Many modern online casinos allow customers to participate in blackjack tournaments. Perhaps, they are not as frequent as events on the video slots, but they are also prevalent among fans of this game.
We want to tell you about these tournaments and give some general recommendations to improve your chances of winning. Being one of the winners will be much easier if you do not just play according to the basic strategy but also act depending on the situation, which is especially important when choosing the size of bets.
You must understand that in blackjack tournaments you play against other casino customers, and not against the house, and it often requires decision-making, atypical for normal gameplay in blackjack.
But first things first.
Types of Blackjack Tournaments
The general principles of blackjack tournaments are the following:
- All participants make entry fees and receive the same number of gaming chips.
- They get either a fixed time or a certain number of hands at each competition stage.
- The winner is the participant with the biggest number of chips at the end of the round.
In this case, if the tournament consists of several rounds, the winners of each stage can be determined at individual tables or among all players. In other words, in the first case, the finalists are, for example, one participant from each table and the second player who is the most successful of all casino customers participating in the blackjack tournament.
According to the rules of most tournaments, entry fees are paid by participants. The total prize pool is divided between several winners.
We recommend you calculate the real winning, and many casinos allocate prizes. Some casinos are too greedy and take a large part of contributions collected as payment for hosting the tournament. If players do not get additional benefits, it is better not to participate in it because the Internet constantly holds a lot of tournaments where all contributions go to the prize pool.
Strategy for Blackjack Tournaments
As we mentioned above, in playing a blackjack tournament, you will often have to make decisions contrary to the recommendations of the optimal strategy.
This is due to the fact that in a normal game you are focused on the long run results. At a tournament, you do not have much time.
For example, if the round is almost finished, and you lose to a leader, whether it makes sense to continue? Of course not. Another minute or two, and you'll find yourself behind the tournament. If not, you get some crazy hand that can significantly increase your bankroll.
Do not forget that you're playing with tournament chips that will disappear as soon as the tournament ends. They do not have real value. Therefore, they should be protected only up to a point, but there is no sense in trying to save them in many situations.
You should also remember that every opponent at the table plays against the same dealer.
This means that your opponents will often win and lose simultaneously. For example, if the dealer busts, all players receive payments, and most of your bets lose if he has a blackjack.
Accordingly, you do not always have to be pleased with twenty-two of the dealer or upset at his blackjack.
It also means that competition is often successful in handling bets. Since counting cards does not work, you have to change bets based on your position at the table of winners. You usually have to rely on luck because, in some situations, no one will help you except it.
You should also analyze your opponents playing style.
They may be cautious or play aggressively. Of course, getting involved in the war at large bets in the early rounds is stupid, but you need to monitor what is happening to keep up.
The closer you are to the end, the more critical it is to guess the size of the bet. If you are among the leaders, you probably should not risk too. But if you are away from the winners, hurry to bring in the heavy artillery battle; otherwise, you can not win them.
Many regular blackjack tournament players have elementary tactics. They begin with the average rates, hoping on their size, based on the number and length of tournament chips. They watch opponents' progress during the game and raise bets when they have to catch up with the leaders.
Practical Tips for BJ Tournaments
Now we will try to summarize the above with a few practical tips. So it will be easier to use them in a blackjack tournament.
- At the beginning of the tournament, do not correlate your actions with the achievements of rivals. The less experience you have in contesting, the more aggressive you should play.
- In the early rounds, it makes no sense to change bets significantly.
- The last few hands are the most important ones. If you chase the leaders, increase your bet every time they succeed.
- When trying to catch the leaders, never give up on doubles and splits, even if the basic strategy recommends it.
- Moreover, it makes sense to double down and split cards at every opportunity in the last rounds.
- Being in the lead towards the end of the tournament, watch other players and react corresponding to changes in bets.
We hope our tips for participation in blackjack tournaments will help you achieve positive results.
Conclusion
Some people say that blackjack tournaments require theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the game. It is essential to make the right decisions depending on the situation, not be afraid to make a mistake (they are unavoidable) and be able to take the risk.
Moreover, if you regularly participate in blackjack tournaments, accept the idea that the strongest player does not always win.
The role of luck in such events is also huge.