Playing classic blackjack is not the same as participating in a blackjack tournament
Playing in a tournament requires having a strategy and knowing a thing or two about tournaments. Blackjack is not complicated nor are its tournament strategies. Thus, we’re going to cover a few simple principles that could take you a long way.
If you get a good knowledge on how to play blackjack tournaments you” be able to have an edge over your opponents on any given day. The best part is that they are so straightforward that it’s not required to spend too many hours studying. The next time when you play a blackjack online tournament and start beating your opponents you will reminisce over this article fondly. Let’s start with:
Risk & Reward
The same as with standard blackjack or any other casino game, blackjack tournaments are all about risk management. When you have a goal to beat all of the opponents at one table а certain degree of risk is necessary. If you seek long-term success you need to weigh in on your every bet, especially on the big ones. Big bets in tournaments need to return value if you aim to progress. When at the tournament table, weighing in between risks and rewards needs to be done almost perfectly. Your choices are what makes the dance of risk and rewards at tournaments go to one side or another. When you start the game with thoughts of risk and final reward you can adapt your strategy or strategies accordingly.
The Game of Similar Outcomes
This is where things get interesting at blackjack tournaments. Similar outcomes. At the end of the day, all players play against one dealer. The goal is to beat him and get out with the biggest prize. Considering that everyone is playing against the dealer, the chances are the players are going to have similar outcomes in their hands. What do we mean by this? If a dealer is lucky enough to draw a straight-out blackjack, the entire table will face the same destiny – a loss.
So, the strategy you apply needs to understand that while it’s vital to beat the dealer, you need to have a better hand than your opponents. Also, what that means is that one of the roads that leads to that is that you need to aim to always have different hands than your opponents if not always stronger. Sometimes, playing differently will reap better results than simply aiming to play better.
Fundamental Blackjack Tournament Strategy
Tournament success can’t come your way without the right fundamental blackjack strategy. But, you also need to know that basic rules and plans can’t be applied, and they shouldn’t, on every hand you play. One way to mitigate risk is to play small bets on every hand, so even if you start piling up mistakes and losses they won’t amount to much. The trick is that in this case, you need to hit on your big bets. If you miss on them, the chances are you won’t fare too well in any tournament.
This is why you need to read this article a few times, and at this moment you can start over for the first time. To have a good chance to control your destiny in a blackjack tournament when playing live blackjack you need to apply all three basic principles or strategies that we have laid down for you so far. So, focus on the risk vs. reward game, follow it up with an eye on similar outcomes, and round it up with the fundamental blackjack strategies for tournament play.
We believe that you’ve run through what we’ve written in the sections above, so now we are going to show you have to translate these ideas right onto the playing table. These rules are almost universal, but they’re best applied when you’re playing at classic elimination-style tournaments where you’re put against other players. The rules at these tournaments are simple whether you’re playing for money, crypto gambling, or playing with fake chips – once you no longer have assets to bet you’re out. So, how to avoid getting out of the tournament early, and hold your guns for high placement?
Stick to Your Bankroll Early, But Engage High-Risk Betting Later On
Whether you’re playing at home with your buddies or in professional tournaments at Stake, risk management is always tied to the size of your bets. If you want to avoid early exit, you need to focus on small bets that will keep you in the game for longer periods. As we said, if you run out of chips you lose and you can’t play that tournament anymore. So, to avoid this scenario, you need to be wise with your bet sizing.
Professionals who focus on blackjack tournaments only would always start their adventure with a minimum-bet strategy. The conservative approach pays dividends. This way they would accumulate enough chips to enter the final stages of a tournament if not with an upper hand then at least with a place among the top three players.
This strategy developed as a counter to those players who believed that the only way to defeat the masses was to bet big every hand, drop out early, or have the biggest advantage from the get-go. While, with a dose of luck, you can easily win this way, the chances of dropping out early were much higher. Yet, what the time has proven is that the players who preserve their initial bankroll up until the last few rounds were the ones with greater chances of a win.
Yes, sometimes the big-bet player would prove a difficult challenge to overcome, but steady betting still proved to win more than not. So, the best strategy would be to bet small early and raise your bets later on if there’s a need to reach the players who managed to increase their bankrolls tenfold. On many occasions, there would be none as they would flame on up to that point.
This type of approach was there early on when blackjack tournaments were young. Nowadays they have reached a higher level, a sophisticated one so to speak. When players got a grip on how to approach the game, the appeal of small betting veined and results started to miss out. These days, it is wiser to play based on your opponent’s approach. If you have a table full of small bettors you need to make a statement with a big bet early on. Also, if the table is full of reckless bettors, small-bet entry remains a good option.
Every chip at the table is a risky bet until proven otherwise. So, weigh in everyone before going hard to make the most out of your best and minimize the risk as much as possible. At the end of the day the game of blackjack is a risk management strategy and to play it best you need a hybrid approach. To make a stand against both types of players you need to bet small when there are high-rollers going berserk and to bet big when everyone is timid. The balance from this approach can reap amazing results. Most tables these days will have a little bit of both, so knowing that you need to play to their weaknesses gives you an immediate advantage.
You need to re-evaluate your strategy after every hand, as other payers can shift their strategies too. Fundamentally you need to risk just enough to give you a lead and not too much to make you fall behind. Maximize the value of all of your chips by having them play to your strengths and your opponent’s weaknesses. Another factor, when you’re planning to make a big bet is our second postulate – similar outcomes. Even if you win, other players will come out with similar results, so your advantage does not always materialize without additional risks down the road. But, when you’re trailing and the win is on the line, risking is your only option.
Even when you are the leader in the tournament it’s still not the time to forget the rule of similar outcomes. If you continue with minimal best while in the lead you are playing it safe but also allowing them to pass you by. When in lead you need to place the same bets as your main competitors. Yes, there’s a chance of accumulated losses due to poor cards and lack of luck but it’s a risk you need to take on the basis that the luck will turn.
When playing a tournament not every hand is a war; it’s a battle. Don’t aim to win every battle if not for a good reason. Large bets need to be calculated. Also, remember there is no middle ground in blackjack tournaments. Players who always put middle-of-the-pack bets are phasing themselves out of the game steadily. When accumulated on a bad run those bets are killing a player and are phasing him out, while even if winning they don’t accomplish much in the long run. So, remember, it’s better to be a tactician of extremes. Either make small bets all the time, up until the end or start big from the start. Medium bets are only an option when you’re in the lead and you’re sizing the best of your opponent or the entire table is playing the same way.
Look at it from this point. You’re trailing and the leader is making small bets. That’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. The only way to get closer is to win big bets or to never get the lead and eventually win. This is a risk for your bankroll, but the reward is the first place, so you need to make a calculated decision on the amount of risk here. With fewer hands left in the round of the tournament the risks are getting higher but also a necessity. If you can retake the lead with one hand you need to shoot your shot.
Sometimes your entire bankroll will have to be put on the table, and that’s the ultimate risk. But, if it is only a massive bet but it won’t leave you to hang out dry, take it ten out of ten times. Our advice in these situations is to never try to steadily approach your opponents with medium bets. It will backfire and in most cases will never be enough to win. Remember, one big bet is better than a few medium ones. After all, blackjack is a game of risks.
The final advice is to always have a clear look at your bankroll. Placing a large bet near the end of a tournament in order to take down the leader is something you must do. But, if your remaining bankroll is not enough to take him again in the next round you must go all-in immediately. In a situation where your chances are limited it is better to stop calculating and go all-in. The money you will have left, which is not enough to go through or to win, is dead money and there’s no goal in sticking to it.
If you plan on playing blackjack professionally and participating in tournaments, always remember to read this article before trying to move up in the rankings. Having a good strategy and a tactical approach will do wonders for your results.