This Black Friday, rather than risk my life for the potential reward of a really cheap fondue set, I'm going to risk $200 for the potential reward of $6,000. I'm entering the Hoinke Scratch Classic.

The Hoinke Scratch Classic is a (hopefully temporary) replacement tournament for the Hoinke Super Classic scratch tournament that has been held annually the weekend of Thanksgiving for 20-something years. In years past, first place prize for this scratch tournament was a whopping $100,000. Previous winners include then soon to be PBA touring pros Mika Koivuniemi and Rudy Kasimakis.

Unfortunately, the Super appears to have met the fate so many other scratch tournaments have: declining entries. After only 86 entries with a little over a week left to register, tournament directors decided to shut it down and replace it with the first Hoinke Scratch Classic.

In order to do well this weekend, I'm going to need to bring something more than my A game. I'm going to need my A+ game. I'm not sure I actually have one of those, but I'm going to give it a go anyhow. I figure I've been bowling pretty well the last month or so on tough, tight shots (which is what I'm expecting this to be). I'm guessing anything around even (1000 pins for 5 games) will make the first cut.

At $200, this will be the highest fee I've ever paid to enter a tournament. However, at $6,000, this will also be the highest first place prize I've been chasing. The most I've won in a single tournament so far is $1,200 for taking first in a tournament in Tampa, when I used to live around those parts.

So, if you need to catch your breath from the Black Friday frenzy, stop in at Western Bowl around 11AM. I'll be the one looking to stay clean and throw a double or two along the way.