Blackjack Tournament Strategy

In a normal Blackjack Tournament, a player plays on a table consisting 6 to 9 players. The tournament consists of several rounds and at the end of each round one or two players from each table advances to the next round. At the start of each round every player is given a set number of chips, and at the end of that round the player with the highest number of chips will advance to the next round and so on. In a normal round, there are 15 to 30 passes. In some games, there is no dealer and a button, like in poker, represents the new dealer. The format of most tournaments, either at an online casino or land casino, is that they have three or five elimination rounds. In the first three rounds the 2 players with the highest stack of chips from each table, which consists of 6 players, advances to the next round. In the second round only 1 player from a table of 8 advances to the next round and then comes the final round.

When blackjack tournaments first started it was believed by players that the bigger the bet someone placed, the further they would advance in the tournament. There was success with this strategy but most people lost out early. To eliminate or reduce the risks during the elimination rounds, one must bet small; therefore, the greater the chance one could advance within the tournament. Sound advice but remember that the object of any tourney, let alone a blackjack tournament, is to advance as much as possible into the next rounds. No one wins or advances by playing conservatively so be prepared to push to succeed or bust in trying.

Now people are advised to play cautiously at the start of any round and watch how other players are playing. Start with smaller bets and then place higher bets when needed. Always be careful of your position before betting since any table could consist of a mix of aggressive and submissive players, then place your bet accordingly.

A player should always bet enough to emerge as the leader. Once a player is in the leader position, it is recommended not to play the minimum bet as it will allow the other players to overtake you. An exception would be when a player is ahead, go with the flow. Relax and play more conservatively so you don’t bet big then lose and allow other players to catch up. If a player is trailing in a round and finds that the leader has made a small bet, they should take the risk and lay the maximum bet to overcome the leader. It’s one of the riskier blackjack tournament moves but the payoff can be substantial let alone becoming the blackjack tournament table leader.

Remember, when starting out, that it’s always best to start practicing at the local casino and move on up to bigger blackjack tournaments once you have the experience.