Ready to unleash your inner card shark and dominate blackjack tournaments? Get ready to stack the odds in your favor with this ultimate guide.
Conquer the tables and secure those lucrative wins with Peter Nairn, as he takes you through all the essentials of blackjack tournaments:
When you play regular blackjack in a casino, you play against the house represented by the dealer. All the players at the table want to beat the dealer, and the object is to make as much money as possible.
In a tournament, the players buy in for a set amount and, in return, receive a defined amount of (usually) non-value tournament chips.
The game is played over several rounds, and the players are all playing against each other, so the goal is slightly different. The object is to have the most chips at the end of each round so you qualify for the next round.
The Different Types of Tournaments
There are several other formats for blackjack tournaments.
The most common format is the basic elimination format, where one or two players advance to the finals after each of several rounds.
There is also the elimination by hand count format, the live money format, the sit ‘n’ go, the accumulation format, the mini-tournament, and of course, there are the major events offered by the large land-based casinos.
More on these different formats later in ‘Understanding the Tournament Format’.
The Appeal of Blackjack Tournaments
Tournaments can be a lot of fun. You can play for a few hours with a minimal stake, which allows you time to eat between rounds and play a bit of regular blackjack while waiting for your round to begin, and perhaps the best part is you can socialize with other players with the same interests as you.
That was the case at the Lady Luck.
Many players were locals, making it a fun bi-weekly social evening to hang out with their friends.
And, of course, the other plus is that you can make a lot of money with a minimal buy-in, especially if the other players aren’t very experienced at playing tournaments.
Don’t worry if your opponents are good blackjack players because playing in tournaments is a different skill set.
When I first moved to Las Vegas from the Bahamas, I had been dealing craps for years, but I was also a strong blackjack dealer, although I had never dealt a blackjack tournament. I got my first job downtown as a dealer at the Lady Luck, and blackjack tournaments were something out of the ordinary for me. Still, I quickly found out that they attracted a lot of players and some extraordinary characters to Lady Luck and across town generally.
One guy owned the only bar with a liquor license right on the border of two dry counties. He always wore a cowboy hat with a hatband of Lady Luck $100 chips.
Fun times . . .
On my first night at work, I watched my first tournament being hosted by ‘Tom’, a silver-haired gentleman I got to know later and discovered he was a cultured and classy gentleman, who shared some of his insights into tournament play with me.
His assistant, Mary, was a floor person at the casino. I’d never met anyone like her before, and she ticked all the boxes for a redhead from Texas!
After I watched the first round, they had me tap onto one of the tournament tables to deal. It was a lot of fun for the players and had some different rules to regular blackjack.
Tournaments can be an opportunity to win a lot of money if you understand how tournaments work, what strategies to employ, and that the goals of playing in a tournament aren’t the same as in a regular blackjack game.
As I watched, sometimes I would see a good player ‘send it in’ (i.e. make a huge bet) in a situation that didn’t warrant it. I quickly came to realize that tournaments are a very different game from regular blackjack.
Keep in mind
It’s such a different game that you may often find yourself doing the exact opposite of what you would do in regular blackjack.
Let’s begin with the rules.
There are a set number of hands, the players must bet in a specific order, and the order changes as the dealer button moves around the table.
There are rules governing minimums and maximums, and there must be transparency as to chip counts during the round, particularly during the last few hands.
Below are the rules for a World Series of Blackjack tournament, which was held in the early 2000s
- Players start the match with $100,000 in chips;
- Minimum bets begin at $1,000; maximum bet is capped at $50,000;
- The shoe contains six decks;
- The shoe contains two “knockout cards.” After a knockout card is drawn, whoever holds the fewest chips following the next hand is eliminated;
- Once the first knockout card has been dealt, minimum bets rise to $2,500; the minimum climbs to $5,000 after the second knockout card;
- Splitting, doubling down, and insurance are all permitted for less than the original bet;
- Double downs are allowed on any two cards;
- Players can surrender by conceding half of their bet and forfeiting their cards;
- Players who lack the chips needed to make the minimum bet are eliminated;
- Players receive 3 to 2 on their bet for making blackjack;
- Dealer stands on all soft and hard 17s and higher;
- Following 30 completed hands, the player with the highest chip count wins the match.
As you can see, there are some very unusual rules, so it’s essential to know them before the first card is dealt with.
The Structure of Blackjack Tournaments
Here is a typical structure of a mid-level Blackjack Tournament.
Let’s say it’s a tournament dealt from a 6-deck shoe.
There are a set number of hands, and the dealer keeps track of the hands that have been dealt by marking each hand with a lammer in the chip tray.
Each player bets in order.
The amount bet cannot be changed once it is in the betting circle, and betting needs to be done with one positive move into the betting area. No ‘installment plan bets’ are allowed.
Let’s say each round has 15 hands. After 10 hands, there is a countdown of the chips that each player has in front of them, and then again, after 14 hands, there is another countdown.
After the 15th hand, there is a final countdown, and the winner(s) of the round are identified.
Typically one or two players from each table advance to the next round.
There is an opportunity for the players who didn’t advance to rebuy into the tournament for the first two or three rounds.
Sometimes there is also one reserved spot at the final table, and the names of the non-qualifying players who didn’t make the final table are entered into a drawing, the winner of which is given the reserved seat at the final table.
Fun Fact
The casino has that drawing to give away the last seat at the final table to encourage the players who have yet to make the final table to stay and see if their name is drawn.
Why would the casino want to do that?
Because everyone playing in the tournament loves to play blackjack, what will they do while waiting for the drawing to take place?
That’s right. They will play for money on a live blackjack game.
Which is good for the casino’s business.
| Tournament Blackjack | Regular Blackjack |
| Everyone plays against each other, and the dealer | Everyone plays against the dealer |
| Sometimes you want the dealer to beat the table | You never want the dealer to win |
| You can only lose your buy-in amount | You could lose everything in your bank account |
| Nobody cares if you’re counting cards or deviating from Basic Strategy because many of your opponents have no clue what that looks like. And sometimes, your strategy will be the exact opposite of what a card counter may do | Basic Strategy is good, and counting cards is better, but you may be asked to leave |
| You might win 20x or more your buy-in | Unusual to win more than 2x your buy-in |
| You can do much better if you learn how to win blackjack tournaments | You can do better if you know how to count cards |
| The goal is to have more chips than the other players at the end of the round | The goal is to win as much money as possible |
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Sit ‘N’ Go tournaments are popular online tournaments (and they’re pretty popular in California's bricks and mortar card rooms, too).
There are usually fewer than 8 players, and they are available continuously.
Online tournaments have a distinct advantage over land-based tournaments because you can see exactly what the other players have for the event duration.
Now, you may be wondering how to join a Blackjack tournament. It depends, but here are the general rules of entering:
Land-Based Tournaments
There are a couple of ways to enter Blackjack tournaments in a land-based casino, depending on the size of the tournament.
The first way is for a small event that will take three or four hours.
Simply go to the Table Games pit and ask where the sign-up is.
There is an entry fee, and you are issued a set amount of tournament chips. All the players get the same amount of chips to start.
And here’s the first ‘this would be good’ point.
If there is an early-entry discount, try to ensure you get it. If you can play in the tournament for $75, and everyone else is paying $100, you’ve already increased your ROI (return on investment).
And then there is a choice to be made.
The buy in may include a gratuity for the tournament dealers. As I’m sure you know, most of the dealers' wages come from their tips.
In a tournament, dealers work three or four hours dealing the tournament, and there is usually no tipping except perhaps for the final round, when the winner(s) may tip.
One solution we used to have, which is fair for the dealers and fair for the players, is to offer an extra amount of chips for the players if they increase their buy in.
For example, the tournament buy in is $50; the player receives $1,000 in tournament chips.
If the player buys in for an additional $20 (which goes to the dealers), they receive $1,500 in tournament chips right at the beginning.
I’ve never seen a player balk, and they all buy-in for the immediate 50% bump they get in their chip stack for spending the extra $20.
Some tournaments don’t have an entry fee, and that’s called ‘a free roll tournament’. The casino puts up the prize money from the anticipated extra win they will experience from all the players being in the casino for the duration of the tournament.
The second way is to be invited to play in a major tournament.
These are typically reserved for the casino’s high rollers.
The player’s host will let them know that a tournament is coming up, and the player is invited to play.
Some tournaments for high-end players are free to enter; many require a buy-in.
The format may be over a weekend or even longer.
Prizes for this type of tournament can be huge - $50,000 or $100,000 or more are not unusual.
Online Tournaments
It’s straightforward to play in an online blackjack tournament. The first step is to join an online casino site that hosts tournaments.
You create your account and go to the cashier page to deposit money into your account.
There are a few ways to deposit money, so choose the best option.
There will be a list of tournament events that you can choose from, so first, read the rules of each before you enter.
It’s important to know the rules before you enter. For example, in some tournaments, blackjack pays 2 to 1; in others, perhaps the minimum bet is increased after every 5 hands.
Or both.
Pro tip
Read the rules before you enter the tournament.
Here are some tips for entering tournaments:
- Check the cost to enter, the elimination rules, the prize money and how it’s distributed, the betting limits, and so on.
- Pick out the one that looks the best to you.
- Pay the fee to enter the tournament. Some online sites offer free tournaments, and you will find various entry fees to fit your budget.
- Generally, the Mini-Tournaments and the Sit-n-Go’s cost less to enter. Consequently, their prize structure is less.
- Having a strategy card in front of you when playing is okay to ensure you make the best blackjack decisions.
- Then jump in the game and have fun.
You should read this article several times on how to be a great tournament player before playing.
Pro tip
As a beginner, choose the tournament that doesn’t cost a lot until you get familiar and comfortable with how they work.
All tournaments are different, and depending on your style and budget, you may want to join certain ones, while avoiding others.
What is tournament equity?
The tournament's entry fees make up the prize pool the players are competing for, and the best tournaments return 100% of the fees to the players as prize money.
This is called equity.
Let’s say there are 100 players who all pay $50 to enter.
That’s a total of $5,000. If the prizes total $5,000, that’s 100% equity.
But also be aware that players knocked out in the beginning rounds will rebuy into the tournament, so the actual prize pool should be more significant.
Sometimes it’s more than 100% of the prize pool as the casino adds money to the pool.
On the other hand, sometimes the casino doesn’t pay out 100% of the entry fees in the pool.
For example, in a big tournament at a land-based casino, the casino may offer free rooms, comped food and beverage, and possibly even travel expenses, so they all become part of the equation.
I’m sure in the Hilton Million Dollar tournaments, all those perks were available to some, if not all, of the players.
Generally, however, you should avoid tournaments that don’t return 100% of the entry fees.
Know the rules
To answer the question ‘how do blackjack tournaments work,’ it’s essential to read the rules.
Not knowing that (for example) a blackjack pays 2 to 1 can cause you to lose and get eliminated.
Ensure you know the minimum and maximum bets, how many hands are played in each round, when there is a chip countdown (there may be more than one), if surrender is allowed, and so on.
If anything is unclear to you, clarify with the folks running the tournament before dealing the first hand.
Be careful with this rule
Make sure you prepare your bet away from the betting area and put the entire amount into the betting area in one motion. Don’t count the chips as you drop them into the betting area; this may be seen as violating the rules. Better to be safe than sorry about that.
A general observation about the rules
If the rules are a bit hard-core, there is usually a significant amount of money involved, so be vigilant about possibly breaking the rules.
During my first tournament dealing experience at the Lady Luck, an Iranian guy made the final table.
He had entered the tournament with a friend, who had been eliminated.
At the beginning of the first round, as he placed his bet for the first hand, his friend gave him what he said was an Iranian ‘good luck’ sign.
It’s a circle formed by the thumb and first finger, with the other three fingers spread out. I’m sure you’ve seen it before.
One of the other players at the table complained that he was getting information about how much to bet from his friend.
Eventually, we sorted it out, and he was allowed to continue, but that’s an example of how picky it can get.
The format is essential when it comes to choosing the best tournament for you. Here are the most common ones:
Basic Elimination Format
The most common tournament format is the Elimination format.
Usually, there are many players, and the casino has reserved a few of their tables for the tournament, with most of them open for the other regular blackjack business.
This means that the first round may take up all the tables, and there may be two or even three ‘sittings’ for the first round.
Usually, two players from each table qualify for the next round, with the remaining players eliminated.
Those eliminated players often re-enter the tournament by paying the entry fee again and playing at one of the second or third ‘sitting’ first-round tables.
At the beginning of each new round, the players start with the same amount of tournament chips.
In the ‘Elimination’ format based on the ‘Ultimate Blackjack Tour,’ the player with the least amount of chips is eliminated after the 8th, 16th, and 25th hand of a 30-hand tournament.
There may also be a ‘knockout card’ in the shoe, and when it appears, whoever has the lowest chip count at the end of the next hand is eliminated.
There may be more than one knockout card in the shoe.
There may also be a ‘secret bet’ round, where players secretly write down their bet and play out the hand. After the hand is over, the amount each player bet is revealed to the other players.
There are a lot of possible rules that you must be aware of before the tournament begins.
Important
Make sure you read the rules before you sign up for any tournament.
Live Money Format
Instead of using non-value tournament chips, each player buys real casino value chips and plays with those value chips. So if you decide to make a $500 bet, it’s $500 of your own money.
Sit-And-Go Format
This is a standard format for online sites, and I’ve seen a few held in person in the Card Rooms of California.
Once there are six interested players, they run the tournament with a ‘winner-takes-all’ prize structure.
They are often available on a ‘once we have six players’ timetable, so they can be available continuously all day.
Accumulation Format
All the players play until the end of the tournament. The object of the tournament is to have the most chips at the end of the last round.
A larger tournament of this type will have a leaderboard that tracks the players' standings.
Mini-Tournaments
These usually last a few hours and never extend beyond one day.
Major Events
A significant tournament can last two or three days, usually over a weekend or a three-day weekend, and sometimes even longer at a major land-based casino. There may be a significant buy-in, and the prizes can be huge. The Hilton Million Dollar Tournament in Las Vegas is an example.
While you need to be able to play good Basic Strategy, and counting cards is always a help (and by the way, nobody cares if you’re counting cards in a tournament!), it may be that you will find yourself having to deliberately AVOID playing Basic Strategy sometimes, and NOT follow the count sometimes, too.
The most crucial strategy is outsmarting the other players by being better at playing tournaments than they are.
Knowing how much to bet, when to bet it, when to lay low, when to ‘send it in’ with a big bet, when to hit a hard 13 (or even worse, when to double down with a hard 13!) against a dealer 5 (and yes, at some point you may love the idea of doing it), and when to double down for less are all good things to know in a tournament.
Learn these skills to do well in blackjack tournaments
This may not seem like a big deal to you, but trust me, it is.
Important
Learning to estimate and track how much each player has before him is a critical skill.
If you can’t do it quickly and accurately, it’s worthwhile to go to your local gambling store (or online) and buy some stacks of chips so you can practice.
It’s definitely time well spent!
If you don’t want to buy them outright, you can also go to your local casino, get their chips, and take them home to practice.
Once you have a good handle on estimating players chip stacks, you can take the casino chips back and redeem them to get your money back.
You must learn how to cover.
What is that? Well, it’s also called correlate.
In my 20s, I used to race small sailboats competitively.
I even sailed in a world championship.
The tournament format consisted of five races, with the best three results going towards your overall score.
And when you were in the lead going into the final leg, it was standard practice to cover the boat(s) who might beat you, not in the current race, but in the overall big picture.
So any move they made, you followed it.
If they tacked to starboard on a wind shift, so did you. If they went wide out on the course, so did you. If they went against the current, so did you.
Cover was my friend, and cover I did.
It didn’t matter if someone else who couldn’t beat you won that last race as long as you covered your challenger.
And it’s the same in a blackjack tournament.
You must cover the guy who can beat you and be aware of, but not immediately concerned about, the guy who cannot.
Skills you must know to win a blackjack tournament
- Knowing that betting position is one of the most essential parts of winning a hand. Betting last is much stronger than betting first. Betting first or early puts you at a disadvantage.
- Never bet out of turn. Betting before you must reveal your strategy for that hand, giving your opponent an advantage.
- Being able to keep track of how much each of your opponents has in front of him. Before you decide how much to bet each hand, you need to know how much your opponents have.
- Mentally calculating how much your opponent’s chip count is going to be if he wins, loses, or pushes the current hand is a critical skill.
- Knowing Basic Strategy is essential, but more important is knowing when to ignore it and how to bet when you ignore it.
- Having the experience to know how you must bet so that no matter what happens in hand, you can improve your chip count relative to the other players.
- Knowing when to go for the high, the low, or simply to cover. Don’t know what these mean? Read on . . .
- Knowing when to do the exact opposite of what your opponent is doing, when to ignore the true count, and/or just bet the minimum.
Understanding the Importance of Betting Position
As soon as it is decided who gets the first hand, try to figure out where you will be betting on the last hand.
The recipient of the first hand can be chosen by the highest card drawn or by a dice roll etc.
The Dealer button is placed in that spot and moved clockwise around the table after every hand.
The person on the button bets first and then clockwise around the table.
If you are going to be betting first or early on the last hand, you should try to be ahead on the chip count because betting there is a disadvantage.
This is because the extra chips played from an early position are stronger in the final hand than those played later in the hand. Increasing your bet with those extra chips early increases the pressure on the guys betting later and negates their advantage by betting late or last.
The way to get ahead in the early hands is to be more aggressive to gain a chip count lead by the time you reach the last few hands.
It may be worth the extra risk to bet aggressively in the early rounds to have that extra ammunition for the later and last hands.
Be aware that if a player is eliminated before the final hand, the Dealer button position at the last hand will change, and so will yours.
Remember
The bigger threat is from the players on your left, not your right.
Why is that?
Because the player on your left will act after you most of the time, even with the dealer button moving around the table. This allows him to match or defend against any move you make most of the time.
You need to think of the table not as a kidney-shaped blackjack table but as a circle with a small gap where the dealer stands.
This means that the player at third base is to the right of the player playing first base.
If you’re behind the players on your left, make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to catch them with a big bet when they are on the button, so they cannot respond.
That opportunity won’t be there every hand.
Below, I will outline some of the essential strategies that you can include in your tournament gameplay:
What does ‘Go for The High’ mean?
It means you assume everyone will win their hand, and if they do, you have bet enough to ensure you will be in the lead.
What does ‘Go for The Low’ mean?
It means you have kept the right amount of chips ‘unbet’ so that if everyone loses their hand, including you, you will have the most chips and be in the lead. You must have at least one more dollar in unbet chips than your opponents to do that. If the dealer beats the table, taking all of your opponents ' large bets, you’re hoping your small bet will allow you to keep a higher total of chips.
What does ‘Play for a Swing’ mean?
This is where it gets more complicated.
This means that you try to increase your opportunity to win the hand by hitting a higher total than your opponent, generating a wider spread between your hand totals so that the dealer can land between you, giving you the win and beating your opponent.
Here’s an example of how that might work:
It’s the last hand.
You’re in second place, and the chip leader has $2,500. He bets $500, the max. You have $1,900. And you bet $500 as you must. The dealer has an up card of 6. Your opponent stands on his 17, and you have 18.
Basic Strategy says you must stand with your 18.
But that’s suicide because here are the possible outcomes:
- Dealer busts – you both win $500, but you lose the round by $600, $3,000 - $2,400
- Dealer gets 17 – you win $500, your opponent pushes, and you lose the round by $100, $2,500 to $2,400.
- Dealer gets 18 – you push, your opponent loses $500, and you lose the round by $100, $2,000 - $1,900.
- Dealer gets 19, 20, or 21 – you both lose $500, and your opponent wins by $600, $2,000 - $1,400.
So not only must you hit your 18 (yikes!), but you must double down (!) to make sure you have an opportunity to win.
If you don’t double down, you can’t win the hand because you don’t have enough money to ensure a win.
And at this point, it doesn’t matter if you lose by $100 or $600, so make sure you bet as much as you can when it’s not going to make a difference how much you lose by.
And yes, you’re right!
Often Basic Strategy goes straight out of the window!
What does “Correlate Your Bet” mean?
It means that you should cover your opponent(s) when you are in the lead.
So whatever they do, you do.
If you read my ‘here’s how you win a sailing race’ analogy earlier, that’s how it works.
Whenever you correlate (or cover) your opponent, whatever happens to them happens to you, and you and they maintain your relative position.
The Importance of Seat Position in Tournament Strategy
The players who bet last have a distinct advantage over the early bettors because they get to see what the players who bet early have done. It means that they can strategize and bet accordingly.
How and When to Make a "Catch-Up" Bet
Once the button has passed you and you are betting last is the time to make a catch-up bet.
Why?
Because the other players will not be able to respond as they’ve already made their bets once the button has passed you.
You must make several large bets, as a few small or medium bets won’t get you there.
Make sure you aren’t more than one maximum bet behind going into the last hand, as you won’t be able to bet enough to catch up, and also factor in the additional chips needed to split or double down on that last hand.
What is ‘Bet Opposite,’ and When Should I Do It?
One way to catch up is to do the exact opposite of what the leader does. If he bets big, you bet small. If he bets small, you bet big. What you’re hoping for is that by betting opposite, you can take advantage of both getting opposite results, allowing you to catch up.
Pro Tip
Once you get to the midpoint in the tournament, you need to think about making big bets if you need to catch up and ensure you’re not more than one maximum bet behind going into the last hand.
What is a ‘Free Hit’ in Tournament Blackjack?
A ‘Free Hit’ is when you can take a hit, and if you bust your hand, it’s no worse than if you stand.
This results from a somewhat rare and unusual combination of hands and possibilities, and it’s a bit complicated.
For example, the chip leader (CL) is leading by $150, has a hard 18, and stands.
He has bet $500, and you have bet $345, a difference of $155 (how much he’s ahead, plus $5)
Your hand is a hard 17.
If the dealer gets a 19, 20, or 21, you take the lead because the dealer beat you both, and the amount you bet, which was $5 more than CL’s advantage, means that when you deduct the amounts you both lost, you are now $5 in front.
So if the dealer beats CL, it doesn’t matter if you are still in the hand or not because either way, you will be in the lead.
So go ahead and hit your 17.
It doesn’t matter if you bust because if the dealer beats CL, you win even though you are no longer in hand.
On the other hand, if you take a hit on your 17 and make a hand of 19, 20, or 21, you will be much further in front than if you don’t take a hit and lose.
It is a long shot, but pulling it off puts you further in front than if you don’t even try it.
This is called a ‘free hit,’ a tactic that can win you a tournament.
While it is an unusual combination of events, you need to be aware of it.
The Power of Doubling for Less in Tournament Play
There are only two options for getting more money on the table after the cards are dealt; they are splitting and doubling down.
Splitting requires matching your initial bet with the same amount for the second or subsequent hand.
Doubling down doesn’t require you to match the initial bet, as you can bet less than the initial bet, and that’s where you may get an advantage over the other players.
It may be that you’ve bet the correct amount for the hand only to see the guy who is trailing you get a blackjack or an advantageous split.
Double down for less if that's the case. By doing so, you can bet enough to cover his advantage, but you don’t want to bet the full double down amount because it may be more than you want to put out there.
As I mentioned, the players to your left are more of a threat than those to your right.
So double down and split are more valuable in a tournament than in regular blackjack play because you can get more money on the table after the players to your left have made their initial bet.
When might you want to double down for less?
Let’s look at a possible example of how you might grab the lead by doubling down for less:
It’s near the end of the round, and you’re in second place, $100 behind the chip leader (CL) seated to your left.
There aren’t enough hands left to wait for the button to pass you, so you must make your move now.
You bet $150, and CL matches your bet behind you. You get a hard 13, and he has a hard 19. The dealer has a 5 up card.
Basic Strategy says you stand. But that’s not what you’re going to do.
CL won’t risk doubling down on a hard 19, but you might risk a double down on a 13 because if you win, you can overtake him.
You need to bet more than an additional $100 because that’s how much you’re trailing by.
You must bet at least the amount you’re trailing by, plus $1.
With a $150 initial bet, you could double down for $150, but you don’t want to do that because doubling on hard 13 is a risky play, and if you lose, it puts you further behind.
So you double down for less with a bet of $105.
There are a few things to consider before you make this play.
1. The most important is what is the maximum bet?
If it’s $200, you have a lot less wiggle room if it’s $1,000. With a $200 maximum bet, and if you lose the hand, it doesn’t leave you much of an opportunity to catch up, especially if there are only 3 hands left.
2. If you lose and CL wins, you are now $505 behind.
And with a $200 maximum bet and only 3 hands left, you’re in a hole.
3. But if the maximum bet is $1,000, you are in a better position to attack him and still win the round.
4. How much is your bankroll compared to his?
5. Do you have enough ammunition to bet to the maximum, probably more than once?
6. How many hands are left, and how many of those hands will he be betting behind you?
It’s essential to know to make the best decision for yourself. If he is betting after you for the remainder of the round, you may want to reconsider when you make a move like this.
Of course, with only 3 hands left, you don’t have much time to wait.
The blackjack tournament gods sometimes allow you to put your opponent on a fork.
That means he must choose between protecting against you winning or against the dealer winning. He can’t do both, and it works if your opponent has a high pair, for example, a pair of 9s.
If he has a high pair, ‘Put Him On The Fork.’
Here’s how that might look:
It’s the same tournament, the last hand, and CL is ahead by $150. You bet $350, and CL matches it. He gets a pair of 9s, and you have a 10. The dealer has a 7.
Your 10 against a dealer 7 is a solid Basic Strategy double down for you.
But again, you won’t double down for the full amount.
Why not?
Because if you do and draw a card that leaves you with less than 17, CL splits his 9s, stands on any hand of 12 or more, and you’re done.
Game over because whatever happens to your stiff hand will occur to his stiff hands, and you’re still behind by $150.
But what if you double down for less? Let’s say your additional double down bet is $160.
You’ve just put CL ‘on the fork’ because now he has to decide.
And that decision is - does he try to protect against a dealer win or against you winning?
If you win your double down and he doesn’t split his 9s, you win the round by $10 because the additional $160 you bet catches his $150 lead and leaves you an additional $10 in front.
And you win!
His other option is to split his 9s – and he must bet $350.
If the dealer beats him and you, you still win! Because now he’s lost $700, and you’ve lost $510, which means you have $40 more than he does.
And you win!
And you put him in this position by not doubling down for the total amount.
This is a powerful strategy when your opponent has a pair that he’s very uncomfortable doubling down on, and it doesn’t matter what card you get on your double down or what the dealer’s up card is.
It’s a beautiful thing!
What is the Half-Max-Bet to Win rule?
The ideal situation at the end of the tournament is to be slightly more than half of the maximum bet in front at the last one or two hands.
It can be as little as $10 more than half the maximum bet.
Because if you are, you can bet half of the maximum bet, and as long as you and your challenger have the same outcome, you are guaranteed to win the tournament.
Your challenger may be forced to double down on a hard 17 or some other risky strategy to allow himself to catch up, but apart from that, you’ll win.
The Rule of 2, 4, and 5: A Shortcut for Optimal Betting
When you’re behind the chip leader, and he’s betting after you, it puts you in a difficult spot because determining how much you should bet is often challenging.
What makes it even more of a challenge is that in a tournament setting, there is a time limit on how long you have to decide what you will bet.
To make things easier, Henry Tamburin, an excellent tournament player, devised a quick shortcut where you have a simple choice.
- 2X = To win with a double down over your opponent’s single bet win, just bet double the amount you are behind;
- 4X = To win with a blackjack over your opponent’s single bet win, bet four times the amount you are behind;
- 5X = To win with a double down, even if your opponent gets a blackjack, bet five times the amount you are behind.
If betting these amounts puts you in jeopardy with the other players, consider betting the lesser amount. So if 5X means you may be caught by another player other than the chip leader, consider betting 4X or 2X.
It may be that you can only bet 1X what you’re behind.
If that’s the case, bet that 1X and add another small amount, such as $1 or $5.
Counting cards? Sure, it’s good to know what’s left in the shoe, but don’t let that get in the way of making the right playing decision.
For example, if you’re behind and the shoe goes heavily negative, you still need to bet big to have a chance to catch up.
What may work in your favor if the other players are also counting?
Because with a negative shoe, they may not be comfortable betting large amounts.
The typical M.O. of a good card counter is that they’ve played many hours to get really good at counting cards, and their default setting after that much play is ‘bet big on the plus, and small on the minus.’
It may work to your advantage that they can’t get past that default setting in a tournament.
Understanding Dealer Outcome Probabilities
One of the best Blackjack tournament players in recent memory is Ken Smith. He has written good strategy books about playing Blackjack tournaments, and this chart, for a 6-deck shoe where the dealer hits a soft 17, is one of the several that he has written for optimal tournament play.
The dealer’s up card is across the top of the table, and the likely outcome hand is down the left-hand side of the table.
The likelihood of this outcome is expressed as a percentage in the table.
Curios what to expect at your first tournament?
You’re going to be nervous. That’s a given. Consequently, you’re going to make mistakes.
And when you do, you’ve got to let it go.
If you spend time thinking about ‘Oh, I screwed that up,’ the next thing to happen is you make another mistake because you weren’t thinking about what you need to do now.
But you can do well if you focus on a few simple things.
Make sure you keep checking how much each player has in front of him, and don’t let someone get so far in front of you at the last hand that one maximum bet can’t catch you up.
Remember that it’s not about winning as much money as possible. It’s about having the most chips at the end of the tournament. If you initially started with $5,000 in tournament chips, it doesn’t matter if you only have $900 at the end – as long as no one else has more than $900.
And that may mean that sometimes you’re going to go against Basic Strategy, and that’s okay if you need to.
When things are going by you faster than you’re comfortable with, take your time and try to remember the ‘Rule of 2, 4, and 5’.
It’s a shorthand version of how to decide how much to bet. Oh, and there are no moral winners in a blackjack tournament.
You either win and go to the next round, or you don’t.
There is no try. There is only advance or don’t advance.
And if you’re not sure what to do, SEND IT IN.
Tips for Staying Calm and Focused
Staying calm and focused is about being in control.
For many of us, driving at 200 mph would have us freaking out in a completely ‘out-of-control’ state.
Surfing down a 25-meter wave would too.
And so when we see pictures of Lewis Hamilton relaxed at 200 mph or Laird Hamilton on a monster wave, it’s a puzzle, right?
(Maybe it’s not a coincidence that they’re both Hamiltons.)
But it’s not a puzzle, is it? Because they’re both totally in control.
Once you have a plan and stick to it, you will feel in control and won’t get flustered.
You can take your time and make good decisions.
Be constantly aware of how much you have and how much your opponents have.
Watch who is ahead of you, and always think of how you can catch up.
How to Learn from Each Tournament Experience
When I was a shift manager in Las Vegas, I played in tournaments around town to play against the possible card counters who used to play in my casino.
It was a way for me to assess how good they were and whether they threatened my casino.
You can learn a lot about a guy’s card-counting skill levels by playing against him, especially in a double-deck tournament.
And what I used to do after every tournament was to make my own debrief notes, not just about the individual players and their abilities, but about tournament moves that I’d seen the good players make, when and how to double down for less, how not to over bet and so on.
And you should, too.
Doing well consistently in blackjack tournaments requires that you are a good Basic Strategy player, but there is an extra layer of skills that are more important. That layer is all about being a good tournament player.
So take the time to review your experiences and record what makes you think, ‘Oh, I need to remember that for the next tournament’.
Key takeaways
- Always read the rules before you enter any tournament.
- Find out what the tournament equity is
- You must know how to count down an opponent’s chip stack.
- Be aware that being a good tournament player isn’t the same as being a good blackjack player.
- The player betting last has an advantage over the player(s) betting before him.
- Know which rules can get you disqualified if you don’t follow them.
- Work out when you will be betting in the last hand, and approach the tournament accordingly.
- If you can’t decide how much to bet, SEND IT IN!
Final Thoughts
I’ve loved writing this article. It’s been a while since I played in a tournament, and I’d forgotten how much I love the challenges they bring.
So go and give it a shot.
Start small, and maybe even with free online tournaments to get your feet wet.
Most importantly, have fun, good luck, and remember to check my other Blackjack Academy guides to get familiar with the game.
And one final note…
Apart from the obvious potential financial rewards, the biggest reward I get is in the social aspects of the tournaments I enter.
It is an entertaining activity, and although you will run into some folks who take it way too seriously, most players are there to spend an evening with people who like the same things.
Additionally, there is the mental challenge of figuring out who’s a danger, who the chip count leader is, how I can displace them, how much I should bet now, and so on.
And yes, the more you do it, the better you get. Watch the players who are good and try to emulate what they do.
Add the little tricks and good strategies you pick up on to your playbook, and soon enough, you will be one of those players who the other players watch and try to beat.
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