One of the most exciting formats for playing blackjack is the blackjack tournament. There are blackjack tournaments held online as well as in land based casinos. In blackjack tournament play, players compete against one another to see who can win the most money in blackjack. Generally the winner receives a large cash prize or other prize.
When you play in a blackjack tournament you play by traditional blackjack rules. The game is played against a dealer and the player strives to beat the dealer with a higher value hand that doesn’t break 21. Tournaments take place over a number of rounds. Players start out with equal chips and play for an allotted time period. At the end of that period the top players move on and the players with the lowest number of chips are out. In each round more players are eliminated until one winner remains.
There is usually an entry fee for blackjack tournaments. Depending on where the tournament is being held and how big the prize is the entry fee can range from a small amount to thousands of dollars. It is important to choose a tournament that is within your personal price range. It is also important to consider whether or not the prize seems worth the entry fee.
Blackjack tournament play requires a strong knowledge of blackjack basic strategy if you want to win. Of course, when you are playing one-on-one against the dealer you should also have a basic understanding of blackjack strategy. However, the fact that you are now playing against other players who may have very strong skills means that you have to be prepared to compete. Learning more advanced techniques such as card counting is also a good idea.
Money management is also very important in blackjack tournament play. You need to remember that if you go all in and lose then you’re out of the tournament. However, by the same token, if you place minimum bets in order to hold on to make your bankroll last you may not win enough to advance you into the next round. You need to find a healthy medium between aggressive and tight money management.
If your skills are up to par and you live for competition then tournament play can be one of the most exciting ways to play blackjack.