Blackjack Tournament Strategy Guide To Improve Your Game


With the regular casino table game of blackjack, it’s just the player versus the dealer. But blackjack tournaments are different, in that the player will be playing against other players sitting elbow to elbow at the game’s table. The same goes for online blackjack tournaments. Here at Blackackchamp.com, we thought it was about time to knock out a concise guide to blackjack tournament strategy, especially aimed at the novice blackjack gambler. Make sure you study both the strategies and the rules.

A Concise Blackjack Tournament Strategy Guide

If you’re a more competitive type of blackjack player and want to take part in blackjack tournaments, then we suggest you start by reading our Blackjack Strategy Guide. It’s chock-full of all the different things you need to keep in mind if you want to have a winning session at the blackjack table. When it comes to playing in a blackjack tournament it’s a very different experience than simply playing a few hands against the dealer. For one thing, you need to have an excellent understanding of all the different strategies available to have a chance of conquering the opposition. Today, we thought it’d be a good idea at Blackjackchamp.com to get together a concise blackjack tournament strategy guide.

We’ll try to cover all the things important you should consider before you start playing in your first blackjack tournament. This will be the same story whether you’re playing at a land-based casino or an online one, like 22Bet Casino. The gameplay and rules will remain the same. The major difference will come in the betting limits and bonuses, with online casinos being much more generous. Oh, and the fact that you can play anywhere and at any time by simply firing up your mobile phone!

Understanding Blackjack Tournaments

For the novice blackjack players amongst you, the main difference between playing regular blackjack and in a blackjack tournament is that in the former, you’re playing against the dealer. Whilst in a tournament you’ll be playing against other players.

blackjack tournament strategy guide
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This basic difference will require a different approach to your thinking when it comes to the gameplay. As a given, all tournament players, as well as the best online blackjack tournaments, will always start with a bankroll of the same size. At the same time, you’re required to play the same number of hands.

It’s About Winning Chips Not Hands

Remember that in a blackjack tournament the idea is not only to win individual hands. Of course, this is important, but the real goal is to win the most hands that leave you with the highest number of chips. That’s because, during many blackjack tournaments, there is an actual designated number of maximum hands that can be played. Also, you may well find that as the competition progresses, only the top two players from each level can advance to the next round.

A Blackjack Tournament Strategy Guide To Narrow The Field

This is simply because most blackjack tournaments start with a large field of players. These need to be shrunk down to a more manageable number. Therefore there are several different levels to go through. With each level leaving fewer players for the next round. That if you’re the last guy standing, then you’re going to receive a bigger portion of the prize. We should point out that in most blackjack tournaments all the runners-up do receive something.

Tournament Formats

There are several different blackjack tournament formats. For your blackjack strategies to work at that optimum, you need to know each one through and through.

blackjack tournament strategy guide
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Traditional Elimination

  • You play against the players at your table. The winners advance to the next round. Often allows a fee for the re-buy.

Accumulation/Non-Elimination

  • The players play against one another with the idea to win the most chips for each round. A leader board shows the score in real-time.

Tournament With Elimination

  • The player with the lowest chip count is eliminated in each round.

Sit’n’go

  • More often to be found in online casino rooms. The game starts after 6 players are sitting at the gaming table.

Mini Tournaments

  • Takes a day to finish. Only requires low entry fees.

Major

  • Known for their high entry fees designed for high rollers. Can take a longer time to complete the tournament. Often comes with a massive prize pool.

How To Play A Blackjack Tournament

Before you sign up or even make plans for a blackjack tournament, make sure that you know what you’re going to be getting into. It’s not quite the same as playing at an online casino like 22bet Casino.

blackjack tournament strategy guide
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There are so many different aspects to keep in mind. And this is where your online blackjack strategies and knowledge will come into play.

Blackjack Tournament Strategy Guide: Risk And Reward

You must always consider the risk versus reward aspect before you start placing any wagers at a blackjack tournament. After all, the general idea is to get the maximum value from every bet you make. We suggest that you take your time, and review and weigh the risk before you place any bet in the hope of a potential reward.

Similar Outcomes

One more interesting aspect of playing in blackjack tournaments is that different players may receive similar outcomes. This is simply due to the fact that all players are competing against the same blackjack dealer. To help nullify the possibility of this happening, then it’s a good idea to sometimes bet a little differently from the other players who are also sitting at your table.

Basic Blackjack Tournament Strategy Guide

Though it may sound harsh, we suggest that as a novice player, you don’t ever take a seat at the blackjack tournament unless you are already familiar with perfect blackjack strategies and the rules of the game.

blackjack tournament strategy guide
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For example, it’s very important that you know the ins and outs of when you should split. This knowledge is essential for all blackjack players. And you’ll find that it can save you and your bankroll in the long run.

Preserve Your Bankroll

And talking of your casino bankroll, it’s important to always consider the best ways of conserving your bankroll. This means you should avoid doing anything rash. For example, it’s a terrible idea to go all-in, simply because you could lose everything. Remember that when playing a blackjack tournament, it’s not the winning of each round that’s important. It’s the person who ends up with the most chips. With this in mind, you must always consider the risk vs reward every time you play a card.

Blackjack Tournament Strategy Guide: Top Blackjack Tips

Using this blackjack tournament strategy guide, we’ve also compiled some additional blackjack tournament tips that can be helpful to you in the long run. By implementing some of these, you can save yourself some trouble down the road.

Read The Rules Of The Tournament

  • Determine equity — You want a tournament where the fees are returned as prize money.
  • Don’t break the basic blackjack rules — Please don’t make string bets. Also, it’s considered a bad form to talk to observers. Either of these can get you disqualified.

What You Need To Learn

If you guys are going to be playing in a blackjack tournament with other players, then it’s important to learn certain skills which will stand you in good stead as the game proceeds.

blackjack tournament strategy guide
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Probably one of the most important of these is that you need to be able to keep track of the chips that the other players are accruing. It’s essential to know this otherwise you will not know how much you need to bet to stay in the game. So you must keep tabs on the size of their bankroll. 

Always Be The Last To Bet

As a basic tip from Blackjackchamp.com, we always suggest that you always bet last in the round. It’s going to be much more advantageous for you if you’re able to see exactly how the other players are playing. Whatever you do, never better early. Many novice players think that by betting early they are somehow taking charge of the game. But in fact, it’s the opposite way around. By betting late, you’ll have a much better idea of the direction the game is traveling in. Remember that you’re in this for the long term. Not simply for a short-term profit.

Keep An Eye On Betting Size

Another very important factor is going to be the size of your wagers. You should always remember exactly when you are betting. By this, we mean whether you’re going to be betting early or late about when the other players have to place their bets. You find this will make a huge difference to your odds as the tournaments go on for longer periods.

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Don’t Be Afraid To Fold

A final piece of advice is about the decisions you’ll need to make when faced with a difficult hand. As a novice player, we always suggest that if you have any doubts whatsoever, then you should simply fold. Keep in mind that it’s equally likely that other players will also have similar hands. If the dealer has a blackjack, then you’re all going to be in trouble. And you’re all going to lose your wagers. We recommend the best gambling site for blackjack as being 22Bet Casino. They have every variety of blackjack under the sun. Even more, they offer all new players a great sign-up bonus of 100% up to €300!