning, August 9th, we’ll be hosting an airline update and Q&A session with Continental executives, including Jim Compton (EVP Marketing), Mark Bergsrud (SVP Marketing Programs & Distribution), Mark Sullivan (MD Loyalty Marketing) and myself. This will be held from 10am to 11:30am in The Showroom at the Golden Nugget (the theater where “Defending the Caveman” is currently showing). RSVP is not required for this event.
   
   
4. Saturday – OnePass Mini Slot tournament. The OnePass Mini Slot tournament will be held on Saturday mid-day. August 9th. Registration will be from 11am to 12n by the Golden Nugget staff in the Slot Tournament area on the casino floor (no advance RSVP required), and the Tournament itself will begin at 12n. Entry will be free for all OnePass members (even those not in the Poker Tournament) and guests. Prizes up to 70,000 OnePass miles will be awarded.

How to RSVP. The first two events require a RSVP no later than Thursday, July 31st. I'll maintain a RSVP list in this post as they're received. To RSVP, send us an email to [email protected] letting us know:

1. Which events you’d like to attend
   
   
2. Your FlyerTalk handle
   
   
3. Your OnePass number
   
   
4. Number of guests, if any

Not able to make it? If you can't make it but want to tune in, be sure to catch Randy Petersen’s coverage of the event on LiveFlyer.

Not playing and need a hotel? While I'm sure there are plenty of hotel bargains to be had in Las Vegas during this time, we do have a non-player rate for the Golden Nugget, which is $79 for Wednesday and Thursday nights and $129 for Friday and Saturday nights. If you're interested, call the Golden Nugget at 1-800-634-3454 and mention that your attending the Continental Airlines OnePass Q&A session (even if you're not) when booking your room.

We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas!


*************REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED*************


RSVP List
-----------------------------------------------
2kind
baccarat_king +2
baglady
BF263533 +1
Bookexp +1
cerealmarketer
cigarman
CO Insider +1
EWR764 +2
FlyPryncess
fozz
gogreyhound
HPN-HRL +1 (Thursday only)
idealflyer
J.Edward (Thursday definite, Friday possible)
kingalien +1
Mrp Alert
nologic98 +1
Randy Petersen +1
Renard
sithlord +1
surferdl
TMOTEE
Trekwars2000 +1
Weatherboy

Sounds like fun!

J.Edward: Yes professor Harpin, I won't be able to take the final on the 7th as I have a consulting engagement.

Prof: Where?

J.Edward: Las Vegas <cough>

Prof: :rolleyes:

40 people make the money/miles? How many people are typically in this type of tourney?

No. The top 40 finishers are those that finish in the money and get some kind of payoff in miles. The field should be around 300-400. You would basically have to last at the table until ~90% of the players bust in order to get miles back.

RSVP: I'll be there on Thursday and Friday. Will send email as well.

Thanks, Scott.

...? Have you been to Vegas? I can get into the nicest eateries here in shorts. Business casual in Vegas is shorts... ;)

Awesome! Thanks I'll be there :) I might have to "dust" off the long pants though ;)

I will enter the tourney when its only 50k miles as 70k is too much. Too bad i dont have a co credit or debit card.

Participant Confirmation Details
 

Scott: I signed up for this tournament as soon as it was announced (and even was willing to "stake" 50k miles, although i am fine not having to do so :p ). I have booked my reservation at the Golden Nugget over the phone, and received a confirmation of my hotel from them, but I have not received anything from CO indicating that the loop has been closed and my entry is confirmed. Given that participation is contingent on reserving the hotel package, I would really like to have some evidence that I am registered properly for the event and there are no problems. It would be pretty bad to show up for the tournament and only discover problems at that time.

Are there any plans to send out such confirmations, or can you direct those of us participating to someone we can contact who has access to the participant list?

Thanks, Andrew

Does this event replace the potential DO in 2009? I hope not...

Hi vdostoi1, that's not the plan. This event isn't related to our DOs.

Can CO Insider Play for Me?
 

The rules say CO employees can't enter the mileage competition, but can they play for others?

For 1/10th of "my" winnings, can CO Insider play poker for me?

(and is Scott's +1 his wife or a CO staffer? )

Anyone else?
 

I sure hope there's more than 15 of us going...

This event was released to non-FTers...

My birthday is on the first day of the event, if someone wishes to give me a large gift :D I will go