Blackjack Tournament Strategy (1 Viewer)

[Zigg]

Going to Vegas on Monday and me and the girlfriend have two entries into blackjack tournaments. I've never been in one, and from what I understand, you start with x amount of chips and 2(guess) people advance from each table.

Anyone here have tournament experience? Should I be reactionary or aggressive? I want to avoid doubling on 19 to stay alive, so I'm leaning towards aggressive, but I really have no idea.

Help me FFA degenerates.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Reactionary?

 

[Zigg]

Reactionary?

Bet low and wait to see how everyone else does. Did I use the wrong word? I'm not very smart.

 

[shadyridr]

Be lucky

 

[John Bender]

With a tournament, there should be a button. Meaning once per round everyone else will have to make their bets before you.

I would suggest to stay consistent in your bets (small) until you're on the button or one seat to the right of the button.

Using the opportunity to see how much your ahead or behind your opponents and then seeing what they bet.

When you're up vs. the table on the button, choose a conservative bet size.

When you're down vs. the table on the button, be strategic and more aggressive in order to get yourself into a place where you can pass the others at the table.

You should be looking to take the lead or keep the lead every time you have the button.

This requires watching other players stacks, in blackjack, the outcome is generally the same for the players as far as win/loss.

Make sense?

Good luck.

 

[IC FBGCav]

You are allowed to count cards in a tourny too.

 

[Zigg]

With a tournament, there should be a button. Meaning once per round everyone else will have to make their bets before you.

I would suggest to stay consistent in your bets (small) until you're on the button or one seat to the right of the button.

Using the opportunity to see how much your ahead or behind your opponents and then seeing what they bet.

When you're up vs. the table on the button, choose a conservative bet size.

When you're down vs. the table on the button, be strategic and more aggressive in order to get yourself into a place where you can pass the others at the table.

You should be looking to take the lead or keep the lead every time you have the button.

This requires watching other players stacks, in blackjack, the outcome is generally the same for the players as far as win/loss.

Make sense?

Good luck.

I assume button means I act last.

 

[The Ref]

I played one black Jack tournament in my life and I won.

In the qualification round I folded three times, went all in on hand four and picked up A-J. Folded hands 5-7 and made the cut.

In the championship round I folded the first two hands. Went all in in hand three and picked up blackjack. The other busted on hands 4-5.

Moral of the story. It's stupid. Get lucky and then let the other guy bust.

Good luck.

Also I put up $20. They probably collected $1200 in tournament fees. I pocketed $500 for the win. It's a rip off.

 

[Joe Summer]

I have participated in many blackjack tournaments over the years, and the one piece of advice I can give you is that you have to pay attention to the "flow" of the table.

Oftentimes there will be 2-3 people who go "all in" on the first couple of hands. And if they happen to win big, then you're suddenly playing catch-up for the rest of that round. So you will have no choice but to ignore conventional blackjack strategy.

I have played in tournaments where the winner of one table had $100 in chips, while the winner of the table right next to him had $30,000.

Just remember: you're not just playing against the dealer, but you're also playing against everyone else at your table.

 

[Zigg]

I played one black Jack tournament in my life and I won.

In the qualification round I folded three times, went all in on hand four and picked up A-J. Folded hands 5-7 and made the cut.

In the championship round I folded the first two hands. Went all in in hand three and picked up blackjack. The other busted on hands 4-5.

Moral of the story. It's stupid. Get lucky and then let the other guy bust.

Good luck.

Also I put up $20. They probably collected $1200 in tournament fees. I pocketed $500 for the win. It's a rip off.

Fold?

These tournaments are free, so no rip off here.

 

[Mile High]

I played one black Jack tournament in my life and I won.

In the qualification round I folded three times, went all in on hand four and picked up A-J. Folded hands 5-7 and made the cut.

In the championship round I folded the first two hands. Went all in in hand three and picked up blackjack. The other busted on hands 4-5.

Moral of the story. It's stupid. Get lucky and then let the other guy bust.

Good luck.

Also I put up $20. They probably collected $1200 in tournament fees. I pocketed $500 for the win. It's a rip off.

Fold?

These tournaments are free, so no rip off here.

winning $480 isn't a rip off either.

 

[Mr. Pickles]

Check raise

 

[IvanKaramazov]

All in minus one

This is really outstanding throwback shtick advice. Well done.

 

[joffer]

Eminence should be able to help