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In what's being hailed as the tournament of the year, the Las Vegas Hilton hosted the first ever $1 Million Blackjack Tournament starting with over $1.2 million in total prize money paid to winners, including a grand prize of $1 million.

The 13-month tournament drew contestants from around the country and consisted of 12 preliminary rounds and a final round. Each of the 12 monthly preliminary rounds sent players to the final round of play. Entry into the monthly preliminary tournaments was $1,000 and included accommodations for two nights at the world-famous Las Vegas Hilton, souvenir $1 Million Blackjack shirt and the chance to win $1 million.

Each month, 16 players advanced to the finals. In addition to the 192 tournament finalists, eight players were chosen from a wild card drawing that took place on April 8. All contestants who entered the monthly preliminary blackjack tournaments were eligible for the wild card drawing.

Jimmy Wike, vice president of casino operations, said the Million Dollar Blackjack Tournament attracted players from across the country and even on an international basis. "We received a tremendous amount of response since announcing the tournament," Wike said. "We've placed a lot of energy into making sure the Million Dollar Blackjack Tournament is a success. There's not another blackjack event that comes close, we are thrilled to be hosting an event of this magnitude."

The blackjack tournament format for the monthly preliminary rounds and the final tournament consisted of four rounds, a semi-final round and final round. The first round consisted of 200 players with four sessions. The winner advanced to round two with two sessions. Round three and the semi-finals consisted of one session each.