Blackjack Tournaments

It was Ed and David Fishman, brothers and promoters in Las Vegas, who first hosted blackjack tournaments. It was 1978 at Sahara Hotel and Casino, the Jewel in the Desert, where owner and old bingo parlor operator, Milton Prell, started in 1952 by placing some camel statues on the Vegas Strip.

The Fishmans called their event “The World’s First Blackjack Tournaments Championship” and for the first time in history, people competed against others and not dealers. Entry into the ground-breaking affair was $250 and participants had to purchase $500 of chips with their own money. Minimum antes were $5 per hand and maximums were up to the $500 buy-in. Two thousand people showed up, shattering expectations of all involved.

The Sahara became the place to play blackjack, hosting regular high-profile tournaments, and since the House had no dog in the fight, they did nothing to discourage card counters. This attracted the best professionals in the world, undeniably souring involvement of everyday Joes, so changes had to be made to the structure. Rounds were cut down to inject an element of luck and multiple decks were introduced to hamper card counting efforts.

Types of Blackjack Tournaments

Quick-hitting blackjack tournaments can occur at a single table featuring just one round and shoe, victors holding the most chips at the end. Larger events take place across multiple tables with all contenders beginning with identical stacks. After a predetermined number of hands, either one or two chip leaders from each advance.

Entrants recommence with original bankrolls and action continues to determine who advances next, until a final group is assembled. Ultimately, the prize could be for a winner-take-all champion or, as is more often the case, a payout schedule from the pool according to stack size.

Winning Blackjack Tournament Strategy

The sole winning blackjack tournament strategy is to precisely comprehend which rules are enforced and therefore, exact splitting and doubling possibilities. Also, ensure a solid grasp of blackjack basic knowledge and use charts from books or websites like this. It’s absolutely vital because many competitors will understand basics and employ an aid of some kind.

Unlike poker, blackjack tourneys rely less on skill and thus a high premium is placed on chip management. For most, the plan is to stake conservatively early on and try to hang around to stay within striking distance of leaders as final hands approach.

Risking large amounts early can secure advancement but it’s just as likely to trigger quick exits. Always wager responsibly and stay cool under pressure.

Blackjack Tournament Variations

Of course, a card room full of folks making minimum bets isn’t a recipe for thrills, so officials created special rules to keep proceedings lively. The World Series of Blackjack uses two knockout cards in each shoe and when one is dealt, whomever holds the smallest chip stack is dismissed.

A variation of the above is Elimination Blackjack where trailing players at the end of the 8th, 16th and 25th rounds in a 30-hand shoe are sent home. These incentives encourage aggressive decisions in early rounds, especially after a few losing hands.

Power Chips have been successful in introducing additional strategy, not to mention loads of excitement. The Power Chip can be utilized once per table to switch cards with the next in the deck, which is definitely going to get pulses pounding. Another twist is a Secret Tournament Bet that again may only be executed once, this time to disguise both stake amount and subsequent action from competitors.

Duplicate Blackjack is an online version where everyone receives identical cards to battle against dealers. This system assures strategy is more important than luck so it’s a much better way to determine who’s supreme.

Obviously, this would be impossible to do in-person, thus it’s a huge advantage online casinos have over land-based operations. Not to mention, happenings are considerably quicker and accessible from anywhere with WiFi.