Blackjack Tournaments

I’ve been contacted by many people about what the best strategies are for tournament blackjack.  Blackjack tournaments can serve as an effective means for casinos to entice players to their properties, namely their premium players. Tournament blackjack is a version of 21 that radically changes the objective of the game. Blackjack in it’s traditional form is a series of one-on-one battles, each player versus the dealer. Despite what many gamblers may believe, the decisions of other players and their wins/losses have no impact on your long term outcome.  All that matters in blackjack are the playing and betting decisions that you make.  The decisions of others at the table are inconsequential as to how well you do over time.

The dynamic of tournament blackjack, however, is significantly different.  The basic premise is simple.  All players at a given table start with an equal number of chips (for example, $10k).  After a predetermined number of  hands are played (for example, 21 hands), the player who has the most chips advances to the next round. This means that how the other players fare is very consequential as to whether you win or lose, as success/failure is all or nothing in tournament blackjack.  You either end up with the most chips and advance (even if that chip total is a paltry $100), or you finish with less chips than the chip leader which means you lose (even if you tripled your bankroll from $10k to $30k).

This dynamic creates a very interesting and markedly different change in optimal strategy. At times the best play is one that would normally be a horrible one.  For example, doubling down on a hard 19 in the last round could  be the correct play if that is the only option that gives you a chance to catch the chip leader.  When I competed in the World Series of Blackjack and the Ultimate Blackjack Tour (UBT), I was really put to the test as compared to my card counting days days. During my professional blackjack career the correct decision for every hand and the optimal bet for every round was 100% clear cut.  The same can not always be said for tournament blackjack. For those that have never played in a blackjack tournament before, here are three important principles to start you on the path to becoming an expert blackjack tournament player.

1) To make up ground on the competition become the Contrarian.  If your opponent bets small, then bet more (this is called Taking the High).  If your opponent bets big, then bet small (this is called Taking the Low). Blackjack players are more likely to lose vs win their hand, which is why taking the low provides a greater probability of making up ground as compared to taking the high.

2)  When you’re in the lead, become the Copy Cat. Try to match your wagers with those of your closest competitors. This is the best strategy since there’s a high correlation between player outcomes. For example, if the dealer draws to a total of 21, he will most likely wipe out the entire table. And when the dealer busts, every hand at the table will get paid out. In both of these scenarios, if you’re in the lead and have wagered the same amount as your main competition, then you will maintain your chip leader position.

3) You can’t take the chips with you. As compared to when you normally play blackjack, the value of tournament chips lies entirely in their utility in helping you attain chip leader position. Don’t allow yourself to fall too far behind the chip leader. You are better off going all in with a shot to make up a lot of ground in one hand, rather than straggling along with small to medium size bets in an attempt to survive to the last round with little or no shot to win. Having the lead going into the last round, no matter how small, gives you a significant edge, as the value of your chips are essentially worth more than your competitors’. Since you can’t take the chips with you, when in doubt, Bet The Max, particularly in the last and deciding round.