Having a blackjack tournament strategy can improve your chances of winning 21 competitions. They are different from cash games in that you’re playing against other players, instead of the dealer. Therefore, you’re going to go about your business a different way.
While no system guarantees success, adjusting your approach will definitely improve your chances. Read on for our pro tips on how to create a winning blackjack tournament strategy!
Blackjack Tournament Strategy Overview
- Focus on Beating the Other Players, Not the Dealer
- Study the Format of the Tournament
- Find the Right Bet Sizing for Each Hand
- Bankroll Management is Key
Focus on Beating the Other Players, Not the Dealer
When you play at a standard online blackjack table, your focus is to beat the dealer. You want to win as many bets for as much money as you can. In tournaments, you still bet against the dealer in each hand, but the goal is to have more chips than other players when the event is finished.
That’s why your focus should be on beating the other players in online blackjack tournaments, not just the dealer.
For instance, if you make the minimum bet, and the rest of the players are betting big, you will be rooting for the dealer to scoop the table with a big hand. You will lose a bit, but your opponents will be losing a ton of chips.
Overall, make sure to follow everyone’s chips in comparison to your own. If you’re behind, you should be taking more risks, including hitting, doubling, and splitting in spots where you normally shouldn’t because it’s against basic blackjack strategy.
Remember that you’re not playing with real money but with chips that you can’t cash in when the tournament is over. Instead, you’re fighting for the prize pool, and the only way to get a piece of it is to beat other players.
Understand the Format of the Tournament Before Starting
The vast majority of online blackjack tournaments will be played in rounds, where you compete against the other players at your table. After a set number of hands, the player with the most chips advances to the next round.
In some online blackjack tournaments, everyone starts the next round with the same starting stack. In others, it is best stack moving forward, so if you have a big round, you can bring all of those chips with you when advancing.
The key takeaway here is that you need a full understanding of the structure of the event, prior to the cards going on the virtual felt. In many formats, second place is worth nothing. If that is the case, you must play to win, as there are no consolation prizes.
The rules and prize pool distribution should guide your blackjack tournament strategy, so make sure you know how the event works.
Find the Right Bet Sizing for Each Hand
There isn’t a more important concept in online blackjack tournament strategy than bet sizing. The way to win a blackjack tournament is to separate yourself from the rest of the players at your table. Often, that means doing the opposite of what everywhere else is doing.
If the first couple of players all bet big, you should bet small and hope that the dealer makes a big hand and beats the entire table.
On the flip side, if they are all betting the minimum, it would be a great time to bet the max, and hope to take a lead over your opponents.
This is a risky way to play, as things can go bad in a hurry, but they can also go really well.
With how online blackjack tournaments are structured, you have to be focused on winning, not losing close. From the first hand to the last, your focus and online blackjack tournament strategy needs to be centered on taking first place, and setting your bet sizes opposite to the rest of the table is a really good way to make that happen.
Of course, you should consider your current position. You can’t afford to bet small if you’re way behind, and you shouldn’t bet big if you’re way ahead.
Bankroll Management is Key
Bankroll management is crucial to success when you’re playing any type of casino game, and it’s especially true when it comes to an online blackjack strategy in tournaments.
You should always keep an eye on your opposition’s chips. This will help you figure out when you need to rein in your bets, or if you need to be a little more aggressive than usual. Again, you’re playing the other players, not the dealer, so you just have to be ahead of them at the end of the round.
Your best option is to start out conservatively, because there is nothing worse than blowing your whole bankroll early. That way, if you lose, you still have a bankroll to fall back on, which is better than the player next to you who is out after three hands. Just be patient; there will be other hands.
If you get into the lead, play smart, and keep an eye on the timer. You may lose the lead with not that much time remaining, so you’ll have no choice but to play aggressively.
Ready to Try Our Blackjack Tournament Strategy?
To summarize our online blackjack tournament strategy and tips:
- Understand that you’re not playing the dealer, but the other players. That requires a different strategy than your normal blackjack cash games since you won’t take your chips home when it’s all said and done.
- Know the rules of the tournament you’re playing in, as there are different formats. Focus on prize pool distribution and what happens after each round.
- Understand the importance of bet sizing, and when to be aggressive, and when to be conservative.
- Keep an eye not only on your bankroll but also on your opposition’s bankroll as well. This will give you an idea of how to manage your chips and pick the right spots to take big risks.
If you want to try our blackjack tournament strategy, I strongly recommend checking BetUS! The online casino has regular 21 tournaments with various buy-ins and formats, so you should be able to find interesting events.
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