Blackjack Articles
Blackjack Tournaments: Increasing the Thrill of the Game
A blackjack tournament extends the game to other players aside from you and the house. Blackjack tournaments are often held to attract more players into the house, be it an online blackjack tournament or one that's held in regular casinos. Some people actually like the tournament version because of the added thrill of"competition" between other players.
Difference between Regular Blackjack and Blackjack Tournament
There are a few differences between a regular Blackjack game and a Blackjack tournament, which of course, you have to be fully aware of before you join one.
How It Works
Blackjack tournaments begin with several tables with players all starting off with the same value of bankroll or bet. The reason for this is that the winner is determined according to the amount he or she has won. Of course, the one who has won the most money in the table wins. As the game begins, each player is allowed to play either for a specific and standard duration of time or a standard number of hands. At the end of the allotted time or after all the hands have been dealt, the winners are determined. All winners from each table will compete with each other for another round and the same process of eliminations is followed until only one player is left to get the top prize. Depending on the house you're playing in, some variations or custom set of rules may be applied. Also, the prize differs between every Blackjack tournament.
Some of these tournaments are invitational and some are held especially for loyal players. For other Blackjack tournaments you wish to join, you may have to pay a fee, like a registration fee, and depending on the house, the amount differs. There are also Blackjack tournaments that give back all the entry fees as the prize, which is preferred by a lot of people.
Things to Consider Before Joining a Blackjack Tournament
- First of all, you have to assess yourself. Are you ready to join a blackjack tournament? Although most blackjack tournaments don't chose who can't play (except for the invitational ones), it's up to you to decide whether you're ready for the game.
- Make sure you have all the time you need to spend for the tournament as blackjack tournaments tend to take days to finish. With more tables, you can expect to play in more elimination rounds. Now this is one aspect you should look into especially when there is no entrance fee to the tournament. Free tournaments often give out less money as prizes compared to the ones where you need to pay to join the tournament. Having this possibility, try to find out the actual prize money and see if it is worth all the time you will be spending once you have joined.
- Tournaments have different set of rules. It is advisable for you to find out as much as you can about the rules so that you can assess whether it's a good blackjack tournament to join or not.
- How much do you need to join the tournament? Always consider the amount of money involved. Assess your funds and ask yourself if you can afford to join the tournament.
- Before joining an actual Blackjack tournament, try joining those that casinos hold as fun tournaments. The entrance fees are very cheap and it won't break your heart too much if you lose. This is actually a good way to get started and to be exposed to how everything in the tournament works. With these, you should be able to at least have some idea of what to expect in the real, big-time tournaments.
Helpful Tips
- Obviously, since it is called a blackjack tournament, the main thing is to win. This means that one has to play just a bit more aggressively and competitively and at the same time keeping in mind that a certain amount of control to ensure you will not be making impulsive and less efficient decisions for your moves. Be a tad bolder in making your decisions.
- Most tournaments will not give you a take home if you don't get to the second round. So the best thing to do is to give it all you've got instead of being too conservative and lose all chances of getting to the next round.
- When you're far behind and the round is almost over, put some kick into your play and try your best to catch up. On the other hand, if you're leading, you can play a bit more conservatively in order to protect your winnings.
- Other people believe that betting the opposite of what other players bet would work for them. This means that if the players are betting big, you bet small, and vice versa. If things go well, this strategy should be able to help you catch up with those ahead of you.
- Before getting into a tourney, try as much as possible to know by heart the basic blackjack strategies and maybe you can even learn to count cards. Remember to always come to a tournament armed with a strategy or two.
- If you cannot find the information you need on this page, BJTournaments.com is a website dedicated to the blackjack tournaments, offering the articles on variaties of tournament, how to play and winning strategies.
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