There are not that many tournaments around for blackjack players but when you can find them they are very often
great for good players. When you enter a tournament you are not playing against the casino but against other players,
this means that if you are a good player your odds are better than playing against a casino.
In a tournament you play against each other just like you do when you are playing in a poker tournament.
The tournament will start with many players and many tables. During the first few rounds most of the players
will have been knocked out to leave only one or two players per table.
At the start of the tournament everyone will have a set number of chips and the amount of hands are also
determined. The amount of hands per round can be anywhere between 20 and 50. Sometimes tournaments
are played with real money chips but normally they are played with special tournament chips.
Instead of the dealer always dealing the first card to the same player every time a button (small plastic disk)
is placed infront of a player. This button indicates who is going to be dealt the first card. The button rotates
around the table after every hand so that nobody is at a disadvantage as everyone will be either the first or
last player during the game.
At the end of the set amount of hands everyones chips are counted and the two or three players with
the most chips will go to play in the next round. This will happen a few times so that eventually there
will only be six players left who will battle it out in the final round to reveal the winner.
The amount of prize money in a tournament can vary as it depends on the amount of entries.
The prize money is not often 100% of the total entry fee as the hosting casino normally takes a
small cut. This often has an advantage as the casino normally guarantees a fixed amount for first
place. This way when you enter a tournament you know exactly what amount you can win and
you are not depending on the amount of entries.
Tournaments are normally only held on large gambling places like Las Vegas where there are always
enough gamblers who will take part. During tournaments drinks and food are very often free for the
players, this means that your entree fee also allows you to eat and drink.
The amount of money that you can win can vary a lot. If you enter a tournament, which has an
entree fee of $ 5 or $ 10, then the prize pot is usually about $ 1000. But if you are entering a tournament
with an entree fee of lets say $ 500 then the prize money is obviously a lot higher, this can vary from tens
of thousands to even 1 million. When the entree fees are high in a tournament then the prize money it is
usually divided into different amounts so that everyone playing in the final will receive something.
If you want to try your luck in a blackjack tournament then it is often best just to give your local casino
a call and ask when they have one planned. Tournaments are normally scheduled for every few months so
finding one should not be that difficult.
