Blackjack tournaments

Blackjack tournaments add a nice twist to the game. Though it’s hard to get bored at a game where huge sums of money are tossed into the balance on every hand, blackjack tourneys bring a little diversity to the table. Playing in a blackjack tournament might also be a good idea because it throws the house edge right out the window. Some blackjack tournaments (which fail to attract the number of players the house counts on) may even offer positive expected value for players.

· Because in a blackjack tournament players go up against other players rather than against the house, the skill factor gets a bigger role too, and if you’re a good player, you’ll like that setup. A blackjack tournament has an entry fee. Players have to buy in, just like in a poker tournament, and in exchange for their buy-in money, they get a stack of chips. Everyone starts out with the same number of chips. Some blackjack tournaments feature real money play (players wager real money at the tables) but most of them offer players tournament chips with no real money value. Play is broken up into rounds. Each round consists of a number of hands set forth in the tournament rules.

· Most of the time, Blackjack tourneys feature 15-30 hands per each round. At the end of a round, chips are counted and the player with the highest number of chips (or the two players with the most chips), advances to the next round. The dealing process is different from regular blackjack games too. The dealer doesn’t always start with the same player, as that would have some players stuck in a permanent position of disadvantage.

· Rather, there’s a button used which circulates around the table and which determines the base for the dealer. Thus nobody ends up stuck in a less desirable position than others. As a round completes, one or two players move on to the next round. A full table is assembled and a new tournament round commences. Two players advance from this table too, and it goes on like this till the final table yields an overall winner. The prizes usually represent the entire buy-in amount, which means that the casino doesn’t wring any profit from the event. This offers players a level field, one where the house edge doesn’t rear its ugly head. How can casinos afford to not make any money off these tourneys? Simple. Blackjack tournaments are used for promotional purposes, and they’re pretty damn successful at what they’re meant to achieve.

· Players get hooked on the game in large numbers and most tournament participants are practically guaranteed to return to the casino’s blackjack tables (the ones which do feature a house edge). Sometimes blackjack tournaments fail to attract sufficient players to cover the advertised prize pool. In this case, the casino covers the prizes from its own pockets. The tournament still remains a powerful promotion tool. If you plan on taking up blackjack, make sure you take advantage of the comp offer your casino is bound to have.