Best Blackjack Tournaments in USA and Canada

The World Series of Blackjack

Now that the television media and general public have caught onto the thrill of blackjack tournaments, there is a whole new field of prestigious tournaments as well as established tournaments that have been tapped to satisfy the growing demand. The World Series of Blackjack is the most prestigious example having finished the third year (or ‘season’ in TV talk) at the Las Vegas Hilton. Each year the tournament is located at a new casino and produced by the Game Show Network with a growing cash prize pot of today’s 1 million dollars.

Previously the first tournament was held at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort with MIT Mike who took away the first season prize of $100,000 in 5 instead of the now standard 8 games.

The second season was held at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas where another professional, Ken Einiger came away with the increased $250,000 prize. The show is annually hosted by blackjack hall of fame member Max Rubin and Matt Vasgersian. In the last season Ben Mezrich and John Fugelsang were also added.

Other televised blackjack tournaments include:

• King of Las Vegas (aired winter-spring 2006)
• The Ultimate Blackjack Tour (10 week tournament fall 2006)
• Celebrity Blackjack (has been on the air for 3 seasons from 2004 – 2007 and is expected to be renewed)

The Las Vegas Hilton Million-Dollar Tournament

Held every May, it’s the world’s most prestigious blackjack event with a grand prize of, what else, a million bucks. Not bad for a $1,000 entry fee. But before you can jump into the final high stakes game, you’ll go through the qualifiers. Most high stakes tournaments have several weeks of qualifying games before the final players get to take a shot at the big prize.

Open vs Invitational Tournaments

Once you dig in a little deeper to the world of Blackjack tournaments it quickly becomes clear that it’s a whole new world filled with personalities, rules and an expanding universe of venues beyond Las Vegas and Atlantic City. New casinos open up or expand their blackjack offerings constantly as online blackjack and recent television specials have skyrocketed the profile of the game. Once you’ve cut your teeth enough to jump into a casino tournament, you’ll have a great time. But the truly big league tournaments are often by invitation only to well-known professional blackjack players who make the tournament director’s cut. Thankfully there are also many prestigious high stakes tournaments that are open to players who are daring enough and come prepared with the required entry fee that can be as high as $10,000.

The Most Prestigious Casino Blackjack Tournaments

From July – December 2010

We’ve compiled a list of the most important upcoming casino blackjack tournaments in the US. These are often high stakes but not all of them require an entry fee. While most are located in Las Vegas or Atlantic City there are several outstanding tournaments held in Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

Jul 26 to Jul 27 Open
Gold Strike Tunica (Robinsonville, MS)
$35,000 After Hours Blackjack Tournament
$100 entry fee, $50 re-entry. $35,000 prize pool. 1st=$17,500

The first place prize in this After Hours tournament at the Gold Strike in Tunica is paid out in two parts: $5000 in cash and 12,500 in promo chips. The rest of the prizes are all promo chips. The prize pool is based on 350 entries, and while the $5000 cash for first place is guaranteed, other prizes may be decreased if fewer people sign up.

Jul 30 to Aug 1 Open
Fitz Tunica (Robinsonville, MS)
Win Your Table Blackjack Tournament VII
$300.00 entry fee, $150.00 reentry. 1st=$20,000.00

This weekend event serves up a $2,500 bank roll per round for a modest $300 entry fee. Two re-buys are offered to every player, and several wild cards will be available, including on the final table. 100% of entry fees and rebuys go into the prize pool. First place is $20,000 guaranteed, while other prizes (to 7th place) are pot percentages.

Aug 5 to Aug 7 Invitational
Beau Rivage (Biloxi, MS)
Luck be a Lady $100K Blackjack Tournament
$0.00 entry fee. $100,000 prize pool. 1st=$50,000.00

This free invitational blackjack tournament will be played elimination style. The $50,000 first place prize will be paid out half in cash, half in casino promo chips. The remaining prizes are paid entirely in promo chips. For information on how to gain a seat in this big event, please contact Beau Rivage directly.

Aug 6 to Aug 8 Open
Gold Strike Tunica (Robinsonville, MS)
So You Think You Can Play $50,000 Blackjack Tournament
$250.00 entry fee, $125.00 reentry. $50,000 prize pool. 1st=$25,000.00

This high stakes open tournament is played out of a six-deck shoe, with table limits of $500 to $10,000 in $500 increments. All prizes are half cash and half one-time-use TablePlay “dollars”.  Each round consists of 25 hands with count down after the 20th, and bankroll is $25,000 per round.

Aug 13 to Aug 15 Open
Cannery Casino (North Las Vegas, NV)
Cannery Casinos $75000 Invitational Blackjack Tournament
$0.00 entry fee. $75,000 prize pool

Qualification for this event takes place at Cannery, Eastside Cannery, or Rampart. Entrants receive free entry and room (2 nights). The tournament format and full prize structure have not yet been announced, but it is known that the prize pool is fixed at $75,000.

Aug 20 to Aug 22 Open
Kewadin Casino St Ignace (St Ignace, MI)
Blackjack Blowout
$250.00 entry fee, $100.00 reentry. $30,000 prize pool. 1st=$12,000.00

Buy-in to this open event drops to $200 if two players share a room. Fee includes hotel and tournament entry, meals, freeplay slot tokens, and free cash for four consecutive hours of table play. All participants also receive gifts.  Prize pool is $30,000 guaranteed, and players must make it to the final table to cash.

Aug 21 to Aug 22 Open
Quechan Casino (Winterhaven, CA)
Main Event Blackjack Tournament
$250.00 entry fee, $125.00 reentry. $50,000 prize pool. 1st=$20,000.00

This 12 table elimination style tournament has a max of 432 players. Up to four rebuys will be offered as long as seats are available. Wild card drawings will be offered throughout the weekend. The top 24 finishers will be paid with a first place prize of $20,000 taking the lead. Free entries can be earned; contact the casino for full details.

Aug 27 to Aug 29 Open
Golden Nugget (Las Vegas, NV)
$100K Bada Bing Blackjack Tournament
$500.00 entry fee, $500.00 reentry. $100,000 prize pool. 1st=$50,000.00

Not much has been announced about this event other than the dates and the prize pool, but judging from past events at the Golden Nugget, it will probably be a $500 entry, $500 reentry, and $500 Super rebuy table elimination event. Prizes are paid through 26th place with $50,000 going to the first place winner. All prizes are cash.

Sep 1 Open
Niagara Fallsview Casino (Niagara Falls, ON)
Blackjack 21 Tournament
$250.00 entry fee. $41,750 prize pool. 1st=$25,000.00

Games will be played out of an 8-deck shoe. Qualifying and Semi Finals run with a $2000 bankroll, $25 min, $500 max. Final table will be $5000 bankroll, $100 min, $2500 max. Rebuys may be available ($250) depending on capacity. Small chip increments ($2.50) offer precise betting. All prizes are paid in cash (Canadian Dollars).

Sep 16 to Sep 18 Open
Las Vegas Hilton (Las Vegas, NV)
$100,000 Blackjack Tournament
$0.00 entry fee. $100,000 prize pool. 1st=$50,000.00

All participants in this elimination style blackjack tournament play with a $5,000 bankroll. Though this is an open event, players must qualify by receiving a suited blackjack in live play with a $10 or more bet up to one day before event begins. Players with a history at the Hilton will receive comped rooms. The event may see up to 1,000 players so competition will be stiff.

Sep 24 to Sep 25 Invitational
Monte Carlo (Las Vegas, NV)
Monte Carlo Series
$0.00 entry fee, $500.00 reentry. $50,000 prize pool. 1st=$25,000.00

Players who qualify for this $50,000 invitational blackjack tournament will receive full entry plus room and board. The tournament is limited to 96 participants. A Mulligan card is available for $100. All prizes are paid in promo chips, and the top 24 finishers receive an invitation to the $100,000 November finals.

Oct 1 to Oct 3 Open
Kewadin Casino St Ignace (St Ignace, MI)
Blackjack Blowout
$250.00 entry fee, $100.00 reentry. $30,000 prize pool. 1st=$12,000.00

Buy-in to this open event drops to $200 if two players share a room. Fee includes hotel and tournament entry, meals, freeplay slot tokens, and free cash for four consecutive hours of table play. All participants also receive gifts.  Prize pool is $30,000 guaranteed, and players must make it to the final table to cash.

Oct 8 to Oct 9 Invitational
Treasure Island (Las Vegas, NV)
$50,000 Blackjack Tournament
$0.00 entry fee, $100.00 reentry. $50,000 prize pool. 1st=$25,000.00

Entry to this invitational blackjack event includes tournament fees, accommodation, and $100 in promo chips as a gift. The first place prize of $25,000 will be paid in cash, while all other prizes will be paid in “play till you lose” promo chips. Prizes are given to 30th place.

Nov 10 Open
Niagara Fallsview Casino (Niagara Falls, ON)
Blackjack 21 Tournament
$250.00 entry fee. $41,750 prize pool. 1st=$25,000.00

Games will be played out of an 8-deck shoe. Qualifying and Semi Finals run with a $2000 bankroll, $25 min, $500 max. Final table will be $5000 bankroll, $100 min, $2500 max. Rebuys may be available ($250) depending on capacity. Small chip increments ($2.50) offer precise betting. All prizes are paid in cash (Canadian Dollars).

Nov 12 to Nov 14 Open
Cactus Pete’s – Jackpot, NV
Blackjack Tournament
$200.00 entry fee, $100.00 reentry. $30,000 prize pool

$200 earns players a seat in this elimination style tournament. Room rates for participants are dropped to just $49 room rate, and app players get $30 food comp each day plus a welcome banquet Friday night. Bonus payouts include $100 for a 7-7-7 and $25 for a suited blackjack. A consolation prize draw will offer $200 prizes to 5 players who don’t make it to the semi finals.

Nov 19 to Nov 21 Open
Monte Carlo (Las Vegas, NV)
$200,000 Series Finals
$0.00 entry fee, $500.00 reentry. $100,000 prize pool. 1st=$100,000.00

Information is still scarce about this big event. Entry includes free entry and room. A Mulligan is available for $100.00. It is a winner takes all tournament paid out in “play till you lose” promo chips plus a luxury watch as a gift.

Dec 10 to Dec 11 Open
Treasure Island (Las Vegas, NV)
$150,000 Series Final Blackjack Tournament
$0.00 entry fee. $150,000 prize pool

So far only advance notice of dates has been given by the casino for this series final. The event will be limited to the six final table participants of the three 2010 qualification events, plus 30 guests invited from the casino for a total of 48 players. All prizes paid in “play till you lose” promo chips.

Dec 12 to Dec 14 Invitational
Las Vegas Hilton (Las Vegas, NV)
$125,000 Table Tournament Series Grand Finale
$0.00 entry fee. $125,000 prize pool

There are three ways to gain entry to this big event. Invitations will be offered to all players who made the final tables at any of the 2010 $100,000 Table Series Tournaments (including poker and craps). The top 100 earners of each of the 2010 $100K Tournament Series events will also be invited. Lastly, players can earn a seat through wild card draws. Rooms range from free to $55 depending on player history.